It was a mild surprise to the college football world when Dante Moore announced in January that he would be returning to Eugene for another season with the Oregon Ducks. Although Ducks fans might not have been caught as off-guard, the decision put the nation on notice for the Ducks to be championship contenders once again in 2026 with some continuity under center.
Moore was a projected top-5 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, so his return meant one of, if not the best, quarterbacks in the country would be back in play. CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford seems to believe in the latter, listing Moore atop his rankings for every power conference starter ahead of the 2026 season.
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“Moore finished with 3,565 yards passing and 30 touchdowns in his first full season as a college starter, helping Oregon reach the College Football Playoff semifinals,” Crawford wrote. “The former UCLA transfer will work with a new offensive coordinator this fall after spending the last two years with Will Stein, who’s now leading Kentucky. He deserves the current spot as college football’s top quarterback.”
Within the top 10 of the rankings, there are three other quarterbacks from the Big Ten, two of which are on Oregon’s regular season schedule. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin falls one spot behind Moore at No. 2, while USC’s Jayden Maiava and Indiana’s Josh Hoover take the No. 9 and 10 spots, respectively.
At the end of the day, preseason rankings are all speculation, but it sets the table for what is expected of Moore next season. The Ducks have a more challenging schedule this year, particularly in November with matchups against Ohio State, Michigan and Washington. Still, the Ducks expect to be back in the College Football Playoff and contending for the conference crown, thanks to another year of progression for Moore and his increased role as a leader in the locker room this spring.
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Beyond the outlook of next season, the rankings also show that Moore leads the way for what is widely believed to be a loaded 2027 quarterback class ahead of the NFL Draft. That class should feature Moore, alongside Texas’ Arch Manning, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, Miami’s Darian Mensah and many more.
The spring has gone well for Moore, both on and off the field, and the Ducks have one of the best receiving groups the program has ever had at his disposal. Time will tell if Moore can take the next step forward and live up to all the preseason hype.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon’s Dante Moore tabbed top QB nationally in power conferences
