Dante Moore Tops Jeremiyah Love, Mendoza on Mel Kiper's 2026 NFL Draft Big Board

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore led the way in the newest 2026 NFL draft big board from Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.

Moore has thrown for 1,396 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 72 percent of his passes in his first year as the Ducks' starter.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was next on the list, having totaled 690 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns through six games. Fresh off a win over Moore and Oregon, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza was third overall.

Here's the top 10 from Kiper with the college football regular season approaching the halfway mark:

Mel Kiper Jr.'s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board

1. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

2. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

3. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

4. Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State

5. Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

6. Makai Lemon, WR, USC

7. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

8. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

9. Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami

10. Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

The battle to be the first quarterback selected is more wide open than expected. Texas' Arch Manning has been a major disappointment, while South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier have seen their stock dip.

At least in the eyes of Kiper, Moore and Mendoza have edged out ahead of the rest of the field. Alabama's Ty Simpson (No. 16) and Sellers (No. 21) are the only other signal-callers to crack the top 25 overall players.

"His accuracy has been solid all season, and he shows good touch on his deep ball," Kiper wrote about Moore. "Moore can throw from different arm angles with precision and delivers strikes while rolling either left or right out of the pocket. He can scramble a bit too."

On Mendoza, the draft guru praised his accuracy and quick release.

"And while he doesn't have a huge arm, he can make all the necessary NFL-level throws. His ball placement is fantastic," Kiper said. "I wouldn't consider him a dual threat, but Mendoza also has enough mobility to pick up first downs as a scrambler."

Indiana Hoosiers - Oregon Ducks Highlights

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How high Love manages to climb could be one of many subplots once the 2026 draft season kicks into gear. Kiper said the Fighting Irish star "reminds me a lot of Reggie Bush," which is high praise given Bush's legendary career at USC.

"The 20-year-old has vision and burst between the tackles and to the outside, and he can break tackles with ease (29 forced missed tackles on the season)," Kiper said. "Once he gets into space, he can take it to the house with his breakaway speed too. But Love isn't only an outstanding runner. He also is a high-impact pass catcher."

Teams don't value running backs like they once did, but exceptional prospects at the position can still top-10 picks. Love might prove to be one of those cases.