Steelers Now
One of the big questions surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ability to land a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft has been whether some of the top-rated prospects will indeed come out for the draft this year.
Most of the prospects currently projected to go in the first round are underclassmen, meaning they’ll have a choice as to whether they’ll want to enter the draft or return to college, and NIL salaries have made that a different conversation than it once was.
With the Steelers not expected to be picking near the top of the draft, they targeted the 2026 NFL Draft for acquiring a quarterback because of what looked like an unusually deep class, but if too many underclassmen decide to return to school, that depth may not end up materializing, which could make it more difficult for Steelers general manager Omar Khan to acquire his desired passing prospect.
A piece of news that dropped late on Monday surrounding Oregon quarterback Dante Moore might make it more likely that the Steelers can land a top quarterback.
Moore has been one of the big risers of the 2026 NFL Draft class over the course of this college football season, with his stock at NFL Mock Draft Database rising from No. 491 overall on the consensus big board late in September to his current standing of the No. 5 overall prospect.
But that hasn’t been enough to make Moore a slam dunk to leave Oregon, at least to this point. Former ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has insisted that Moore is set to return to Oregon, despite his top-five projection.
“If I’m getting all this information, and every time I look up at a mock draft or people projecting, and all this stuff,” McShay said on his podcast in November. “I’m trying to tell people Dante Moore is going back to school. No one is listening apparently, because every freaking mock draft I see has Dante Moore in it.”
But on Monday, his offensive coordinator, Will Stein, was hired away from the Ducks, leaving Moore without his most influential coach if he decides to return to school. Stein was hired by Kentucky, where he will replace Mark Stoops as head coach.
It’s not a sure thing that Moore will choose to enter the draft because of Stein’s departure, but it would seem to give him one more reason to pursue what will be a significant payday in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: College Coaching Carousel Could Lead Top-Ranked QB to Declare for 2026 NFL Draft
