Dante Moore has been ruled out for Sunday after a head injury in Week 4 against USC, and Oregon’s quarterback plan has kept shifting ever since. Dylan Raiola, who had stepped in during Moore’s absence, was benched for Brock Thomas in the fourth quarter of last Saturday’s loss to UCLA, leaving the Ducks with one more decision to make before Nebraska.
The search for answers is happening now because Oregon is preparing for Nebraska with no settled starter and no firm ceiling on the rotation. Raiola started in Week 6 after the Week 5 bye, but his 6-for-19 night for 43 passing yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions through three quarters against UCLA forced the change. Thomas then finished the game 11-for-15 for 156 yards and one touchdown, even after a fumble on his first drive.
That is why the injury to Moore has become more than a one-game absence. It opened the door for Raiola, who had transferred from Nebraska to Oregon this offseason to back up Moore, and his best work came in relief of Moore at USC, when he went 19-for-25 with two touchdowns and no interceptions. But the job did not stay stable. After UCLA, Dan Lanning said it would be worth evaluating whether Thomas should move above Raiola on the depth chart.
This week, Raiola, Thomas and Akili Smith Jr. were all taking reps at practice, and Lanning said Smith was “absolutely” factoring into the quarterback competition. When asked Wednesday about playing multiple quarterbacks against Nebraska, he said all things were on the table and added, “I believe in doing whatever it takes to win.” That leaves Oregon with a three-way competition at the exact moment it needs clarity most.
Thomas brings a longer developmental track, as a three-star prospect who committed to Oregon in 2023 and appeared in seven games last season as a redshirt sophomore. Smith did not appear in a game as a true freshman last season. Raiola, meanwhile, has already shown both sides of the equation: the efficient relief outing at USC and the uneven start that followed against UCLA. The next call against Nebraska, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET in Eugene, will show whether Oregon trusts one quarterback, or keeps the door open for more than one.
