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.
And why not? 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?
Player of the Year: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
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. Moore looks like a good bet to get to New York and be the first Duck to win it since Marcus Mariota in 2014.
Coach of the Year: Dan Lanning, Oregon
I'm not going to bring up the fact that we tabbed James Franklin as our 2025 Preseason Coach of the Year two months before he was fired at Penn State. But I will mention that Ohio State's Ryan Day was our pick two years ago before going on to win the national championship.
So what does that mean for Lanning and the Ducks? I guess we'll see come January.
Oregon has been eliminated from the College Football Playoff by the eventual national champion each of the past two seasons, and neither loss was particularly competitive. The Ducks have been good enough to get there, but they haven't been able to finish the job when the stakes are highest.
Perhaps this is the year that changes.
Since Lanning became head coach in 2022, Oregon is tied with Ohio State for the second-best record in the country, trailing only Georgia. Both Ryan Day and Kirby Smart faced plenty of criticism early in their tenures for being unable to win the whole thing despite consistently putting their teams in position to do so.
Now it's Lanning's turn to break through.
The Ducks enter the season ranked No. 2 in the Preseason AP Top 25 poll, with Dante Moore back at quarterback and enough talent around him to make another run at that elusive first-ever national championship.
Freshman of the Year: Savion Hiter, RB, Michigan
It's back-to-back Preseason Freshman of the Year picks for Michigan. Hiter joins quarterback Bryce Underwood, last year's CBS Sports Preseason Freshman of the Year, in a Wolverines offense that could look significantly different under new coordinator Jason Beck. Still, that change could create an ideal opportunity for the five-star running back.
Hiter was the No. 21 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class and brings the kind of blend of burst, power, agility, balance and vision that is difficult to keep off the field.
He'll share the backfield with Jordan Marshall, while Underwood figures to get his share of carries as well. But there should be plenty of opportunities for Hiter to establish himself as Michigan's lead back.
That's especially true given what Beck is bringing to Ann Arbor. His 2025 offense at Utah ranked second nationally in rushing yards per game (266.31), eighth in rushing attempts per game (44.23) and fourth in rushing success rate (50.1%). That's a whole lot of rushing volume to go around.
Hiter has the talent to make the most of it. If Beck's offense carries over to Michigan, the freshman could quickly become one of the most productive first-year players in the country.
