The race for the 2027 NFL Draft is already taking shape, and Todd McShay thinks the early favorite sits in Eugene.
With the 2026 college football season just getting started after Week 0, the quarterback conversation is already heating up around a class that looks loaded. Texas’ Arch Manning, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin are all draft-eligible, and ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently slotted Moore at No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns in his latest mock draft, with Manning going second to the Arizona Cardinals.
McShay, though, is not ready to hand Manning the crown. Asked on “The Ryen Russillo Show” whether it’s fair to call Manning the best quarterback in the class, McShay said it is fair - but added that he sees Moore as the player most likely to end up at No. 1.
"It could be fair," McShay said on 'The Ryen Russillo Show.' "I've got him as the fifth-best quarterback right now...
I think Dante Moore is the odds-on favorite right now. I think Arch could so easily get there, but I've got him below a few other guys.
I think LaNorris Sellers, if it comes together... I think LaNorris Sellers should be... more so 1A and 1B with Dante Moore over Arch Manning."
Moore’s case is built on more than projection. He’s already put together a full season as a starter and turned in big numbers for Oregon, throwing for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The issue, as McShay and other evaluators will see it, is what happened when the lights were brightest. Four of those interceptions came against Indiana and Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff, the kind of detail NFL teams will study closely.
Manning’s profile is different, but just as compelling. One of the highest-rated recruits ever, he took over as a starter and had an uneven first season. The early struggles were real, but so were the production numbers: 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
For now, McShay’s view gives Moore a real edge in the early draft conversation. Manning may have the name recognition and the ceiling that keeps him near the top, but Moore has the combination of experience and production that makes him the current No. 1 favorite. The next step is obvious: do it again, and do it better, against the best teams on the schedule.
In Other News...
Tommy Tofis Oregon Start Says Plenty About This Program
Tommy Tofis arrival in Eugene says as much about Oregons recruiting and development model as it does about the freshman offensive lineman himself. The son of former UTEP basketball player and pro athlete John Tofi, Tommy came in as a highly rated prospect and has already turned heads with the way he handled Oregons spring game and carried that momentum into fall camp, where the Ducks have given him a setting that seems designed to bring young players along quickly.
For the Tofi family, the fit has been part of the appeal. Tommys older brother, John Jr., is a tight end at Cal, so football runs deep in the household, but Oregons welcoming atmosphere and emphasis on player development have stood out enough to make an impression. For a freshman lineman trying to carve out a role, that kind of environment can matter just as much as talent, and it helps explain why his start has drawn attention inside a program that continues to sell both opportunity and support. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Faces Mario Cristobal In A Huge Recruiting Fight
Oregons 2028 recruiting board already has a headliner, and it starts with Chicago edge rusher Kameron McGee, widely viewed as the nations top overall player in the class. The Ducks have had McGee on campus and are working to stay firmly in the mix as they angle for one of the most coveted prospects in the country, with Texas and Georgia also pushing hard.
Miami adds another layer to the chase because the Hurricanes are led by Mario Cristobal, whose presence will be familiar to Oregon fans after his time in Eugene. For the Ducks, this is the kind of early heavyweight battle that can shape a recruiting class, and much of their pitch now will come from what they can show McGee during the upcoming season. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore Faces One Oregon Test That Could Define Everything
Dante Moores decision to return for his senior season at Oregon came with a clear goal: show NFL evaluators he can do more than flash talent and actually tilt the biggest games. Todd McShay recently framed that conversation by contrasting Moore with Fernando Mendoza, pointing to Mendoza as the quarterback who looked ready to step in right away while still acknowledging Moores higher ceiling. Mendoza went on to be taken No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders after a standout senior year, setting the standard Moore is trying to chase.
For Moore, the path to that kind of draft climb runs through the moments Oregon has to have from its quarterback. The Ducks do not need him to be perfect every week, but they do need him to win big games and deliver the defining plays that separate a promising arm from a true first-round riser. That is the test hanging over his season now, and it is the one that could shape how the league ultimately views him. [Read more 🡒]