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Dante Moore's second season with the Oregon Ducks is almost here. The star quarterback spoke in a press conference-like setting at the 2026 Oregon Media Day, something he didn't do last year.
But then again, Moore didn't have the pedigree that he does now after completing 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a first-year starter with the Ducks a season ago. He quickly rose up the Heisman Trophy ranks early in the season before eventually vaulting himself into the conversation to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Moore then made a stunning decision, passing up nearly $50 million in guaranteed money to return to Eugene and give it one more go-round with the Ducks, citing chasing a national championship and further readying himself for the pro level as his goals in 2026.
We're almost to the time where the results will begin to be revealed, but first let's check out everything that Moore said during his press conference at the 2026 Oregon Media Day.
"Yeah, there's no going back now. So yeah, I kind of felt when I made a decision there were some days where I thought about, like, was it the right decision? But it's been months now. Man, we put in so much this off season and making sure we're getting our bodies right, preparing for this season. So I'm excited."
"Yeah, it's a blessing. Of course, thank you to Nike, Division Street, everybody that helped plan that trip, and thank you to the community of Tokyo for accepting us. It was great. I never thought in my life I'll be in Tokyo, but especially in Shibuya Crossing. I mean, being able to look up there with my teammates and they'd be happy for me, but seeing my face across the board is a great feeling. But at the end of the day, I want more of that in the future, so I got to make sure I put the work in and just handle business.
"It's preparation. This year, he's taken prehab, rehab, everything, even the game of football more serious. He learned a lot from Kenyon. Kenyon used to get to the facility at 4:45 in the morning. You know, hot tub, stretching, and he's done the same thing with just learning his routine. Not saying he has to play like Kenyon, because at the end of the day, you're yourself. But just picking up those habits, just learning from the players that have done something in our lives that we want to do. Go first round, get drafted. So he's done a great job. Most important thing I love about him is he's a jokester. Pretty sure everybody's heard recently what's happened, but he's a great dude. I love him to death, and I'm happy for these upcoming days."
"Yeah, I'll start as a person. I feel like I connected with, I've been connecting with Earth way more better. Eugene trees, forest hikes, just this world that God has blessed me with. Just being able to really appreciate that. Just more get to learn myself more as a man in this community. Just be around the great people of the city of Eugene, and then as a football player, I'll say just being a leader, being able to rally the troops, make sure we you know handle every task that needs that needs to get handled. But overall, like you know, I got more learning to do this off season and upcoming days."
"Yeah, very talented. The receivers, I mean, they put so much work in. Our trust has gotten way better. Recently, we're in the ocean together. Me and the receivers swimming with these, you know, with the waves, and they didn't believe me at first. Go ahead, go in the water, have a good time, and then they trust me with that. So our trust level was way up there. So that's a great thing. And then this game of football. They've done been doing this since they were four or five years old. They're very talented, but at the end of the day, they're enjoying the process. A lot of them are young. A lot of them are, you know, old as well. So, all of us coming together to make sure, you know, we keep that same goal in our mind and go attack."
"Yeah, it starts with Coach Terry. Coach Terry has done a great job producing linemen and coaching them. Of course, Pancho, of course, came back. I mean, he's doing a great job just molding everybody as an O-Line. You know, at the end of the day, we got some guys that came in. I mean, at the end of the day, we're working in the weight room, putting on some muscle out there. And at the end of the day, Coach Terry's doing a great job with the playbook, making sure they're staying at the right technique. You know, with certain things, but overall, not worried at all. We have so much more time of practice and getting reps in with each other, and I'm gonna for sure feel confident in game one."
"Yeah, Coach Mehringer. Super excited about just trusting his game plans. Coach Stein did one hell of a job here, just make sure he pushed the herd and kept his offense how it was supposed to be, and hope he does great things at Kentucky. But yeah, with Coach Mehringer, I mean, he's a scientist. He's really smart. He's for sure really good at dissecting defenses and helping make sure we have the right play called. At the end of the day, he's been coaching me very well, coaching the players. You know, he was a tight ends coach. Now he's coaching the whole offense, so he's done a great job with that. So he's going to for sure be ready. And at the end of the day, there's going to be some, you know, bumps and bruises and things you have to learn. But at the end of the day, it's game of football.
"Yeah, it's just confidence. At the end of the day, all these interviews, all these questions, just normal conversation. I've talked to JJ and Tatum about that. It's just having a normal conversation. That kind of just feels like, at the end of the day, you never want to put yourself in a bad position, so don't just say the wrong things. Got to tell JJ that a little bit more now, but it's okay. At the end of the day, it's confidence. I mean, the way I just prepare, the way I've just been getting so much, you know, so many reps when it comes to football, spring ball, this past year, and I mean, you know, at the end of the day, I just make sure I just keep pushing myself, and confidence is the biggest thing I reflect on."
