When a conference has won three consecutive national championships, it's easy to look there when you're picking the best of the best. For the second straight year, the Big Ten sweeps our preseason college football awards. Some of the country's best players and coaches reside in Big Ten territory, giving us plenty from which to choose.
The conference is loaded with both established stars and young players who could become household names by the end of the season. That doesn't mean the choices are easy. College football is full of worthy candidates, and last year's winners are proof that the best preseason pick isn't always the right one when the season plays out.
Last year, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was our Preseason Player of the Year, Penn State's James Franklin was the Preseason Coach of the Year and Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was named the Preseason Freshman of the Year. However, at the end of the regular season, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia earned Player of the Year honors, Indiana's Curt Cignetti was named Coach of the Year and Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney was our Freshman of the Year. So, who gets our preseason college football awards for 2026?
Moore could have been a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, he walked away from nearly $50 million in guaranteed money for one more year in Eugene. Coming off his first season as a starter, he finished top 10 nationally in completion percentage (71.8%), touchdowns (30) and passer rating (163.72), but he still has more to prove after Oregon's season ended in a blowout 56-22 loss to Indiana in the CFP semifinals.
The Ducks are loaded around him. Three of their top five pass catchers return, and Evan Stewart -- who missed all of 2025 with a knee injury -- looks primed for a big year now that he's healthy. Oregon also brings back an experienced defensive group that should keep Moore in plenty of advantageous spots.
There will be questions about the offense with Will Stein now running his own program at Kentucky. But Drew Mehringer has been with Dan Lanning since Day 1 in Eugene, and this is still Moore's offense to run. Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel were Heisman Trophy finalists in their final Oregon seasons.
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