Dante Moore’s Oregon return is good for Dylan Raiola, too

On Wednesday, Dante Moore stunned the football world by announcing he would return to Oregon for another season.

The decision was a surprise on two levels. First, Moore was expected to be at least the second quarterback taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, and perhaps the first passer to come off the board. With two teams at the top of the first round needing quarterbacks — the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets — those were two potential landing spots. Add in the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 and the Cleveland Browns at No. 6, and you have four teams within the first six picks that could have been fits for him.

Second, Oregon had already landed one of the bigger names in the transfer portal as a potential replacement, adding Dylan Raiola from Nebraska.

Instead, Moore is heading back to school, and Raiola is going to be his backup.

A move that, oddly enough, will benefit both players.

Why the return helps Moore

At first blush, passing on this year’s NFL Draft seems like a risk for Moore.

But it might make him a better quarterback in the end.

Yes, he is giving up on potentially being the second player drafted. Maybe even the first, if the Raiders were to fall in love with him throughout the evaluation process. In speaking with people around the league on Wednesday night, it seemed that his floor was at No. 3 in this upcoming draft with the Cardinals likely moving on from Kyler Murray.

There is also the fact that right now, this looks like a weak quarterback class on paper. However, Moore could be throwing his hat in the ring in what could be a loaded class next year. As we discussed when Arch Manning announced his return to Texas, the 2027 NFL Draft class could run very deep at quarterback. Instead of being one of the top options in 2026, Moore is running the risk of falling down the board next year, depending on how the chips fall.

So why is this a smart, mature move from Moore?

It might make him a better quarterback in the end.

While he flashed talent throughout the season, there are still areas where Moore needs to improve. Some of the tools are there, but playing in the face of pressure in the pocket is a question mark — one that was magnified in Oregon’s loss in the Peach Bowl. There are also times where he will stare down a route, which leads him into trouble. His arm, while good, could use improvement.

If you watch the interception he threw in the Peach Bowl, those last two points were put before your eyes.

And the eyes of scouts:

So while the tools are there, there is more work to be done. And having completed just his first full season as a starter, another year in college gives Moore the chance to refine his craft, improve the areas that need improvement, and come out next year as a better prospect and quarterback.

Which gives him not only a chance to remain at the top of the draft board next year — based on skill and not pure need — but a better chance to stick at the next level.

But what about his new understudy? How does Moore’s decision benefit Dylan Raiola?

How Moore’s decision helps Raiola

Dante Moore’s decision to return to might make him a better quarterback.

It might also make Dylan Raiola a better quarterback.

Raiola landed at Nebraska amid much fanfare, the son of a former Cornhusker tasked with turning around one of college football’s storied programs.

That is a lot for any young quarterback to handle.

And yes, the Patrick Mahomes-like mannerisms are great blog fodder, and are stunning to observe in person, as I did when I attended Nebraska’s game against Maryland earlier this year, but there is a very talented quarterback inside Raiola.

He just needs time to develop.

Raiola suffered a season-ending leg fracture in November, one that required surgery. Serving as Moore’s backup gives the Nebraska transfer a chance to fully heal from the injury, and not rush back to the field where he would be expected to pick up the slack from a quarterback that led the team to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

In addition, Raiola can now follow a path that Moore himself followed. Transfer to Oregon, take a year to learn the system as Moore did behind Dillon Gabriel, and take over when you are ready. Along the way, learn to clean up your own issues as a passer. If you think Moore stared down that route in the clip above from the Peach Bowl, just watch some of what Raiola does in the pocket.

A chance to learn and develop on the sideline, without the weight of the expectations that came with arriving as a son of a legend in Lincoln, could do Raiola a world of good.

It could make him a better quarterback as well.