As college football edges into Week 0 and the 2026 season starts to come into view, the quarterback conversation is already tightening around two familiar names: Oregon’s Dante Moore and Texas’ Arch Manning.
With Oregon set to open at Autzen Stadium on Sept. 5 against Boise State, Moore keeps drawing praise, and Todd McShay added another layer of heat to the Heisman discussion on an episode of "The Ryen Russillo Show." Asked whether Manning was the best quarterback in his class, McShay said the answer was complicated - and that Manning wasn’t the top name on his board.
McShay said Manning “could be fair” as one of the elite quarterbacks in the group, but he still had the Texas star at No. 5. At No. 1, he went with Moore.
"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 and he like ... I think LaNorris Sellers should be considered neck and neck.
More so, honestly, based off of what [South Carolina] are right now. More so 1A and 1B with Dante Moore, in my mind, than Arch Manning.
Even though [Manning being No. 1] is the narrative," McShay said.
He also singled out Notre Dame’s CJ Carr as a major talent and said LSU’s Sam Leavitt has the fundamentals to be the best quarterback in the class.
The Manning-Moore debate is going to keep rolling all season, and the contrast is pretty clear. Moore brings more experience and a better command of the game, even if his mentality has wobbled at times. Manning, meanwhile, still carries the shine of a high-ceiling prospect whose college peak hasn’t arrived yet.
Manning’s 2025 season had its rough patches, especially early, when he piled up incompletions in Texas’ first few regular season games. He finished with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Even so, the buzz around him hasn’t faded, and there’s still confidence in college football circles that he can eventually click with coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
Moore’s 2025 numbers were stronger in volume: 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His running ability and deep-ball touch have stood out, but he also admitted that his mindset took a hit, particularly in Oregon’s two 2025 losses to Indiana. During the offseason, Moore said his biggest focus was improving pre-snap and post-snap awareness as he works to steady himself.
That task should be helped by the pieces around him in Eugene. Oregon brings back senior center Iapani Laloulu and senior tight end Jamari Johnson, while sophomore receiver Dakorien Moore gives Dante Moore another familiar target.
The receiving group only gets deeper from there. The “Moore Squared” connection between Dante Moore and Dakorien Moore is back, Evan Stewart has returned, and freshmen Messiah Hampton and Jalen Lott add more promise to the mix. If Moore is going to make a real Heisman push, he’ll have the talent around him to build the case.
For now, the argument is still alive. And if McShay is right, the answer may come down to touchdowns and how quickly Moore turns that edge into production.
In Other News...
Bryce Boettcher May Have Just Played His Way Onto The Colts
The NFL preseason wrapped up with several former Ducks getting their final live reps before teams turn to cutdown decisions, and Bryce Boettcher made the kind of case players are always hoping to make in August. The Indianapolis Colts linebacker finished with five tackles and forced a fumble in a loss to Detroit, a busy enough night to stand out on a field full of rookies trying to carve out roles.
For Oregon fans, Boettchers showing was one of the more notable developments from the weekend, especially with other Ducks in different spots seeing lighter work. Chicago safety Dillon Thieneman started in a win at Tennessee but did not show up in the stat sheet, while Houston running back Noah Whittington and Jacksonville guard Emmanuel Pregnon did not play. A handful of other Oregon rookies were around the action in limited fashion, but Boettchers performance was the one that likely left the strongest impression as the preseason closed. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Transfer Andrew Olesh Opens Up About The Game That Changed Everything
Andrew Olesh arrived in Eugene with a pretty clear memory of what Oregon looked like from the other sideline. The former Penn State tight end, once a top recruit, pointed back to the Ducks double-overtime win over the Nittany Lions during his freshman year as a moment that stuck with him, and it is part of the backdrop to his move to Oregon. Now he is trying to carve out a role in a tight end room led by Jamari Johnson, where the immediate task is straightforward enough: earn backup snaps and fit into a program that has already made a strong impression on him.
Dan Lannings track record was always going to matter in a decision like this, but Olesh also cited the personal connection he felt with the Oregon coach as a major factor in choosing to transfer. For a player still early in his college career, that mix of winning, trust and familiarity can be hard to ignore, especially when the destination is a team that already showed him something memorable in one of the games he watched most closely. The next question is whether that connection helps him turn a fresh start into a real foothold in Oregons offense. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ducks Are Turning NFL Roster Cuts Into A Real Debate
The early NFL roster churn has already put a few former Oregon Ducks back in the spotlight, and not always in the way they would have hoped. Dillon Gabriel closed the preseason with a strong showing for the Cleveland Browns, throwing three touchdowns, while Bryce Boettcher turned heads with his play for the Indianapolis Colts and safety Dillon Thieneman flashed enough in three games with the Chicago Bears to stay on the radar.
Jabbar Muhammad also did enough in Jacksonville to make the conversation more interesting, even if the Jaguars ultimately went another direction when they set their 53-man roster. With Gabriel currently on injured reserve, the bigger question for Oregon fans is which of these ex-Ducks can turn a good summer into something more permanent once the regular season pressure starts shaping real opportunity. [Read more 🡒]