- Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is the new front-runner for the Heisman Trophy after a strong performance against Penn State.
- Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza are also ranked among the top three quarterbacks in college football.
- Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Georgia Tech’s Haynes King have also delivered impressive performances, leading their teams to key victories.
College football has a new top quarterback and a new leader for the Heisman Trophy.
Sophomore Dante Moore has taken over after his performance in No. 2 Oregon’s double-overtime win against No. 6 Penn State. Playing in the Big Ten’s most hostile road environment, Moore threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
He’s the latest in what has been a rotating cast of quarterback frontrunners since August. After Arch Manning and Cade Klubnik led the way in the preseason, Carson Beck and Fernando Mendoza occupied the top spot until Moore’s breakthrough against the Nittany Lions.
Formerly the starter at UCLA, Moore spent last season learning the Ducks’ system behind Dillon Gabriel. His experience with the Bruins and knowledge of this scheme have lifted Oregon into position behind only No. 1 Ohio State in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
Moore leads the way in this week’s ranking of the best quarterbacks in college football:
1. Dante Moore, Oregon
In many ways, Moore is outplaying the standard set by Gabriel in his one year as Oregon’s starter. Moore has one interception in 134 attempts. He’s averaging 8.9 yards per attempt against Power Four teams. He’s been a valuable runner, gaining 122 yards on 5.1 yards per carry, and used his legs to extend several key gains against Penn State. Moore’s success has been a testament to his talent and Oregon’s forward-thinking succession plan heading into last season.
2. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
No. 17 Vanderbilt’s strongest Heisman contender in the modern era, Pavia’s stock will continue to soar should he help pull off a second win against No. 11 Alabama in as many years. The Commodores haven’t done that since 1955-56. The sixth-year senior tied a program record with five passing touchdowns in last weekend’s rout of Utah State. He’s ranked eighth in passing efficiency.
3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza drops two spots from last week after tossing his first interception and completing a season-low 56.5% of his attempts in No. 9 Indiana’s 20-15 win against Iowa. He also had two touchdowns and became the first quarterback to average more than 9.4 yards per attempt against the Hawkeyes since Purdue’s David Blough in 2018. Mendoza has already set a high standard less than halfway through his first year with the Hoosiers.
4. Carson Beck, Miami
After struggling in nasty conditions in an ugly win against Florida the last time out for the No. 2 Hurricanes, Beck gets a chance to rebound in a high-profile rivalry matchup with No. 19 Florida State. With three interceptions in his past two games, Beck has to clean up his play to keep Miami on track for the ACC championship game.
5. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Simpson blitzed No. 10 Georgia’s pass defense with a pair of touchdowns through the first minute of the second quarter, setting the tone for a 24-21 win that essentially salvages the Crimson Tide’s season. The first-year starter is up to 1,138 yards and 11 scores without an interception as he grows more comfortable in Kalen DeBoer’s scheme.
6. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Playing out of the spotlight after No. 21 Notre Dame dropped games to Miami and No. 5 Texas A&M out of the gate, Carr has completed 32 of 42 attempts for 577 yards and six touchdowns in romps over Purdue and Arkansas. The former five-star recruit is one of the brightest young stars in college football.
7. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
After getting battered by No. 20 Michigan’s pass rush, Raiola had an extra week to get ready for a friendlier matchup against Michigan State’s porous secondary. Look for a big day from an offense that ranks second nationally in completion percentage, 12th in passing touchdowns, 14th in yards per attempt and 11th in efficiency rating.
8. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Sayin completed 22 of 28 throws for 208 yards and two scores without a turnover in the Buckeyes’ 24-6 win at Washington. While the coaching staff cut Sayin loose in games against Gramling and Ohio, the wins against the Huskies and No. 7 Texas saw OSU lean on a more balanced game plan that should play very well against the best teams in the Big Ten.
9. Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi
Chambliss continues to be the Power Four’s breakout star after piloting the No. 4 Rebels to a 24-19 win against No. 13 LSU. The Ferris State transfer had 314 passing yards, 71 yards on the ground and a touchdown in his third start in a row in place of an injured Austin Simmons.
10. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
King has been on point in leading the No. 16 Yellow Jackets to just the program’s fourth 5-0 start in 59 years. He had 243 passing yards, 106 rushing yards and three combined touchdowns in Saturday’s 30-29 overtime win against Wake Forest and has cracked the 100-yard mark on the ground three times in four games. King rounds out the list over Missouri’s Beau Pribula, Illinois’ Luke Altmyer and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby.
