Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returned to practice Monday in helmet and shoulder pads, offering the clearest sign yet that he is progressing from the concussion that forced him out of the Ducks’ Sept. 26 victory at USC.
Coach Dan Lanning said Moore was throwing the football during the session. The update came less than two weeks after Moore left the field on a stretcher, and it does not guarantee he will start Saturday when No. 13 Oregon hosts No. 21 UCLA at Autzen Stadium.
“Dante was out there at practice for us today,” Lanning said. “Similar to what we said before, we’re gonna do what’s best for Dante moving forward. … It was great to see him back out there with his teammates getting to work today.”
Lanning declined to place Moore in any stage of the concussion protocol or to project his availability. He pointed instead to the Big Ten’s first weekly availability report, which Oregon is scheduled to release Wednesday night, with further updates required through game day.
Moore was injured in the second quarter against USC when he slid and was struck in the head by linebacker Desman Stephens II. Stephens was ejected for targeting and later suspended for USC’s next game. Oregon won 41-27.
MRI and CT scans showed no injuries beyond the concussion. Lanning said over the weekend that Moore was “looking like he’s going to be OK,” while stressing on FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” that the program would “proceed with an abundance of caution.”
The timing matters because UCLA is Moore’s former school. He started five games for the Bruins in 2023, completing 53.5 percent of his passes for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions before transferring to Oregon.
Through four games this season Moore has completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 926 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. Those numbers rank among the more efficient marks in the Big Ten.
If Moore cannot play, Dylan Raiola would start for a second straight game. Raiola replaced Moore against USC and completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon scored on six of its final seven possessions.
“Dylan’s got to keep doing what he’s been doing,” Lanning said. “Preparing like he’s going to be the guy that goes out there every single day. We need that from every single person on our team. We don’t need anything special from Dylan other than doing what he’s been doing.”
Oregon opened as a 13.5-point favorite. The Ducks used their open week to keep Moore in recovery mode rather than accelerate his return.
Lanning has repeatedly said the staff will not rush the process. Monday’s padded practice is the first public indication that Moore has cleared enough steps to take part in team work.
The Big Ten requires daily availability designations of probable, questionable, doubtful or out once the initial report appears. Those labels will be the next concrete measure of whether Moore faces his old team.
Medical staffs at Oregon, USC and the hospital that evaluated Moore all contributed to the initial clearance that ruled out structural damage. Every subsequent decision remains tied to symptom-free progression under NCAA guidelines.