"Yeah, pressure is a privilege. A lot of pressure on this team, but at the end of the day, we kind of put that pressure on ourselves. We've done a great job these past couple years, and we've got to trust in our game plans and trust in Coach Lanning. Of course, we got to follow our our leader, and he does a great job making sure he's preparing us. But at the end of the day, it's just going to keep being more and more pressure in my life. So, got to embrace it.
"Of course, you know I love Dillon Gabriel. He was somebody that when I first came in, we sat down and talked. And at the end of the day, I said, you know, I'm not just gonna come here and lay down. I'm gonna make sure I push you in the weight room, on the field, anything, anything we do, and he said the same thing to me. I never, ever, you know, thought I'll be a second-string guy when I got here. I've always wanted to push, of course, to be the guy. But at the end of the day, when the roles get put out for the first game, you just gotta respect it. And at the end of the day, you know, I made sure that when game prep or whatever that Dylan needed, I made sure it was done for him. And then with this year, you know, Dylan Raiola did the same thing. He just came in, we talked, and he's been pushing me on the field. If it's certain throws, if it's certain things we're doing in the weight room, certain whatever, and he's been doing a great job. His weight, I mean, his speed, his attention to our playbook's been great. So at the end of the day, we've been pushing ourselves and make sure that we all want to get to that same goal and make sure we all attack it."
"Yeah, Thunder and Lightning, they did great last year. They made sure that this off season, they pushed each other. Dierre came up to me after the end of the year and said when I came back, he was like, 'I'm gonna get my protections right' because Dierre, when he first came in, of course, had some problems because you're young, just about certain things, the college style, different protections. In this spring ball, this off-season, he's done a phenomenal job. There's been times where I don't have to worry about my backside no more because I know he's getting there. So Dierre's done a great job, and JD has done an amazing job with his body, the way he's been pushing himself. We're always pushing each other at practice, but yeah, they've been doing a great job, and I'm excited for this year."
"Yeah, Evan, love him to death. He's somebody that probably had the greatest off season I've ever seen. The way he just came in every day, early in the mornings, late nights, just pushing himself, pushing the team. Of course, his past year wasn't the year he wanted, and it's just that with that incident, I mean, it just made him love the team even more. Because at the end of the day, we all appreciated him for the supporting things he did. But yeah, he's a really good bowler. I just found that out. We went bowling in LA. He beat me twice. I didn't have my balls though. They're in Eugene, so that doesn't matter. But yeah, we're gonna go tonight actually, and hope I get him this time. But overall, he's a great dude. Great energy. Loves dancing. Everybody sees his TikTok, so he's a great dude."
"Yeah, I watched a lot of Fernando tape, Fernando Mendoza. He's a good ball player, he's someone I respect. You know, I've been playing him since I was my freshman year at UCLA, playing each other at Cal. I learned a lot from him. The way he's just so good at anticipating throws, confidence with throwing RPOs. So I just learned a lot from just watching the tape. And then at the end of the day, we just learned a lot as a team, just knowing the things we can't do in that certain game. Of course, a lot of things I did fall in jeopardy. So they made sure that I learned from that. But yeah, quarterbacks watch quarterbacks make their plays and just learn from them."
"Yeah, we're going to push each other at practice. This team for sure, offense and defensive, even special teams is insane. But talent only takes you so far. So I kind of feel like at the end of the day, we have all this talent, but we're making sure we're putting the work in to help improve other areas as well, but Coach Lanning is going to do a great job when we have competition periods. We're going to have periods where we got to protect each other on the field. But at the end of the day, it's iron sharp and iron, and we're ready for it."
"Coach Lanning does a great job just finding keys and details of certain things that will help us as a team. I wasn't a part of that with him what he was doing, but it's just true. You just got to find things from different teams. You know, you never want to be too big-headed. You always want to learn from somebody. You know, Indiana, example, did a great job last year on Ohio State. One, everybody copied that defense. So it's going to be a lot of things that happens with change. That's how football works. But yeah, I know Coach Lanning. I'm trusting his game plan, and I'm excited for this year."
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dante Moore talks decision to return, Tokyo trip at Oregon's media day
Continue reading...
