Louis Riddick raves about Dante Moore's rise toward No. 1 QB spot in 2026 NFL Draft class

ESPN’s Louis Riddick is very high on Oregon QB Dante Moore and can see him rising to the No. 1 quarterback spot in the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore’s improvements this year are evident.

Not only that, Oregon is 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the latest AP Poll, in large part due to Moore. He sat behind Dillon Gabriel last season after transferring from UCLA.

Once a highly touted QB prospect, Moore struggled as a freshman just two years ago. But now being in the driver’s seat at Oregon, he’s arguably the best quarterback eligible for next year’s NFL Draft.

“Of the guys that I have seen, whether it be in person or on tape, Dante Moore from Oregon,” Riddick said on Get Up. “The way he played against Penn State, as far as how big he is, how mobile he is, how confident he plays, the different arm angles he can throw from on platform, off platform, he’s got the entire package. 

“Now, I have not seen Fernando Mendoza at Indiana, although I watched his tape from Cal last year, and I haven’t seen Carson Beck in person, and really haven’t studied his tape either. But right now, there is a major, major competition for the number one quarterback spot when the draft rolls around. And I think, you know, Oregon, you got yourself one right there.”

This year, Moore has 1,210 yards, 14 touchdowns, one interception and a 74.6% completion percentage. For context, in nine games as a freshman, Moore had 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 53.5% completion percentage for UCLA.

“Yeah, I give all the glory to God,” Moore said. “Ever since I could say, you know, seventh grade when I got my first offers, from that day on it’s kind of been things, media, people talking about me. And it’s been just true blessings because everything in my life was never just given to me. I had to work for it. I just know with my hard work and dedication to the game of football that things would come and fall in your hands.”

Yet the talented former five-star prospect humbly deflected much of the praise this week. For Moore, it’s all about the team goals.

“Overall these are all blessings, are all great things as a kid you dream of,” he said. “But overall I think Jabbar Muhammad said it best, team success, that’s when player success comes with it.

“I feel like overall we’re 1-0 every week is our mindset as a team. Without the receivers, without the O-linemen not giving up any sacks, without the people around me I would never have what I have now. So overall I feel like none of these things are coming or just stuff I’m doing with myself. It’s a team thing. But it’s just blessings, though. Like I said, I give the glory to God.”