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Fernando Mendoza Vs Dante Moore Comparing The Top 2 Qbs In The 2026

Bonisiwe Shabane
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fernando mendoza vs dante moore comparing the top 2 qbs in the 2026

The talk of the 2026 NFL Draft, like any other, surrounds the quarterbacks. This upcoming class of prospects features two signal-callers primed to be top selections. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza just wrapped up a Heisman-winning season. He led the Hoosiers to an undefeated 13-0 record en route to winning the Big Ten Championship. Oregon’s Dante Moore had an electrifying season as a first-year, full-time starter. He led the Ducks to an 11-1 regular season and a recent victory in the College Football Playoff.

Let’s review some of the strengths they share as prospects, as well as specific traits where one may offer more than the other. The first attribute that both Mendoza and Moore provide to an NFL team is accuracy. Whether from the pocket or on the move, they can each place the football exactly where it needs to be. One specific part of the field where both quarterbacks showed their ability to fit tight-window throws was near the sideline. Mendoza and Moore both have quick releases. The football leaves their hands with plenty of velocity.

Not only can they instantly wind up to throw, but they also have the fluidity to quickly turn and set their base. Both quarterbacks throw from a strong platform. Both signal-callers make good reads and decisions at the mesh point in the RPO (run-pass option) and read-option game. They make great use of their eyes to identify the conflict defender. Dante Moore committed three turnovers during Oregon's disastrous first half Friday night. Stacy Revere / Getty Images

Part of the buildup to the Peach Bowl was that the game featured the prospective top two quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft, Indiana’s Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore. Mendoza held up his end of the bargain, tossing five touchdowns on 17 completions in Indiana’s blowout 56-22 win. Moore, however, turned the ball over three times in the first half, including a pick six on the first play from scrimmage. Between Moore’s disappointing showing and developments elsewhere in the class, the overall QB draft picture might be changing. Will the Oregon QB return to school for one more season in hopes of furthering his development (and gaining some redemption from Friday night’s exit)? How will NFL teams view Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who declared for the draft this week, or electrifying Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, who could be draft bound after the NCAA denied his waiver...

Suddenly, there are a lot of moving parts among the ’26 quarterback group — and Moore’s decision about his future (which he must make by Jan. 23) figures to be an important domino. Fernando Mendoza vs. Dante Moore: The key stats you need to know in 2026 NFL Draft debate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore didn't have much of a Big Ten quarterback duel when Indiana beat Oregon in the college football regular season.

But now that both QBs have led their teams to playoff semifinals, a lot more is at stake. When Mendoza's Hoosiers have their rematch with Moore's Ducks in Friday's Peach Bowl in Atlanta, there will be a trip to the national championship game at stake. The outcome and the related performances will also help determine which QB goes to the top of the draft class in 2026. With the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets having the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks and badly needing quarterbacks, the franchises will spend a lot of time on vetting Mendoza vs.

Moore. Between arm strength, accuracy, pocket presence and intangibles, there's a lot to like about Mendoza (6-5, 225), the Heisman Trophy winner, and Moore, a well-rounded talent. But their head-to-head stats will no doubt have some influence on who ends up coming off the board first. by William Herman | Jan 9, 2026 | Headlines, NCAA, NFL Draft <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-987572457 lazyload" src="https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925.avif" alt="Fernando Mendoza" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925.avif 1280w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925-300x169.avif 300w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925-1024x576.avif 1024w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925-768x432.avif 768w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925-1080x608.avif 1080w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925-980x551.avif 980w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fernando-Mendoza-Dante-Moore-010925-480x270.avif 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />On Friday night, NFL scouts... 1 Indiana faces No.

5 Oregon in their second matchup of the season. The winner clinches a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship, with both starting quarterbacks firmly atop NFL draft boards: Indiana’s Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s redshirt sophomore sensation Dante Moore. The two first met earlier this season in Eugene, where Indiana earned a 30-20 road victory. Both quarterbacks posted modest stat lines. Mendoza finished 20-31 for 215 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Moore went 21-34 for 186 yards, adding one touchdown and two interceptions.

