Dante Moore leaves Oregon-USC game in an ambulance, evaluated at local hospital

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was taken off the field by ambulance after a hit to the head during Saturday’s game against USC.

Dante Moore was already going down when the hit came.

The Oregon quarterback scrambled during the second quarter of Saturday’s game against USC in Los Angeles and began his slide, a move that signals to defenders the play is over and triggers protections written specifically to prevent what happened next. Linebacker Desman Stephen II arrived anyway, driving Moore’s head into the ground. Officials threw a flag immediately.

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PEOPLE reported that the 21-year-old remained on the ground as Oregon staff hurried onto the field. He was placed on a stretcher several minutes later with his entire team gathered around him, and USC quarterback Jayden Maiava crossed over to check on him as well. Per CBS Sports, Moore did not appear to be moving as he was loaded into a waiting ambulance.

NBC’s broadcast confirmed shortly after halftime that he had been transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

The aftermath on the field nearly escalated. Oregon players confronted USC defenders, with officials and coaches intervening to separate them. Stephen was assessed a targeting penalty and disqualified, while offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct flags went to both sidelines.

Targeting carries automatic ejection in college football precisely because of hits like this one, though the rule does nothing to address what a player has already absorbed by the time it’s enforced.

The timing compounds the situation for Moore. The East Cleveland native began at UCLA in January 2023 before transferring to Oregon that December, and he passed on the 2026 NFL Draft to return for another year despite being regarded as a top prospect.

That decision positioned him as a potential first-round quarterback in 2027, and he had opened the season accordingly, throwing for 849 yards and nine touchdowns across a 2-1 start, according to ESPN.

It also revives an uncomfortable conversation about what college players risk without professional contracts protecting them. Moore chose another season in Eugene over entering the draft, a gamble that has paid off for some quarterbacks and cost others everything. Saturday’s hit landed squarely on the wrong side of that calculation, at least until his condition is known.

Dylan Raiola, who spent two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Oregon this offseason, took over the offense after Moore exited. The Ducks led 13-10 at halftime.

No update on Moore’s condition had been released as of the report, and neither the program nor his family had issued a statement.