But then again, Moore didn't have the pedigree that he does now after completing 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a first-year starter with the Ducks a season ago. He quickly rose up the Heisman Trophy ranks early in the season before eventually vaulting himself into the conversation to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Moore then made a stunning decision, passing up nearly $50 million in guaranteed money to return to Eugene and give it one more go-round with the Ducks, citing chasing a national championship and further readying himself for the pro level as his goals in 2026.
We're almost to the time where the results will begin to be revealed, but first let's check out everything that Moore said during his press conference at the 2026 Oregon Media Day.
Decision to Return
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"Yeah, there's no going back now. So yeah, I kind of felt when I made a decision there were some days where I thought about, like, was it the right decision? But it's been months now. Man, we put in so much this off season and making sure we're getting our bodies right, preparing for this season. So I'm excited."
Billboard in Japan
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"Yeah, it's a blessing. Of course, thank you to Nike, Division Street, everybody that helped plan that trip, and thank you to the community of Tokyo for accepting us. It was great. I never thought in my life I'll be in Tokyo, but especially in Shibuya Crossing. I mean, being able to look up there with my teammates and they'd be happy for me, but seeing my face across the board is a great feeling. But at the end of the day, I want more of that in the future, so I got to make sure I put the work in and just handle business.
Jamari Johnson
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"It's preparation. This year, he's taken prehab, rehab, everything, even the game of football more serious. He learned a lot from Kenyon. Kenyon used to get to the facility at 4:45 in the morning. You know, hot tub, stretching, and he's done the same thing with just learning his routine. Not saying he has to play like Kenyon, because at the end of the day, you're yourself. But just picking up those habits, just learning from the players that have done something in our lives that we want to do. Go first round, get drafted. So he's done a great job. Most important thing I love about him is he's a jokester. Pretty sure everybody's heard recently what's happened, but he's a great dude. I love him to death, and I'm happy for these upcoming days."
Growth in Year 3
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"Yeah, I'll start as a person. I feel like I connected with, I've been connecting with Earth way more better. Eugene trees, forest hikes, just this world that God has blessed me with. Just being able to really appreciate that. Just more get to learn myself more as a man in this community. Just be around the great people of the city of Eugene, and then as a football player, I'll say just being a leader, being able to rally the troops, make sure we you know handle every task that needs that needs to get handled. But overall, like you know, I got more learning to do this off season and upcoming days."
Connection with WRs
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"Yeah, very talented. The receivers, I mean, they put so much work in. Our trust has gotten way better. Recently, we're in the ocean together. Me and the receivers swimming with these, you know, with the waves, and they didn't believe me at first. Go ahead, go in the water, have a good time, and then they trust me with that. So our trust level was way up there. So that's a great thing. And then this game of football. They've done been doing this since they were four or five years old. They're very talented, but at the end of the day, they're enjoying the process. A lot of them are young. A lot of them are, you know, old as well. So, all of us coming together to make sure, you know, we keep that same goal in our mind and go attack."
Young Offensive Line
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"Yeah, it starts with Coach Terry. Coach Terry has done a great job producing linemen and coaching them. Of course, Pancho, of course, came back. I mean, he's doing a great job just molding everybody as an O-Line. You know, at the end of the day, we got some guys that came in. I mean, at the end of the day, we're working in the weight room, putting on some muscle out there. And at the end of the day, Coach Terry's doing a great job with the playbook, making sure they're staying at the right technique. You know, with certain things, but overall, not worried at all. We have so much more time of practice and getting reps in with each other, and I'm gonna for sure feel confident in game one."
Excitement About the Offense
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"Yeah, Coach Mehringer. Super excited about just trusting his game plans. Coach Stein did one hell of a job here, just make sure he pushed the herd and kept his offense how it was supposed to be, and hope he does great things at Kentucky. But yeah, with Coach Mehringer, I mean, he's a scientist. He's really smart. He's for sure really good at dissecting defenses and helping make sure we have the right play called. At the end of the day, he's been coaching me very well, coaching the players. You know, he was a tight ends coach. Now he's coaching the whole offense, so he's done a great job with that. So he's going to for sure be ready. And at the end of the day, there's going to be some, you know, bumps and bruises and things you have to learn. But at the end of the day, it's game of football.
Comfortability
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"Yeah, it's just confidence. At the end of the day, all these interviews, all these questions, just normal conversation. I've talked to JJ and Tatum about that. It's just having a normal conversation. That kind of just feels like, at the end of the day, you never want to put yourself in a bad position, so don't just say the wrong things. Got to tell JJ that a little bit more now, but it's okay. At the end of the day, it's confidence. I mean, the way I just prepare, the way I've just been getting so much, you know, so many reps when it comes to football, spring ball, this past year, and I mean, you know, at the end of the day, I just make sure I just keep pushing myself, and confidence is the biggest thing I reflect on."
