EUGENE - The unranked Oregon Ducks are at an inflection point in their highly-anticipated 2026 football season with major questions at quarterback.

Starting quarterback Dante Moore remains sidelined with a concussion injury sustained against the USC Trojans on Sept. 26. Behind him, Dylan Raiola, Brock Thomas and Akili Smith Jr. are competing for the starting job against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

While Moore's season is on hold, the conversations around his NFL Draft stock keep moving.

Oregon entered the season ranked No. 2, with billboards in Tokyo featuring quarterback Dante Moore as part of his Heisman Trophy campaign.

The season has hardly unfolded as expected. But Oregon’s two upset losses and Moore’s injury should not all be bundled into one judgment about his NFL future.

Mel Kiper’s Dante Moore Ranking Comes With a Challenge

NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his first top-25 prospect big board and included Moore on it, pushing back on the narrative that Moore has plummeted off of the NFL radar. Kiper Jr. included Moore at No. 25 overall on his first 2027 NFL Draft Big Board. Six quarterbacks landed ahead of him, including Texas’ Arch Manning at No. 24.

Before the season started, Kiper Jr. said his prediction for the No. 1 overall selection was a two-quarterback race between Moore and Manning.

Moore's NFL Draft outlook does come with one challenge from Kiper Jr.

"But he has to show he can take over some games against top-tier competition. His performance against Penn State in 2025 (at a time when the Nittany Lions were the No. 3 team in the country) was exceptional," Kiper wrote.

"But he couldn't bottle that performance and repeat it against other top teams over the rest of that season. He now has a chance to prove he can rise to the matchup this year -- most notably against Ohio State on Nov. 7," Kiper wrote.

Ohio State Matchup Looms as Dante Moore’s Return Remains Uncertain

Oregon’s looming matchup with No. 4 Ohio State in Columbus falls exactly six weeks after Moore suffered his concussion in Los Angeles.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning has not revealed a timeline for Moore's return and reiterated that the program will be very cautious, considering the severity of the injury. The good sign is that Moore is practicing for the second straight week.

If medically cleared and available, Moore could have an opportunity to change the conversation around both his draft stock and Oregon’s season. He could become the savior of the season.

The game vs. the Buckeyes might also be the Ducks' big opportunity to grab attention from the College Football Playoff committee. Oregon already has two losses, with dwindling chances at making the CFP but an upset at The Shoe would change the narrative dramatically.

For Moore, coming back this season would help show NFL evaluators how he handles pressure and executes against elite talent. Oregon faces another currently-ranked team on its schedule in No. 25 Northwestern on Halloween.

Moore was widely viewed as the early favorite to become the No. 1 quarterback selected in the 2027 NFL Draft, dominating a poll from insiders and topping Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

Notably, NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay predicted Moore would still be a top-five pick and said he's "not overrated."

So while Moore's overall dominance of potentially being the first quarterback off the board in the 2027 NFL Draft may have taken a hit, his draft stock as a whole has not crumbled. NFL scouts and personnel have flocked to Autzen Stadium this season, as the Ducks have become a strong pipeline to the league.

NFL Draft/ Quarterback Outlook

Around the sport, other quarterbacks are starting to emerge and grab attention of the NFL. Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr now enter the conversation as potential top quarterbacks selected in the 2027 draft.

Oregon has now had at least six players taken in the NFL Draft in each of the last four years, with 31 total selections under Lanning. Oregon has 48 players across NFL rosters, practice squads and reserve lists.

Before his injury, Moore completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 926 yards, nine touchdowns and and impressive zero interceptions this season.

The Ducks host Nebraska at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night with the challenge of winning without Moore.