How Stein Departing for Kentucky Could Impact Dante Moore

It broke this afternoon that Oregon Ducks Offensive Coordinator Will Stein is accepting the Head Coaching position at Kentucky. This wasn’t a huge surprise because Stein’s parents both attended Kentucky, and he grew up a fan of the school. While many of the possible impacts of this hire have been explored, the big one that needs to be discussed is the future of Dante Moore.

Could this change at OC impact Moore’s decision on whether he wants to stay at Oregon next season? What possible outcomes could come from the future of the talented signal-caller?

Moore was Rumored to be Staying At Oregon Before Stein Left

Back in early November it was reported on the The McShay Show that Todd McShay had spoken with NFL scouts and they were confident that Moore would return to Oregon. McShay claimed that the coaching staff at Oregon, Moore’s agent, and his parents were all on the same page about Dante playing one more year in Eugene.

The redshirt sophomore has been widely mocked somewhere in the early first round. Some analysts have him as high as the top pick. The general consensus is that he wouldn’t last past the Pittsburgh Steelers at #14. Most mocks see him as a top 5 pick in the upcoming 2026 draft.

Why would Dante return to the Ducks next season? He hasn’t taken the road most traveled since joining Oregon. He sat out the 2024 season behind Dillon Gabriel, and the thought has been that he would give college one more year to develop before leaving for the NFL. This makes a lot of sense for Moore. He would enter next season as the clear cut favorite for the Heisman and the #1 overall prospect in the draft.

Why would Stein impact Moore’s decision?

Dante Moore has been working with Stein for two seasons now. He knows the Stein offense inside and out. Oregon could opt to bring in a new OC and switch up the offense. That decision could potentially have an impact on Moore next season.

What if the transition is bumpy? What if they don’t get along? There’s a lot of “what ifs” in there. Moore could be turning down a guaranteed top 5 pick to return to some significant unknowns.

Instead, Oregon could opt to promote from within. That would make the most sense. Choose someone who understands this offense and has virtually zero transition from Stein to the next coordinator. Some names that have been mentioned is Ra’Shaad Samples, the Assistant Head Coach and Running Backs coach, or Drew Mehringer, the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends coach.

Either one of those would make a lot of sense for continuity’s sake. If Moore wasn’t in play, it’s possible that Dan Lanning would look outside the team for his next coordinator. That’s what he did after Kenny Dillingham left. But with Moore’s decision hanging in the balance, it feels right that they would promote one of those two coaches. Keeping Dante comfortable might be the top priority right now.

But What About Bo Nix?

You might be thinking, what about Bo Nix? He stayed for his final season with a new coordinator. Why wouldn’t Dante also be willing to ride it out with a new coordinator? The simple answer is that Bo didn’t have a great draft grade for the 2023 draft.

This article from Profootballnetwork.com has this to say about his stock. “Nix has the physical talent to be a first-round pick and earn an early starting opportunity in the NFL at quarterback. With the amount of subjectivity that comes after C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, it’s also possible that Nix falls to Day 2. But at this point, with the way he’s played, and with his tools, it’s hard to imagine Nix falling out of Day 2.”

That kind of ambiguity led Nix to return for his senior season. He wanted to improve his stock to a clear first-round pick. He was eventually taken #10 by the Denver Broncos. That kind of draft grade isn’t an issue for Moore. Nobody is putting him outside of the first round, and most mocks have him in the top 10 or top 5. There’s not really a lot of work he can do on his stock.

Moore clearly wants to return for himself and his teammates. He wants to work on his game and continue to improve with the Ducks. He probably also wants to have a shot at a title and a Heisman. Those goals could take a hit if Lanning hires an OC that Moore isn’t comfortable with.

If the Ducks hope to retain their star QB, they might have to go with a familiar face at OC.