Gazing across Oregon’s projected wide receiver depth chart, Dante Moore’s decision to spurn the NFL Draft for another season of college football starts to make a bit more sense. He passed up a golden opportunity to be one of the first names called. But he’ll make a ton of money slinging the rock for the Ducks, and he’ll also have a lot of fun throwing to one of the most-talented pass-catching groups in the sport.
A year ago, injuries at receiver and tight end hampered the Ducks’ explosiveness, though Moore still threw for nearly 3,600 yards and led Oregon to the CFP semifinals. This time around, Oregon is fortified with a deep group of targets who should only further elevate Moore’s game.
The headline trio of Evan Stewart, Jeremiah McClellan and Dakorien Moore will give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares, and they are backed up by former five-star prospects Jalen Lott and Gatlin Blair. Throw in Iverson Hooks, who caught 72 passes at UAB last season, and you get a deep and proven group that will be suited to withstand whatever the rigors of the season bring. Tight end Jamari Johnson is also back after a 500-yard campaign.
Because of his improved supporting cast at receiver and his own successes in 2025, Moore is beginning the 2026 season atop the CBS Sports Quarterback Power Rankings.
Here is the full 1-50 breakdown of the QBPR entering Week 1. Week 0 results were factored into the rankings.
2027 NFL Draft: Which QBs should we believe in? Breaking down 12 of the biggest names heading into the season
Ryan Wilson
1. Dante Moore, Oregon
Oregon’s receiver room is improved and in vastly better health than it was for much of last season. The improvement of Moore’s supporting cast will be more than enough to offset any minor complications that may arise from the transition to a new offensive coordinator. Look for him to surpass last season’s totals of 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns while guiding the Ducks deep into the postseason.
2. Arch Manning, Texas
Manning dealt with a nagging foot injury throughout the 2025 season and overcame an abysmal start to finish with over 3,500 total yards and 36 combined touchdowns as a passer and runner. Texas went all in to bolster its supporting cast this year, and Manning had his foot issue addressed through surgery. He’s got a real shot at becoming the first member of his family to win the Heisman Trophy. That journey will begin in earnest with a Week 2 home showdown against Ohio State, a chance at redemption after his lackluster Week 1 performance against the Buckeyes last season.
3. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
College football’s top breakout star of 2025 is back for more in 2026 as he pairs with elite running back Kewan Lacy to give Ole Miss the top QB/RB duo in the nation. Chambliss totaled nearly 4,500 yards from scrimmage last season and is poised for another monster season after winning a legal battle to play one more year. He’ll have a chance to make an early impression as the Rebels take on Louisville on Sunday in Nashville to open the season.
4. Darian Mensah, Miami
Mensah finished second in the FBS and first among Power Four quarterbacks with 3,973 passing yards last season at Duke. Now at Miami, he’ll have stud sophomore receiver Malachi Toney in his arsenal as well as fellow Duke transfer Cooper Barkate, who finished second in the ACC behind Toney in receiving yards last season with 1,106. If Mensah doesn’t match his Duke numbers, it will likely be because Miami is running the football while winning in blowout fashion.
5. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
The knock on Sayin’s otherwise impressive debut campaign as Ohio State’s starter is that he didn’t play well in the postseason against high-end competition. He’ll have several redemption opportunities in 2026 as five of the top 16 teams in the AP preseason poll are on the Buckeyes’ schedule. A Week 2 trip to No. 5 Texas will be particularly impactful in establishing the trajectory of Sayin’s redshirt sophomore season.
6. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Carr ranked third nationally in yards per attempt at 9.4 during an impressive redshirt freshman season. But after nice showings in losses to Miami and Texas A&M, the opposing defenses were largely horrendous. With star running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price gone, even more will be asked of Carr this season. He should absolutely be a top-10 college football quarterback, but the preseason Heisman buzz feels overdone.
7. Jayden Maiava, USC
Maiava started in style by completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns while running for another in USC’s Week 0 thrashing of San Jose State. As a productive, veteran quarterback in Lincoln Riley’s QB-friendly system, you can go ahead and pencil Maiava in for a massive year. With No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon and No. 6 Indiana on the schedule, Maiava will have some “Heisman moment” opportunities.
8. Josh Hoover, Indiana
Indiana’s last transfer quarterback went from good to great once he joined the Hoosiers. Following in Fernando Mendoza’s footsteps is a tall task, but Hoover is the active passing yards leader in FBS. Don’t sleep on him. No one was predicting an all-time great season from Mendoza this time last year after he transferred in from Cal. It turns out that better coaching and a better supporting cast can do wonders for a clearly talented quarterback.
9. Kevin Jennings, SMU
Given how porous and undaunting the Florida State defense looked in an uninspiring Week 0 win over New Mexico State, we are already elevating Jennings in the QBPR. Unless the Seminoles correct a ton of defensive issues this week, Jennings will absolutely feast. Regardless, he is in line to become the school’s all-time leader in a slew of categories this season.
