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Jun. 16—***
During the final two weeks of June, I am using this space to count down the top Heisman Trophy candidates for 2026.
Let's stay in the Big Ten, which won the award in 2025.
Why is he on the list?
The ?? Ohioan serious consideration to leaving early for the NFL. There were three reasons to come back: 1. Unfinished business. He lost a pair of double-digit games to national champion Indiana. One by 10 at home during the regular season and one by a ton in the CFP. Either way, a bad taste in the mouth.
2. By sitting out the 2026 draft, he avoided any chance the struggling Jets would take him, which they would have. No offense to the Jets, but Moore was not ready to go to the team this season. New York had a great draft — the best in the NFL — and will be much stronger if it gets a chance to take Moore in 2027.
3. Moore wasn't ready to leave college. Another season in Eugene under Dan Lanning will do wonders for his future, giving him at least 13 more college starts. And if he pads the bank account with some of Phil Knight's Nike money that's good too.
Speaking of Knight, let me know if you can think of a living alum more closely associated with his college than the Nike founder. Maybe Mark Cuban at Indiana? Any others?
Moore's Heisman candidacy will be tested with games at Southern California and Ohio State and at home against Michigan and Washington. He travels to Illinois in late October.
If Moore leads the Ducks to an undefeated regular season — like Mendoza did for the Hoosiers in 2025 — he becomes the odd-on favorite to earn the famous statue. Easier said than done. The best quarterbacks at Oregon — and there have been a bunch — have always fallen short of winning it all.
8. Demond Williams Jr. Washington quarterback
9. Josh Hoover Indiana quarterback
10. Darian Mensah Miami quarterback
dhdh
Continue reading...
During the final two weeks of June, I am using this space to count down the top Heisman Trophy candidates for 2026.
Let's stay in the Big Ten, which won the award in 2025.
Why is he on the list?
The ?? Ohioan serious consideration to leaving early for the NFL. There were three reasons to come back: 1. Unfinished business. He lost a pair of double-digit games to national champion Indiana. One by 10 at home during the regular season and one by a ton in the CFP. Either way, a bad taste in the mouth.
2. By sitting out the 2026 draft, he avoided any chance the struggling Jets would take him, which they would have. No offense to the Jets, but Moore was not ready to go to the team this season. New York had a great draft — the best in the NFL — and will be much stronger if it gets a chance to take Moore in 2027.
3. Moore wasn't ready to leave college. Another season in Eugene under Dan Lanning will do wonders for his future, giving him at least 13 more college starts. And if he pads the bank account with some of Phil Knight's Nike money that's good too.
Speaking of Knight, let me know if you can think of a living alum more closely associated with his college than the Nike founder. Maybe Mark Cuban at Indiana? Any others?
Moore's Heisman candidacy will be tested with games at Southern California and Ohio State and at home against Michigan and Washington. He travels to Illinois in late October.
If Moore leads the Ducks to an undefeated regular season — like Mendoza did for the Hoosiers in 2025 — he becomes the odd-on favorite to earn the famous statue. Easier said than done. The best quarterbacks at Oregon — and there have been a bunch — have always fallen short of winning it all.
8. Demond Williams Jr. Washington quarterback
9. Josh Hoover Indiana quarterback
10. Darian Mensah Miami quarterback
dhdh
Continue reading...
