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By Matthew Davis
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For Oregon Ducks junior quarterback Dante Moore, the grass in the Willamette Valley really was greener than the anticipated cash in the NFL.
Moore opted out of the NFL draft to play another year at Oregon, though he would have been a top-five draft pick. That means he would have made north of $50 million over the next four years, but Moore was willing to put that on hold for a year.
Moore made the announcement in January, just five days after the Ducks got bulldozed by eventual national champion Indiana, 56-22, in the College Football Playoff. His performance of 24-39 passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns versus an interception didn't drop his draft stock, but his resolve to win a national title led him back to Eugene for his junior season.
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"As soon as that happened, I turned my phone off and went to go golf," Moore told reporters on Wednesday regarding has January announcement. "Probably the best thing I had done that day."
Moore transferred to Oregon in 2024 after one season of play with UCLA, and he looks to bring Oregon its first national title. Oregon has been synonymous with heartbreak when it comes to the college football postseason, and Moore clearly didn't want his Ducks to end that way.
Moore had a stellar sophomore season with a 71.8% completion rate for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 73 carries last season, the best rushing mark in his collegiate career.
Moore looks to help a reloaded Ducks team make another run this year at the CFP, but a grueling Big 10 schedule comes first. Ohio State is generally considered the favorite to win the Big 10, but the Ducks have been tough for the Buckeyes in recent years. The two will meet in November in Columbus.
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