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 for another college season?
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.
As we attempt to sort it all out, The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler and senior writer Nick Baumgardner take a closer look at what Mendoza’s and Moore’s Peach Bowl performances could mean moving forward.
Is Mendoza a lock to be the No. 1 pick?
How many Las Vegas real estate agents do you think have reached out to Mendoza already? The favorite to be the No. 1 pick played like exactly that in the win over Oregon.
Mendoza’s superpowers are his pre-snap recognition and accuracy, both of which were on full display. He is extremely proficient understanding where vulnerable one-on-one matchups are going to be, and then he puts the ball in a spot where only his man can make the play. It doesn’t matter if it’s an opposite-hash out route, back-shoulder throw or a boundary go pattern, Mendoza’s placement to every level is fantastic.
We can debate all day where he ranks among other recent top quarterback prospects, including Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Cam Ward (each of them being a little different type of player). But Mendoza continues to separate himself in the 2026 draft class as the best option for the Raiders. — Brugler
FERNANDO MENDOZA WITH AN ABSOLUTE DART FOR THE TD 🎯 pic.twitter.com/ij31Jes1YU
— ESPN (@espn) January 10, 2026
More on Mendoza’s performance
Moore, 20, has a type of natural poise we don’t often see in quarterbacks his age, but Mendoza has, too, plus more experience. And that edge showed up big-time Friday night.
Mendoza is just more consistent, with everything — accuracy, decision-making, being able to evade messy pockets. Both QBs have high-end arm talent, are very good athletes and have shown calm under pressure, but Mendoza simply makes fewer mistakes series to series. It’s why he won the Heisman Trophy, and it’s why he’s the perfect face for Indiana’s program right now. — Baumgardner
Fernando Mendoza in 2 playoff games (vs. Alabama & Oregon):
31-for-36 (86.1%), 369 yards, 8 TDs, 0 INT
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 10, 2026
What does this mean for Moore?
Turns out, the first pass of the night was an indication of what was to come.
There is plenty of blame to go around for Oregon’s lopsided loss, but the spotlight always shines on the quarterback. Moore ultimately executed the Ducks’ game-opening script on their second drive, after the pick six, and drove his offense down the field for a touchdown. But things unraveled soon after that.
Moore is extremely talented, but he is also still young in a lot of areas, and that was evident for all four quarters against the Hoosiers. If Moore entered the game truly undecided on his NFL decision, one would assume his unimpressive Peach Bowl performance would push him to stay in school before making the jump.
If he declares for the 2026 NFL Draft, though, Moore still likely would be a top-three pick — and that will be hard for him to pass up. We can expect an official decision in the next few days. — Brugler
FORCED FUMBLE ➡️ INDIANA BALL
📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/7WQjErWOT4
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 10, 2026
One of the biggest issues with Moore right now is his response in the pocket when he’s pressured. Sometimes, it’s great; other times, it’s not. And though his response after the first-play interception was what we’ve come to expect from Moore, it also further highlighted the issue he has when he plays too fast.
Like Dane, I still think Moore would be a very high draft pick if he declares, probably even top 10. But it’s hard to ignore Mendoza’s claim as QB1, especially after another showing like this. — Baumgardner