Joel Klatt isn’t buying the idea that college football’s preseason race is wide open.
With the 2026 season less than a month from kickoff, the Fox Sports analyst put Oregon at the top of his preseason rankings on "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast," and he didn’t leave much room for debate. While the USA Today Coaches Poll has Ohio State No. 1 and ESPN’s Football Power Index also gives the Buckeyes the edge over Texas, Klatt went in a different direction.
“There is a clear number one,” Klatt said. “And I honestly don't understand why this is not more unanimous.
If you actually evaluate rosters out there and what's coming back. Everyone else out there has a question.
Everybody.... Guess who doesn't have questions?
Not one. Oregon.
Oregon is No. 1 in the country, and quite frankly, it's not close.”
The timing matters because the sport is coming off three straight Big Ten national champions, with Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana each winning the title in that stretch. That run has kept the conference at the center of the sport, and now the conversation turns to whether one of those programs can repeat or whether a new team will take over.
Klatt’s answer is the Ducks, and one of the biggest reasons is Dante Moore. Oregon returns one of the top quarterbacks in the country after Moore threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his first season as the starter.
That kind of continuity at quarterback is exactly what gives Oregon its appeal heading into 2026. Moore now brings a full year of starting experience with him, and that matters for a team trying to separate itself from the rest of the national-title field.
Klatt also sees Oregon’s roster stability as a major advantage over other contenders like Ohio State, Texas and the rest of the group that includes Notre Dame, Miami and Georgia. In his view, the Ducks simply have fewer unanswered questions than anyone else.
If Moore keeps moving forward and Oregon’s returning talent delivers, the Ducks will have a real chance to justify the preseason praise.
In Other News...
Ohio State Fans Wont Love Who Helped Oregon Grab The Top Spot
Preseason polls are already giving the 2026 college football conversation an early jolt, and Oregon has landed right in the middle of it. On3 put Ohio State at No. 1 even without a first-place vote, but the Ducks still managed to draw some top billing of their own, a sign that the national view of Dan Lannings program remains strong even as the roster and staff continue to evolve.
Oregons case starts with the kind of continuity that poll voters tend to notice this time of year. Dante Moore is back at quarterback, the Ducks bring back key receivers and most of their defensive starters, and the foundation from last season is still intact. The wrinkle is on the sidelines, where Oregon will have new coordinators after coaching departures, leaving the Ducks with plenty of proven talent and just enough uncertainty to keep the top of the rankings interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Crowded QB Room Says A Lot About This Teams Ceiling
Oregons quarterback room has become one of the more interesting pressure points on the roster, and Brock Thomas is right in the middle of it. The redshirt junior has stayed put even with returning starter Dante Moore in place and transfer Dylan Raiola now added to the mix, a sign of how much talent the Ducks are trying to keep under one roof. Thomas has flashed in limited game action and in practice, and he remains part of a group that also includes redshirt freshman Akili Smith Jr., giving Oregon more depth and more options than most programs can claim.
For Thomas, the situation also carries a longer view. He has the kind of profile that could eventually make a starting job elsewhere tempting if the path stays crowded in Eugene, but for now he is focused on helping the Ducks in whatever role they need. That kind of internal competition says plenty about Oregons ceiling, because it suggests the staff is trying to balance immediate production with future upside at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Markus Dixon Returns To Oregon With One Big Role To Prove
Markus Dixons arrival gives Oregon another interesting piece to sort through at tight end as fall camp gets underway. The Clemson transfer brings position flexibility and a frame that the Ducks can use in a room that needed reinforcements after a starter left for the NFL Draft, which made his addition more than just a depth move on paper.
What makes Dixon worth watching is how much remains unsettled about his fit. Oregon brought him in to help the tight end group, but his exact assignment is still being determined as camp unfolds, leaving him with a clear chance to carve out something bigger than a reserve role if he can quickly show the staff where he belongs. [Read more 🡒]