Dante Moore faces stiff competition for top spot among 2026 quarterbacks

It's a debate that rages, because college football fans have little else to do until September 5th. Who takes over from Fernando Mendoza as the best quarterback in college football?

Ultimately the argument will be settled on the field and at the NFL draft. What this article attempts to do is define the known quantities of the candidates:

Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State 6-4, 211, former four-star from Austin Texas. Threw for 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns, 9 interceptions at North Texas last year, 68.9 percent completions, 168.7 passer rating. A zero-star recruit out of high school, NCAA leader in passing yards and yards per attempt.

North Texas led the nation in scoring at 45.1 points per game last year. Sacked 18 times in 2025, Mestemaker has limited running ability, 57 carries for 89 yards, 5 touchdowns last season at NT.

With Mestemaker the most prolific, Carr is getting the most hype

CJ Carr, Notre Dame 6-2, 215 redshirt sophomore from Saline, Michigan, 4-star in the class of 2024. In 12 starts for the 10-2 Irish, Carr threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, 6 interceptions. Nationally, he ranked 51st in yards, 24th in TDs, No. 5 in passer rating.

Sacked just 12 times, Carr stayed in the pocket, carrying the ball only 41 times for 33 yards and three touchdowns. He's currently the Heisman favorite at FanDuel at +750. Carr has an additional challenge this year in that the Irish, snubbed in the playoffs last year for a Miami team they beat 27-24 in Week 1, are playoff contenders again this year but without bellcow running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.

In an interview with "The Echoes ND" podcast former ND quarterback Ian Book said, “I think CJ is gonna be fine. I think he’s gonna have a great year. The only thing he shouldn’t do is put so much pressure on himself that he needs to be a super hero everyday. Other than that I have zero worries with him. Just gotta keep him healthy."

The schedule sets up Carr for a big year. He has home games in November with Miami and SMU, an October 17 road trip to BYU. The rest of the slate lacks a serious test: Wisconsin, Rice and Michigan State at home, at Purdue, at North Carolina, Stanford at home, Navy. With Boston College and Syracuse on the late schedule, the over/under is 11.5 wins.

Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi, 6-1, 200 . Threw for 3,937 yards (third in the NCAA) with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions in 15 games., 66.1 percent completions. 527 yards rushing, eight touchdowns, sacked 14 times. A transfer from Division II Ferris State, he led the Rebels to a 13-2 record and the College Football Playoff semifinals. Two-time Division II national champion.

In the Athlon "Anonymous Coach" article, one staffer in the SEC said, "Trinidad Chambliss is absolutely the top returning quarterback in the country. "He’s a winner, he’s got a feel for the game, he’s got presence, he looks like he’s got tremendous leadership skills.”

In terms of his skills as a playmaker and creator, Chambliss is the closest thing in 2026 college football to Michael Vick.

Dante Moore, Oregon 6-3 206 redshirt sophomore from Detroit, Michigan, transfer from UCLA. Eighth in passer rating a season ago at 163.72, 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns, 10 interceptions.

An exact match for Chambliss in record (13-2, lost in the semifinals) and scoring (36.9 points per game, tied 10th in the country) Moore possesses a vastly different set of skills. He may be the best pure thrower and arm talent in the group, but made too many mistakes in 2025, rattled at times by pressure. He's less resourceful than Chambliss, but most are.

The cool Oregon QB connected on 71.8 percent of his passes while rushing for 156 yards and two TDs, sacked 17 times.

Few quarterbacks in college football can equal Moore's knack for lasers, darts and dimes. If he cuts down on his errors with a talented roster around him, the Motor City Magician's passing talent could take the Ducks to a title in 2026.

His biggest challenge is a daunting schedule that features road games at Oklahoma State to face Mestemaker, September 24 at USC versus Jayden Maiava, and November 7 at Ohio State, locking up with NCAA accuracy king Julian Sayin.

Darian Mensah, Miami, 6-3 205 junior transfer from Duke, San Luis Obispo, California. In 500 attempts last year in the throw-first Blue Devil offense, 3,973 yards passing (No. 2 behind Mensah,) 34 touchdowns, six interceptions. 67 percent passer, sacked 27 times.

Mensah is not a running threat, 59 carries for -32 yards.

Julian Sayin, Ohio State 6-1 208 redshirt sophomore transfer from Alabama, former 5-star recruit from Carlsbad, California. 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns, 8 interceptions. Sayin broke the NCAA regular-season record for completion percentage at 78.9, but he dropped to 77.0 after losing to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship and Miami in the quarterfinals of the CFP, sacked five times in each of those games.

Arch Manning, Texas 6-4, 219 redshirt sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana. Manning finished 42nd in passer rating last year, behind such luminaries as Athan Kaliakmanis, Tucker Gleason and Devon Dampier. He makes lists like this primarily because of his famous NFL family.

In 2025 he connected on 61.4 percent of his passes for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns with 7 interceptions while leading a loaded Texas roster to a 9-3 record, losing 14-7 head-to-head to Sayin, 35-10 to Gunner Stockton and Georgia.

Opinions vary about Manning's value, draft stock, ceiling and comparison. At FanDuel he's +800 to win the Heisman, behind only Carr, ahead of Chambliss at +1100, Moore and Sayin at +1200.

The next tier: Josh Hoover Indiana, Jayden Maiava, USC, Demond Williams, Washington, Marcel Reed, Texas A&M, Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele, Cal, Kevin Jennings, SMU,

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