ESPN has put four college football quarterbacks in the spotlight as potential “game-changing” pieces for 2026, and the list leans heavily on proven production with a few big questions baked in.
At the top of the group is Texas quarterback Manning, whose 2025 season took a winding path. He entered the year with Heisman buzz and talk of being the likely No.
1 NFL Draft pick, but the early returns were rough. Texas opened with a loss to Ohio State, then suffered a shocking upset at Florida.
Manning did settle in later, though, and finished with 3,163 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.
The talent is obvious when he’s rolling. When he’s off, the issues show up fast - accuracy slips, the pocket looks crowded, and everything gets messy. Still, ESPN’s point is clear: if Manning is at his best, Texas is built to benefit.
Oregon’s Moore may be the safest bet of the bunch. He could have entered the NFL Draft as the No. 2 pick, but instead chose to return for another season.
After coming into 2025 relatively untested, he handled full-time starting duties with ease, throwing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns. The season-ending loss to Indiana was the one real blemish on an otherwise strong year.
That’s why Moore is being framed as the most complete quarterback in the group. Oregon’s place in a crowded Big Ten picture depends on him, especially with the Ducks trying to become the fourth different conference champion in four years.
Oklahoma’s Mateer brings a different kind of electricity. He got hot early with wins over ranked Michigan and Auburn, and for a stretch in September, he was a popular Heisman candidate.
Then the season turned. He was beaten badly by Texas and had uneven outings in losses to Ole Miss and Alabama.
Mateer finished with 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, plus 431 rushing yards and eight more scores. The ceiling is obvious, but the volatility is just as real.
His attack-first style is part of what makes him so entertaining, and when it works, Oklahoma looks like a real SEC threat. The question is whether he can put together enough consistency to carry that into a run at the SEC or the CFP.
Reed’s season at Texas A&M was built on early momentum, too. He helped the Aggies jump to an 11-0 start in a year when the program had been trying to meet expectations. Reed threw for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 493 rushing yards and six scores.
But the finish was a hard swing the other way. Texas A&M closed with back-to-back losses, scoring only 20 total points against Texas and Miami.
That makes Reed the central figure in whether the Aggies can avoid another late collapse in 2026. With a deep and talented receiver room around him, his steadier play could end up shaping the SEC race.
In Other News...
Texas A&Ms New-Look Offense Is Already Giving Fans Plenty To Watch
Texas A&M opened preseason practice with a familiar mix of continuity and change, and the new-look offense immediately gave fans a few focal points to track. Marcel Reed drew plenty of attention as he begins his second full season as the starter, while the Aggies bring back most of last years roster and supplement it with 17 transfer additions that could reshape how the unit functions early in camp.
The receiving group is already a point of interest, with Terry Bussey and Isaiah Horton among the names standing out as the Aggies start sorting roles for the fall. Even with Reed settled in and the passing game under a brighter spotlight, the backfield remains unsettled, and the competition between Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow for the starting running back job adds another layer to a preseason that already feels like it has more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Angelo McCullom Could Be Texas A&Ms Answer Up Front
Texas A&M has spent plenty of time looking for more reliable bodies inside, and Angelo McCullom looks like the kind of transfer addition that can help settle that spot. The former Illinois lineman is expected to step into a major role on the Aggies interior defensive line for the 2026 season, bringing the strength and run-stopping traits the staff values while adding experience from 20 games in the Big Ten.
For a defensive front trying to address its depth issues, McCulloms value may come less from flash than from steady work in the middle. He is projected to be a significant rotational piece, and that kind of presence can matter a lot in a long SEC season, especially when a team is trying to build more stability up front. The real question now is how quickly that leverage and production translate once he gets fully into the mix in College Station. [Read more 🡒]
Marcel Reed Is Carrying Texas A&Ms Biggest Fall Camp Pressure
Marcel Reed has spent Texas A&Ms fall camp doing the one thing every quarterback in this spot has to do: make the job look steady. His decision-making has sharpened, his body has developed, and those gains have given the Aggies coaching staff more reason to trust him as they head into a season loaded with expectations after last years strong finish and the teams preseason ranking.
Jimbo Fisher has kept backing Reed as the starter, which only raises the stakes on what comes next. Around college football, there is already talk about Reeds ceiling, from Heisman buzz to eventual NFL questions, but the immediate pressure is simpler and harsher: if he can translate camp progress into production once the games count, Texas A&Ms optimism can keep building. [Read more 🡒]