Handling High Expectations
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"Yeah, pressure is a privilege. A lot of pressure on this team, but at the end of the day, we kind of put that pressure on ourselves. We've done a great job these past couple years, and we've got to trust in our game plans and trust in Coach Lanning. Of course, we got to follow our our leader, and he does a great job making sure he's preparing us. But at the end of the day, it's just going to keep being more and more pressure in my life. So, got to embrace it.
Leading Dylan Raiola
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"Of course, you know I love Dillon Gabriel. He was somebody that when I first came in, we sat down and talked. And at the end of the day, I said, you know, I'm not just gonna come here and lay down. I'm gonna make sure I push you in the weight room, on the field, anything, anything we do, and he said the same thing to me. I never, ever, you know, thought I'll be a second-string guy when I got here. I've always wanted to push, of course, to be the guy. But at the end of the day, when the roles get put out for the first game, you just gotta respect it. And at the end of the day, you know, I made sure that when game prep or whatever that Dylan needed, I made sure it was done for him. And then with this year, you know, Dylan Raiola did the same thing. He just came in, we talked, and he's been pushing me on the field. If it's certain throws, if it's certain things we're doing in the weight room, certain whatever, and he's been doing a great job. His weight, I mean, his speed, his attention to our playbook's been great. So at the end of the day, we've been pushing ourselves and make sure that we all want to get to that same goal and make sure we all attack it."
Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison
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"Yeah, Thunder and Lightning, they did great last year. They made sure that this off season, they pushed each other. Dierre came up to me after the end of the year and said when I came back, he was like, 'I'm gonna get my protections right' because Dierre, when he first came in, of course, had some problems because you're young, just about certain things, the college style, different protections. In this spring ball, this off-season, he's done a phenomenal job. There's been times where I don't have to worry about my backside no more because I know he's getting there. So Dierre's done a great job, and JD has done an amazing job with his body, the way he's been pushing himself. We're always pushing each other at practice, but yeah, they've been doing a great job, and I'm excited for this year."
Bond with Evan Stewart
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"Yeah, Evan, love him to death. He's somebody that probably had the greatest off season I've ever seen. The way he just came in every day, early in the mornings, late nights, just pushing himself, pushing the team. Of course, his past year wasn't the year he wanted, and it's just that with that incident, I mean, it just made him love the team even more. Because at the end of the day, we all appreciated him for the supporting things he did. But yeah, he's a really good bowler. I just found that out. We went bowling in LA. He beat me twice. I didn't have my balls though. They're in Eugene, so that doesn't matter. But yeah, we're gonna go tonight actually, and hope I get him this time. But overall, he's a great dude. Great energy. Loves dancing. Everybody sees his TikTok, so he's a great dude."
Learning from Indiana Loss
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"Yeah, I watched a lot of Fernando tape, Fernando Mendoza. He's a good ball player, he's someone I respect. You know, I've been playing him since I was my freshman year at UCLA, playing each other at Cal. I learned a lot from him. The way he's just so good at anticipating throws, confidence with throwing RPOs. So I just learned a lot from just watching the tape. And then at the end of the day, we just learned a lot as a team, just knowing the things we can't do in that certain game. Of course, a lot of things I did fall in jeopardy. So they made sure that I learned from that. But yeah, quarterbacks watch quarterbacks make their plays and just learn from them."
Talented Defense
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"Yeah, we're going to push each other at practice. This team for sure, offense and defensive, even special teams is insane. But talent only takes you so far. So I kind of feel like at the end of the day, we have all this talent, but we're making sure we're putting the work in to help improve other areas as well, but Coach Lanning is going to do a great job when we have competition periods. We're going to have periods where we got to protect each other on the field. But at the end of the day, it's iron sharp and iron, and we're ready for it."
Winning Rematches
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"Coach Lanning does a great job just finding keys and details of certain things that will help us as a team. I wasn't a part of that with him what he was doing, but it's just true. You just got to find things from different teams. You know, you never want to be too big-headed. You always want to learn from somebody. You know, Indiana, example, did a great job last year on Ohio State. One, everybody copied that defense. So it's going to be a lot of things that happens with change. That's how football works. But yeah, I know Coach Lanning. I'm trusting his game plan, and I'm excited for this year."
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dante Moore talks decision to return, Tokyo trip at Oregon's media day
Continue reading...
