Dante Moore was knocked unconscious by a frightening hit during Oregon’s matchup with USC, then taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
The Oregon quarterback is widely regarded as one of the leading prospects in the talent-rich 2027 NFL Draft class after choosing to return to college for his junior season.
However, his latest appearance was overshadowed by a disturbing incident with roughly 10 minutes left in the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Facing second-and-nine, Moore stepped forward in the pocket and scrambled beyond the line to gain.
When he reached the 12-yard line, Moore began a slide. USC defender Desman Stephens II lowered his shoulder and delivered a heavy blow to the quarterback’s head.
Moore’s body went rigid immediately afterward, and he appeared to display a fencing response, with his arms moving into an unnatural position.
Dante Moore was knocked unconscious in a terrifying moment during Oregon’s game against USC in Los Angeles
Moore took a shoulder to the head while sliding for a first down in the second quarter
After lengthy treatment on the field, Moore was placed in an ambulance and taken to a hospital
Oregon players and coaches rushed toward Stephens II, sparking a confrontation after the hit. The USC defender appeared to celebrate as Moore’s teammates challenged him.
Stephens II was subsequently ejected for targeting, while medical personnel continued treating Moore on the field.
The defender was later seen smiling and high-fiving teammates on the sideline as Moore remained motionless during treatment, drawing widespread criticism online.
An ambulance backed onto the field once Moore had been stabilized. He was then placed inside as Oregon’s players gathered nearby and prayed for their teammate.
NBC reported that Moore had movement in his arms before he was transported to the nearby Los Angeles General Medical Center.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay said the officials were correct to uphold the targeting penalty and eject Stephens II.
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“As soon as he starts his slide, he’s defenseless,” McAulay said.
“The defender leads with his shoulder and makes forcible contact to the head and neck area with his shoulder. This is, no question about it, this is targeting.”
Desman Stephens II was criticized after appearing to celebrate following the hit on Moore
Stephens was seen smiling and high-fiving teammates on the sideline after being ejected
Moore is viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects expected to enter the 2027 NFL Draft
Both teams also received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for their reactions, meaning all players on both sides were one unsportsmanlike penalty in the rest of the game away from being ejected.
Play resumed with Oregon trailing 10-3 and former Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola replacing Moore at quarterback. He threw a three-yard touchdown pass to cap off the drive that Moore orchestrated before being hurt.
Even USC fans were enraged by Stephens’ reaction to the injury, with TrojansWire writing on X: ‘Forget about any Big 10 suspension for Desman Stephens. USC should not allow him to play for the Trojans again. He doesn’t seem to care. Not showing any contrition for that is *completely* unacceptable. No place in the program for that.’
Another user wrote: ‘How on Earth does Desman Stephens celebrate this? In what world of sports is this even remotely close to being considered a good play? Kick that idiot out of college football. Im mind blown.’
A further response read: ‘This is the USC player that tried to end Dante Moore’s career. Desman Stephens is very pleased with himself. Absolutely disgusting behavior after sending someone away in an ambulance.’
Moore was projected to be one of the top picks in the most recent NFL Draft before he decided to stay in school.
He has had a mixed start to the season, losing to Oklahoma State in a Week 2 upset, but NFL Draft expert Todd McShay recently insisted he is still right on course to be a top-five pick.
‘Dante looks good. Like Dante is still making the throws,’ he noted. ‘There’s an element you want to see as an evaluator though where at some point – we all know the level of poise he has, and the way he carries himself, and the maturity he has, and the smarts he has at that position is all highly coveted – but at some point a quarterback has to kind of take the reins of the team.
‘Whether its vocal, whether its by example, just setting the bar. ‘This is the expectation.’ We now are going to see the rest of the season what Moore is made of in that regard…. Moore’s going to be a top-five pick. This is not a Cade Klubnik or Drew Allar situation where they’re overrated.’