10. Byrum Brown, Auburn
Brown is among the few who can make a big Week 1 impression as Auburn takes on Baylor in Atlanta. Watching him last year at South Florida, it was hard to tell that Brown was coming off a broken leg suffered midway through the 2024 season. He ran the football with vigor and physicality, tallying 1,008 yards and 14 scores on the ground to go with another 28 touchdowns and 3,158 yards passing. Auburn is getting a veteran star who knows coach Alex Golesh’s system. If he can stay healthy through the rigors of a nine-game SEC schedule, he will have a monster year.
11. Sam Leavitt, LSU
Leavitt is returning from a foot injury that derailed his 2025 season at Arizona State and is also learning a new offense within an overhauled LSU program. If he returns to his 2024 form, he’ll be a Heisman contender. But after a limited spring, he’ll need to be great immediately. The Tigers open against Clemson and play Ole Miss and Texas A&M before the end of September. Leavitt’s play will determine the ceiling for an expensive and already controversial Year 1 of the Lane Kiffin regime.
12. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Stockton proved he’s got a high floor during his first season as the full-time starter in 2025, guiding Georgia to an SEC title. But Georgia’s ceiling as a team will, to some extent, depend on Stockton’s ability to elevate from “reliably efficient” to something more. The Bulldogs need an alpha to emerge within their receiver room to help Stockton, who ranked 129th among FBS quarterbacks in air yards per attempt at just 6.6 in 2025.
13. Noah Fifita, Arizona
No FBS quarterback has thrown for more yards with their current program than Fifita, who is likely to surpass 10,000 career passing yards with Arizona early this season. He had the best season of his career in 2025 while guiding the Wildcats to a 9-4 mark and is back for an encore as Arizona seeks to make itself a factor in the Big 12 race.
14. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Reed is capable of flexing up into the top 10 if he cuts back on turnovers and continues to improve his efficiency as a passer. But in 2025, he ranked last among Heisman contenders in EPA per dropback. He’s a good freelancer, but he’s not quite a Johnny Manziel-level playmaker. Reed’s ceiling will also depend on how the Aggies mesh with new offensive coordinator Holman Wiggins, who was promoted from within to replace Collin Klein.
15. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Mestemaker led all of FBS in passing yards with 4,379 last season, tied for second in touchdown passes with 34 and finished fourth in passing efficiency. The formerly overlooked prospect had a myriad of options in the portal but opted to follow Eric Morris, the coach who gave him a chance. The Cowboys also signed two of Mestemaker’s top targets from North Texas in Wyatt Young and Miles Coleman. All the pieces for a splashy season are in place.
16. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California
The retention of Sagapolutele amid the coaching transition from Justin Wilcox to Tosh Lupoi marked a huge win for the Bears. The lefty gunslinger is a rare talent capable of helping the Bears’ new regime get off to a strong start. If he meshes with an intriguing group of portal-heavy receiver talent, the returns could be nice. With two gettable Power Four opponents on the schedule out of the gate (UCLA and Syracuse), the stage is set for Sagapolutele to pop early.
17. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
Williams called an audible and returned to Washington after announcing he would enter the transfer portal. It didn’t reflect well on Williams, who had already signed a deal with UW. But the situation got resolved, and he’s talented enough to earn the forgiveness of any Huskies fans who may still be disgruntled over the ordeal. After totaling over 3,700 total yards last season, there’s a reason why other schools wanted Williams.
18. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
Bachmeier was a revelation in 2025, leading BYU to a 12-2 season after entering as a three-star true freshman. The dual-threat dynamo is only a sophomore, but he’s on track to become a legend at a program that has seen its share of great quarterbacks. The reason he’s not higher is that the Cougars have a ton of pass-catching production to replace and could be apt to ride star back LJ Martin whenever practical.
19. Keelon Russell, Alabama
Russell edged veteran Austin Mack for the starting job and owns breakout star potential entering the 2026 season. Head coach Kalen DeBoer’s track record with quarterbacks is solid and was further proven last season, when Ty Simpson developed into a first-round draft pick. Russell is more mobile than Simpson, which will help if a revamped offensive line is slow to gel.
20. Conner Weigman, Houston
Weigman finally found his niche at Houston last season after three tumultuous seasons at Texas A&M. He was one of only four quarterbacks in the country to throw for 25 touchdowns and run for 10 more as he guided the Cougars to a 10-3 mark in Willie Fritz’s second season. With top receiver Amare Thomas back and the Cougars projected to field one of the Big 12’s best offensive lines, Weigman should shine again.
21. Devon Dampier, Utah
22. John Mateer, Oklahoma
23. Beau Pribula, Virginia
24. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
25. Rocco Becht, Penn State
26. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
27. Katin Houser, Illinois
28. Austin Simmons, Missouri
29. Alonza Barnett III, UCF
30. Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville
31. Malik Washington, Maryland
32. Ethan Grunkemeyer, Virginia Tech
33. Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
34. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
35. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
36. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
37. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
38. Steve Angeli, Syracuse
39. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
40. Marcus Stokes, Memphis
41. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin
42. Aaron Philo, Florida
43. Faizon Brandon, Tennessee
44. Owen McCown, UTSA
45. Davis Warren, Stanford
46. Brad Jackson, Texas State
47. Alberto Mendoza, Georgia Tech
48. Cutter Boley, Arizona State
49. Nick Minicucci, Delaware
50. Kenny Minchey, Kentucky