The Voice of Lee Schwartz, father of two former NFL studs, Geoffrey and Mitchell Schwartz, author of Raising Giants and member of Concussion & CTE Foundation’s West Coast Advisory Board . . .
A BLIZZARD OF YELLOW HANKIES
I was not on the Dante Moore bandwagon when he first arrived at UCLA for his freshman campaign. He had just decommitted from the University of Oregon to become a Bruin. By all accounts one program was on the upswing. The other? Not so. The decision didn’t quite make sense.
Moore’s freshman season at UCLA was nothing to write home about. He threw an interception on his very first pass in his first start of the season. His completion percentage was a woeful 53.5%. He threw 11 TDs but also 9 interceptions. The future didn’t look bright.
Seems like he didn’t think so either because he packed his bags and through the transfer portal returned to Oregon. But that’s when I began to think that he was a different cat.
On the Ducks roster was senior Dillon Gabriel. Heading into that season Gabriel was the preseason betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. So why would Moore choose a roster where he knew going in he would be second string?
He claimed upon leaving Westwood that he felt the Bruin coaching staff did little to help him improve during that one season. He knew he wasn’t ready for prime time, so he chose a winning program that was known to develop QBs. He was betting on himself, believing that the one year behind Gabriel would prepare him to be a productive starter the next season.
And it did. He had a magnificent 2025 as a starter. By the end of the season he was in the conversation to be a top pick if he elected to make himself available for the upcoming NFL draft. Another big decision loomed.
I know in today’s world there’s much to consider. Playing another year in college with the available NIL money is awfully tempting. NIL money might exceed what a player could earn their first year in the NFL. Moore opted to remain with the Ducks; again, possibly an unconventional decision. He shared several reasons for doing so. Felt he needed more QB development. Was advised that he needed more reps to understand NFL defenses. And he had unfinished business. Heading into the 2026 season Oregon was ranked #2 and thought to have national championship potential. (I imagine the estimated $5M he’s receiving in NIL money this year might have helped to sway his decision.)
The 2026 season didn’t begin as expected . . . for Moore or the Ducks. The team had a shacky first game, squeezing out a late win. They were embarrassed in their second game, losing to a team that entered the game having lost 11 in a row. And Moore hadn’t been sharp.
I first wrote this blog as I watched the Ducks take on the USC Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Betting on himself may have cost him big time. Scrambling in the second quarter he saw a defender approaching. Smartly he began to slide. The proper play by the defenseman would have been trying to avoid contact. Didn’t happen. He went headfirst into Moore, helmet to helmet, causing Moore’s head to snap back, severely bouncing off the turf.
Moore didn’t get up. His arms seemed to be spasming. He was ultimately carted off the field into an awaiting ambulance headed to a local hospital. Reports said he had movement in his extremities. He was diagnosed with having suffered a severe concussion. Moore remained hospitalized overnight, flying back home with staff on Sunday.
Expectedly, Moore did not suit up the following week. But he didn’t the next week, nor the next. Two days ago word surfaced from Oregon that he will not return to action for the remainder of the year. Might this one cheap shot incident change the trajectory of Dante Moore’s career? Might the decisions he’s made along the way come back to haunt him?
I sure hope not. He’s a unique dude in today’s environment. I actually hold him in high esteem for the decisions he’s made. He seems to have placed his personal development above accolades and ego. But what now? Will he fully recover from the concussion?
After his performance during the 2025 season many pundits projected Moore to be the first quarterback taken in this next draft. Given the way he played early in the season and then suffering this injury—especially knowing the NFL’s tendency to use injury as reason to drop one’s status—how far might he fall in the draft? How much money might be forfeited because he’s drafted lower than what was once expected?
I’m a fan of Dante Moore. He deserves the best.