This weekend’s rematch represents a critical step in the evaluation process. The most valuable tape comes against NFL-caliber competition, and this matchup has it written all over it. Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore didn't have much of a Big Ten quarterback duel when Indiana beat Oregon in the college football regular season. But now that both QBs have led their teams to playoff semifinals, a lot more is at stake. When Mendoza's Hoosiers have their rematch with Moore's Ducks in Friday's Peach Bowl in Atlanta, there will be a trip to the national championship game at stake. The outcome and the related performances will also help determine which QB goes to the top of the draft class in 2026.

With the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets having the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks and badly needing quarterbacks, the franchises will spend a lot of time on vetting Mendoza vs. Moore. Between arm strength, accuracy, pocket presence and intangibles, there's a lot to like about Mendoza (6-5, 225), the Heisman Trophy winner, and Moore, a well-rounded talent. But their head-to-head stats will no doubt have some influence on who ends up coming off the board first.

Here's looking at their seasons before playing again, including what happened in the previous matchup on Oct. 11: Quarterback play is always important in college football. As we reach the College Football Playoff semifinal, the play from the most important position on the field gets even more crucial to winning or losing. Both Indiana and Oregon football arrive in the CFP Peach Bowl semifinal in a good spot with their quarterbacks. The quarterback matchup should be a good one when Fernando Mendoza and the No.

1 Hoosiers (14-0) take the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against Dante Moore and the No. 5 Ducks (13-1) on Friday, Jan. 9. Here's a look at how Mendoza and Moore compared statistically during the 2025 college football season, including their head-to-head matchup: Fernando Mendoza ― a California transfer ― has led the Hoosiers to a perfect... 1 overall ranking in the CFP. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy this season, becoming the first Hoosier to win the prestigious award.

In a meeting between two Big Ten powers in Indiana and Oregon and two potential top-10 NFL draft picks in Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore, it was the top-ranked Hoosiers, in an awe-inspiring performance,... Mendoza, in a performance that clearly demonstrated why he secured the Heisman Trophy and is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, fired five touchdown passes and just three incomplete passes. Moore, meanwhile, showed only a few flashes of his true talent, as he struggled against an elite Hoosiers defense in a three-turnover performance he'd like to forget. With the eyes of NFL scouts undoubtedly fixated on Mercedes-Benz Stadium, let's take a deep dive and grade how each QB performed in the Peach Bowl. Moore was intercepted on the his very first pass of the game, but, showing remarkable poise for a 20-year-old starting QB, he responded tremendously on the Ducks' second drive, completing five of seven passes,...

A big response by Dante Moore and the Ducks after the INT 💪(via @TSN_Sports)pic.twitter.com/f6ijRf2NYD Fans of the Raiders and Jets could be watching their future quarterbacks in Friday’s Peach Bowl. Indiana and Oregon will meet in the College Football Playoff semifinals in one of the most significant QB matchups in years. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore, the likely two top quarterbacks available in April’s draft, will be on the same field. This game will not only decide who will play in the National Championship on Jan. 19, but maybe who will be the No.

1 overall pick. The Raiders will have the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, while the Jets will pick second. This will be the second time Indiana and Oregon have met this season. The Hoosiers defeated the Ducks on the road 30-20 on Oct. 11. “Beating a great team twice is extremely difficult,” Mendoza said on “The Pat McAfee Show” earlier this week.

“They’re star-studded on both offense and defense. Draft picks all across the board. For 18 NFL teams, the focus turned from in-season to the offseason at the end of Week 18. The 2026 NFL draft is in 15 weeks, beginning on April 23 in Pittsburgh with the first round. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (if he enters) are wildly expected to be contenders for the top selection. But the depth of this draft is on defense.

There could be as many as four edge rushers selected in the top 10, along with a handful of defensive backs and off-ball linebackers. Tennessee will pick fourth, behind three teams with quarterback questions. That's good news for GM Mike Borgonzi. The immediate concern for Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore is the Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal on Friday. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, leads No. 1 Indiana against No.

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