Dante Moore threw an interception which was returned for a touchdown on the first snap of the College Football Playoff semifinal against Indiana. And, wwell as you’d imagine, Oregon never recovered in the 56-22 loss to Indiana. It was a matchup of dueling quarterbacks that will most likely be the first two quarterbacks drafted in the NFL Draft in April.
That means Friday night was possibly Moore’s final game with the Ducks, assuming he forgoes his final year of eligibility to return. He’s not the only Duck that won’t be back after Friday’s disappointing loss. Here’s four more players that just played their last game with Oregon after coming up short of a national championship appearance.
Dante Moore
It’s pretty clear that after Friday night, Moore probably needs another year or college ball. Unfortunately, going back to school would put him in more of a position like Drew Allar rather than a Carson Beck. Right now, he’s widely considered to be drafted inside the top 5.
The way Indiana tortured him may make him want to come back for redemption. That said, Moore has to capitalize on his draft stock now and leave while he’s ahead. He will need a little more development than I originally thought, but he should still grow into being a decent quarterback in the NFL. He finished with 284 passing yards and a touchdown and interception in the Peach Bowl loss.
Kenyon Sadiq
Like Moore, Kenyon Sadiq has been getting a lot of draft attention and he should be a possible first rounder. If not, he’s still considered the best tight end in this upcoming draft class. Though his impact was thwarted against Indiana as Oregon’s passing offense never really taking off, he’s been as productive a weapon for the Ducks as anybody this year.
He had over 500 receiving yards and eight touchdowns with the Ducks. Friday night he was a non-factor with just five catches and 29 yards. That said, he’ll still be a gem to an NFL franchise this spring, the question becomes who.
Emmanuel Pregnon
Another draft prospect on the Ducks offense plays his last game. Again, he has not officially declared yet, but with second round grades and possibly even sneaking into the first round, Emmanuel Pregnon will probably declare for the draft after Friday night. He’s ranked as the No. 2 inside offensive lineman.
Evaluators might need to burn Friday’s tape to truly appreciate Pregnon – Indiana’s defensive front just obliterated Oregon’s offensive line – but he’s had a strong season and career with the Ducks regardless.
Bear Alexander
With fourth-round grades and a ranking as the No. 8 defensive tackle, Bear Alexander could be headed to the NFL Draft as well in hopes of becoming a steal. He accomplished exactly what he wanted in boosting his draft stock with a transfer move. Alexander spent the last two seasons at USC and then his freshman season at Georgia. Though he’s not the most talked about defensive lineman in the country, he could still find his way to the NFL Draft, making an impact at the professional level.
Bryce Boettcher
Bryce Boettcher is not one of the most talked about linebackers, but has a late round grade on him and could end up being a good pickup later in the draft. Boettcher gave up on a baseball career to pursue football and it could just pay off for him in the end. He wasn’t much to talk about with Oregon on Friday night, but he was one player that did make a few plays on defense.