When Dante Moore decided to forgo the 2026 NFL Draft, it was decidedly bad news for the Nebraska football team. The Oregon Ducks would have been hard enough to beat if former Husker Dylan Raiola was under center. That a guy who is expected to be next year’s No. 1 draft pick will be there instead makes it quite a bit harder.
When ESPN released its FPI ratings and record predictions, it wasn’t the Indiana Hoosiers or Ohio State Buckeyes that the Huskers had the lowest chance of beating. NU was given just an 8% chance of knocking off Dan Lanning’s crew. Some of that was the fact that Ohio State and Indiana visit Lincoln and Oregon hosts Matt Rhule’s squad. But the 1-2 punch of a great defense and Dante Moore makes this an incredibly tough matchup. But there is at least one weakness that, if Big Red manages to take advantage of, it will give them a chance to pull off a massive upset.
The weakness that Nebraska will have to take advantage of was exposed in The Athletic’s ranking of every single quarterback in the FBS. The writers surveyed scouts and front office execs to put the list together, and Dante Moore landed at No. 2 on the list.
The ranking came with plenty of praise, but scout Nick Baumgardner did pinpoint an area the Huskers should look to exploit.
Indiana showed Nebraska how to disrupt Dante Moore in Oregon upset bid
“Moore’s poise and maturity have stood out for years, including in his decision to sit and learn as a sophomore behind former Oregon starter Dillon Gabriel. Moore’s calm under pressure last year gave off Jayden Daniels vibes.”
“A very good athlete who can make plays out of the pocket, Moore showed improved footwork and pocket awareness. He still needs more time on task as a processor…”
It’s here where the Cornhuskers would have to thread the needle if they want to pull off an upset. It’s worth noting that “processing” was one of the big drawbacks of Dylan Raiola’s two years in Nebraska. He had all the talent in the world and a plenty strong arm, but at times, he seemed to struggle processing what the defense was doing, and it usually led to a sack.
Moore is clearly stronger in that area than Raiola was, hence the ex-Nebraska QB transferring to the Ducks to study under the starter. However, if Rob Aurich’s defense can find a way to generate pressure and/or disguise coverage in a way that causes Moore to wait just a tick too long, it could provide an opening.
The bad news here is that it’s clear if it was that easy, Dante Moore wouldn’t be as good as he is. But it’s an opening that the best defensive coordinators in the country have found. Indiana found it last year, holding Moore to 186 yards while throwing 2 interceptions in the Ducks’ 30-20 defeat to the Hoosiers. IU was the only team to beat Moore’s squad in the regular season.
In fact, Indiana was the only team to beat Oregon all year. They did it again in the playoffs. Figuring out how Curt Cignetti’s defense short-circuited Moore’s processing should be job one for Nebraska’s defense staff ahead of October 17.
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