"Moore, who threw for threw for 3,565 yards and had 30 touchdowns in the 2025 season, is part of only a small fraction of college football players who have taken more time before going pro: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck announced in 2011 he would delay NFL entry to finish his architectural design degree, allowing the Carolina Panthers to select Cam Newton as its No. 1 draft pick instead. USC quarterback Matt Leinart made a similar decision in 2005."
"But Moore's choice may mark the beginning of a new pattern among college athletes: Beyond an extra opportunity to notch a national championship, college athletes also have a shot at making real money while enrolled at school thanks to expanding name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules, taking away pressure to go pro before getting a degree or maturing as a player."
Dante Moore, a 20-year-old quarterback for the University of Oregon Ducks, will remain with the team for the 2026 season, delaying entry into the NFL draft and foregoing an eight-figure rookie salary. He threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2025 and was projected as a top-two draft pick. Last year's No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter, signed a four-year, $46.65 million deal, and projected rookie earnings are rising. Decisions to stay mirror past cases such as Andrew Luck and Matt Leinart. Expanding name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules and a recent House settlement allowing colleges to directly pay athletes reduce pressure to turn pro.
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