The biggest concern throughout the bye week for the Oregon Ducks has been the health of superstar quarterback Dante Moore. The last time everyone saw Moore, he was being loaded into an ambulance to be taken to the hospital after a disgusting hit by USC's Desman Stephens II. The good news was that additional testing showed no further injuries in addition to the concussion, but concussions are serious injuries that a player can't be rushed back from.
Entering UCLA week, everyone wondered whether or not the Ducks would get their star quarterback back for this Top 25 clash. The news that Dante Moore returned to practice on Monday only added fuel to the speculation about his status for the game.
Dan Lanning says Dante Moore was out there for practice today pic.twitter.com/w7CROSmatH
— Oregon Updates (@oregon__updates) October 6, 2026
Why Dante Moore's practice status means more for the Nebraska game than UCLA
While Dante Moore returned to practice on Monday, his status was limited as Dan Lanning described Moore as being in a helmet and shoulder pads.
"Dante was out there with us for practice today, he was wearing a helmet and shoulder pads today, and out there throwing the football."Dan Lanning
While Moore was back in pads, Dan Lanning emphasized that the injury report will tell you more about his status for this weekend.
"Obviously, we'll have an injury report that will be released later this week that will kind of detail what that looks like, but it was great to see him back out there with his teammates and get a little bit of work in there today."Dan Lanning
Given that Dan Lanning is pointing to the fact that it was great to just see Dante Moore back on the field, it seems that this isn't going to be the week where he returns. The Ducks are likely deep into the game plan for the UCLA game, and stating that Moore got a little bit of work in on Monday would point toward the team planning for Dylan Raiola to start.
Lanning could certainly be trying to get UCLA to prepare for Raiola just to play Dante Moore, but with the way he's indicated that the team is focusing on his long-term health, it wouldn't make a ton of sense for the team to put him back in the lineup right away.
Oregon has seen that Dylan Raiola can lead the team to a victory in a tough game, and with the two weeks to prepare around his strengths, the coaching staff can feel confident in his ability. Raiola comes with plenty of Big Ten experience, and he's not going to be overwhelmed by any moment given his career experience.
Dante Moore returning to practice is great news, but Oregon isn't going to push him to come back before he's ready, given the fact that his future is far more important. Moore has a ton on the line with his NFL potential, but you have to factor in long-term health with the effects of concussions, and the team will never feel bad for playing things safely with a head injury.
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