Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is turning down an eight-figure salary as he plans to play another year of college football.
The 20-year-old college athlete announced Wednesday that he will remain with the Oregon Ducks through the 2026 season, delaying the draft in which he was projected to be a top-two pick. Last year’s No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter, signed a four-year, $46.65 million contract and is expected to earn more this year.
“I had a lot of great pitches, a lot of great games this year, but at the end of the day, I feel like I can still learn more,” Moore said in a statement. ESPN interview Wednesday. “When I was a kid, ever since I was 4 years old, I’ve dreamed of being in the NFL, but this team, we’ve been through a lot, a lot of guys are coming back, so we’re going to have some exciting things happening this year. I’m excited to continue to push my team.”
Moore, who threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in the 2025 season, is part of a small group of college football players taking more time before turning pro: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck announced in 2011 that he would Delayed entry into the NFL To complete his degree in architectural design, the Carolina Panthers selected Cam Newton with the first overall pick. USC quarterback Matt Leinart similar decisions 2005.
But Moore’s selection could mark the beginning of a new paradigm for college athletes: Exceed As an added opportunity to win a national championship, college athletes also have the opportunity to make real money through expansion while attending school Name, image, and similarity (NIL) ruleseliminating the pressure of becoming a pro before earning a degree or maturing as a player.
June 2021 Supreme Court ruling Allows the NCAA to adopt a policy that allows college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness. one house settlement Last summer, universities allowed direct payments to athletes for the first time, creating a revenue-sharing model in which athletic departments can allocate about $20.5 million in zero revenue to athletes during the 2025-2026 season.
Profit from the NIL boom
Moore has become a beneficiary of the NIL craze among college athletes by working with NikeBeats by Dr. Dre and Raising Cane’s. he has a Net worth $2.3 millionAccording to On3, he ranks as the 12th richest college football player and the highest-paid Oregon Ducks player.
Moore, through a University of Oregon spokesman, did not immediately respond. wealthRequest for comment.
The University of Oregon has also become a dominant force in NIL, thanks to Nike founder Phil Knight— known as “uncle phil” To College Football Stars – Who Have Donated over $1 billion As of 2023, Knight has founded Division Street, a sports venture whose Ducks of a Feather program is essentially a premium marketing agency for University of Oregon athletes, ultimately to help the 87-year-old Knight help the Ducks win another championship.
“Phil Knight is financing this and wants to see them win a national championship,” said an NIL agent who spoke on condition of anonymity. told cbs sports. “They’re really, really aggressive with money.”
NIL trades have begun to change the landscape of the major league draft. The number of early-entry prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft is the lowest in about a decade, and there are more than a dozen other high-potential prospects Quit before draft deadline. Basketball analysts attribute this decline in part to the NIL’s growing appeal.
Basketball insider Jeff Borzello tell ESPN In May 2025, the NIL changed the way student-athletes think about going pro, especially in the NBA, where the minimum salary for a rookie is $1.2 million and many college athletes can surpass that number through brand deals and revenue-sharing models. Meanwhile, students could theoretically improve their game while still connecting with NBA team scouts.
“At rookie scale, the last few picks in this year’s first round will make less than $3 million each of the next two seasons, and players in that range are expected to make as much money now by choosing to stay in college while theoretically improving their draft stock,” Borzello said.