Heading into the 2026 college football season, the Oregon Ducks are the National Championship favorites, if not one of the teams on the short list to win it all. While you can point to Dan Lanning, the Big Ten's success, the loaded defensive line, or a variety of other strengths and variables, there's one player more responsible than anyone else for the hype.
Dante Moore stepped into the starting role for the Ducks, and outperformed even the wildest expectations, passing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions on 412 attempts. Given how great Moore's season was, many thought he would be the 2nd Overall pick in the NFL Draft, but his decision to return to college instantly makes the Ducks a frontrunner for the National Championship.
Looking at any list or odds for the Heisman Trophy, it's clear that Dante Moore is among the best players in the Country. Well, except for one ESPN analyst who released a ridiculous ranking of Heisman candidates.
Jordan Rodgers gave Dante Moore the perfect motivation for 2026
This season, Jordan Rodgers is stepping into a bigger role at ESPN as they restructure their college football broadcast team for the upcoming season. On ESPN's First Take, Jordan Rodgers ranked the Top 5 Heisman Trophy candidates for the upcoming season, where leaving Dante Moore off the list was a glaring omission.
Dante Moore’s face when he sees this list: pic.twitter.com/1DdvnjIrE0
— Jonathan Brunton (@jbrunton76) July 31, 2026
If you put Trinidad Chambliss or Julian Sayin on a list ahead of Dante Moore, it's absolutely fine given the exceptional seasons the two quarterbacks just had. Outside of Julian Sayin and Trinidad Chambliss, no one on Jordan Rodgers' top 5 list belongs on the list without Moore, let alone ahead of him. You can even make a case that Josh Hoover has been highly productive while stepping into Indiana's system, but Moore should take a similar leap.
John Mateer beat up on poor competition early in the season, and after his injury, and the competition got tougher. The stats aren't even comparable, with Mateer passing for just 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions while Moore's 30 touchdowns to 10 interceptions are light years better.
Arch Manning continues to get all the hype in the world from ESPN when the production hasn't backed it up. When the lights were the brightest, Arch Manning played poorly, and until he shows he's truly a Heisman-level quarterback, he needs to stop being put in these conversations.
Dante Moore doesn't need any extra motivation with the boxes he wants to check off and the NFL Draft implications of this season, but if outsiders want to provide it, it won't hurt. The Ducks are looking to go on a magical run, and Dante Moore is going to define the team's success this season.
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