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The Indiana Hoosiers nearly saw their undefeated season come to an end in Week 11 when they visited Happy Valley to take on a reeling Penn State Nittany Lions squad. The Hoosiers needed a late touchdown drive and some crazy footwork to grab a 27-24 win, preserving the program’s College Football Playoff hopes and giving quarterback Fernando Mendoza a potential Heisman Trophy moment. Mendoza has been in contention to go first overall in the upcoming NFL draft and Saturday’s heroics will help his case. However, he’s still in a battle with a star SEC passer.
Here’s a look at the latest odds for who will be taken No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
No. 1 pick odds for 2026 NFL Draft (via DraftKings)Ty Simpson, Alabama +200 (was +220)Fernando Mendoza, Indiana +250 (was +290)Dante Moore, Oregon +550 (was +750)LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina +600 (was +600)Rueben Bain Jr., Miami +800 (was +800)Arvell Reese, Ohio State +2200Garrett Nussmeier, LSU +2500 (was +2000)Jayden Maiava, USC +2500 (was +2500)Arch Manning, Texas +4000 (was +4000)Cade Klubnik, Clemson +5000
Simpson still has the edge after throwing for 277 yards and a score in Alabama’s 20-9 win over LSU, but the gap has closed a bit thanks to Mendoza’s late touchdown pass to cap a two-score day for him. Reese is a new arrival in the top 10 on the odds ladder, though the Ohio State linebacker is unlikely to overtake the four quarterbacks ahead of him to truly merit consideration for the top spot. Klubnik is back in the mix after he had two total touchdowns in Clemson’s 24-10 win over Florida State, though it’s tough to see him make up for his rough start to the season.
Moore earned a nice bump from +750 to +550 after leading Oregon on a game-winning drive against Iowa. The Ducks escaped Kinnick Stadium with a 18-16 win and kept their CFP hopes alive, which helps Moore’s case to be the top selection. He’s overtaken Sellers thanks to South Carolina’s struggles, but he’ll be hard-pressed to jump Mendoza and Simpson as long as Indiana and Alabama keep winning.