Elite 3,500-Yard QB Ranked No. 1 in College Football

Just under five months lie between the beginning of April and the first weekend of the 2026 college football season.

Many of the top players from the 2025 season have moved on to new phases of their football careers via the NCAA transfer portal or the NFL draft. However, there is a sizable number of returning stars looking to settle unfinished business in 2026. Among the most marquee returning players in college football is Oregon starting quarterback Dante Moore, who returns for his second season as the Ducks' starter.

The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder was the top three quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle when he flipped his college commitment from Oregon to UCLA. Moore played in nine games during his one season with the Bruins, throwing for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Following head coach Chip Kelly's departure from UCLA to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator, Moore transferred to Oregon. He utilized his redshirt as Dillon Gabriel was the Ducks' starter in 2024; he completed seven of his eight pass attempts for 49 yards in his four appearances.

In his first season as Oregon's starter, Moore threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and guided the Ducks to a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. Moore was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team by the league's media.

In January, Moore made the shocking decision to stay at Oregon for a second season as the Ducks' starter. Prior to his decision to stay in college, he was projected as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft.

Moore's choice to stay in college suddenly created one of the more anticipated Oregon football seasons in recent memory. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports released rankings of all 68 projected starting quarterbacks at Power Four schools in 2026. Moore ranked as the No. 1 quarterback on Crawford's list.

"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," Crawford wrote. "He deserves the current spot as college football's top quarterback."

Which other quarterbacks ranked near the top of the list?

The Big Ten and SEC split eight of the top 10 spots in Crawford's rankings. Returning Ohio State starter Julian Sayin, who led the nation in completion percentage (77%) and finished fourth in 2025 Heisman Trophy voting, occupies the No. 2 spot. Returning USC starter Jayden Maiava and incoming Indiana transfer Josh Hoover are in the last two spots of the top 10.

Three of the SEC entries in the top 10 are second-year starters at their programs: Arch Manning (Texas, No. 3), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss, No. 4) and Gunner Stockton (Georgia, No. 7). Incoming LSU transfer Sam Leavitt holds the No. 8 spot on the list.

The No. 5 and No. 6 spots on the list belong to Darian Mensah of Miami and CJ Carr of Notre Dame. Mensah enters his first season with the Hurricanes after starting for Tulane and Duke the past two seasons. Carr threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in his true freshman season with the Fighting Irish.