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How Dante Moore, Fernando Mendoza can show they’re Heisman frontrunners in Oregon-Indiana
Oregon-Indiana features two Heisman candidates with their quarterbacks. The Register-Guard’s Alec Dietz and IndyStar’s Zach Osterman break it down on Before The Snap.
After a wild Week 5 of college football action that saw a lot of movement in our quarterback rankings, Week 6 was a bit of a dud. Most of the top players at the position had the week off with just a couple of notable performances across the country.
The top names remain the same with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in the top spot. He’s not out of touch for the rest of the quarterbacks, though, especially in Week 7 of the college football season.
This week sees the top four in our rankings facing off for the first time this season. Mendoza’s Hoosiers head west to Eugene and take on Dante Moore’s Oregon Ducks. That’ll be a great showcase for the two top talents at the position in the upcoming draft.
They’re not alone as LSU and South Carolina match up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LaNorris Sellers and Garrett Nussmeier will play against top defenses in the SEC and give us even more tape to comb over ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’s a thrilling week in college football for draft evaluations, especially at quarterback. Here’s how our rankings look ahead of the Week 7 slate:
2026 NFL Draft QB prospect rankings
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (last week: 1)
Mendoza doesn’t lose ground at all because the Hoosiers had the week off following a crucial win against Iowa. He continues to be a safer bet than others in the class at the position. He has a huge test in Week 7 against an Oregon defense that’s one of the best in the nation.
2. Dante Moore, Oregon (last week: 3)
All respect to Nussmeier but reviewing both his and Moore’s recent tape once again made us switch the two prospects. Moore’s poise in the Penn State game continues to be impressive even a week later. His abilities as a deep-ball passer were common knowledge entering 2025 but he’s put more games on film and impressed in all of them.
3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (last week: 2)
Nussmeier falls during the bye thanks to further review of Week 5 tape for the top five players. He still looks to be limited by a torso injury suffered during training camp and that was apparent against Ole Miss. If he comes out of the bye looking healthier, there’s a good chance he works his way up the rankings.
4. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (last week: 4)
Sellers holds pat at the No. 4 spot thanks to his bye as well. He’s still a freak athlete for the position and the most powerful running quarterback since Cam Newton. Yes, he still needs refinement as a passer but the floor is already very high thanks to what he can do with his legs alone.
- Week 6: Did not play (injury)
There are rumors Mateer could be back for the Red River game against Texas in Week 7 but we’d rather he wait an extra week to fully recover from hand surgery. Once he does, he has a chance to push Sellers and Nussmeier for a top four spot.
- Week 6 at UCLA: 19-26 (73.1%) passing, 200 yards, two touchdowns; 10 carries, 89 yards
Allar bounced back relatively well from his poor performance against Oregon in Week 5. The Bruins’ pass rush didn’t get to him at the rate Oregon’s did; he faced just seven pressures all game compared to 15 against the Ducks.
Instead, he had his highest average time to throw of the year so far at 3.22 seconds, per Pro Football Focus (PFF) data. He made multiple good throws early on and didn’t look rushed against the Bruins’ front. His play overcame some errors, such as a 20-yard shot to Kyron Hudson to undo a 10-yard loss on a first-down.
He made big plays with his feet, too, giving evaluators another look at his dual-threat abilities.
Given his talent, it still feels like Allar hasn’t come close to reaching his ceiling. Penn State’s dropped out of the top 25 after their loss to UCLA and need to regroup in Week 7 against Northwestern at home. That won’t be a cakewalk and will be important for his evaluation.
- Week 6 vs. Vanderbilt: 23-31 (74.2%) passing, 340 yards, two touchdowns, one interception; five carries, 21 yards
Simpson makes his debut on the top eight of this list after a standout performance against the previously undefeated Vanderbilt defense. He was good against Georgia on the road in Week 5 but this performance moves him up these rankings.
He shook off an early interception on 4th and 1 to lead the Crimson Tide to a key win. yes, he does benefit from playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the country but he stood tall against varied pressure looks all afternoon. His first touchdown of the game saw him elude a free rusher and find Ryan Williams in the back of the end zone for a score.
He made an impressive play in the third quarter to avoid rushers, scramble to his left, reset and hit an open receiver for a chunk gain.
More games like this could have him knocking on the door of the top five at the position. For now, he’ll have to settle for No. 7. He’ll have another good test this week against Missouri on the road.
Leavitt and star wide receiver Jordan Tyson both enjoyed a week off after fireworks against TCU. They’ll be back in Week 7 against their toughest competition on the rest of the schedule in Utah.
Next two up: Carson Beck, Miami; Arch Manning, Texas
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