Halfway through the 2026 college football season, many prominent national title hopeful teams are dealing not only with obstacles to their playoff chances, but also now have to navigate some very turbulent injury waters, as well.
Here is the latest information regarding the most consequential injuries across college football going into Saturday’s action in Week 8.
What Oregon is doing at QB
When is Dante Moore actually coming back? We don’t have an answer to that, aside from it won’t be this week as Oregon faces Illinois.
The Ducks ruled Moore out of Saturday’s game against the Illini, according to the Big Ten availability report, nearly a month after he was injured in a game at USC on Sept. 29, a scary moment when the quarterback was struck in the head.
Moore suffered a concussion on that play, but has not returned to action. He has practiced with the team, but has been ruled out of games since, standing on Oregon’s sideline in street clothes for the last two games.
Dylan Raiola is expected to start this week for the Ducks.
Ducks without a pair of WRs, too
Oregon wide receivers Evan Stewart and Jeremiah McClellan will also not appear for the team this Saturday.
Stewart is dealing with an undisclosed injury as well as fallout from his DUII arrest over the weekend, and McClellan is still recovering from a broken foot he suffered in September.
College football’s sack leader is out
Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons will not appear in Saturday’s game against Ole Miss as he recovers from an ankle injury he sustained in last week’s loss to Florida, according to multiple reports.
Simmons is also in danger of missing more time after this weekend, signaling a serious issue for the Longhorns’ defense. He had 16 tackles for loss and currently leads FBS with 10.5 sacks, also forcing two fumbles and recovering another.
Texas, on a two-game losing streak, is now charged with slowing down a Rebels offense that averaged 445 yards per game and is scoring 38 points with Simmons on the field.
Where things are with Julian Sayin
Ohio State star quarterback Julian Sayin will be out “indefinitely,” as head coach Ryan Day said in an unwelcome update surrounding the former five-star prospect.
He suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder/arm during the Buckeyes’ 19-15 win against Indiana last weekend and was seen wearing a sling before that game ended.
Day announced that the team is actively putting together a plan to move forward without Sayin for the rest of the regular season, and even the entirety of the postseason. So clearly whatever Ohio State’s doctors are saying, it’s not good.
Buckeyes’ backup situation
With Ohio State currently on an idle week, a quarterback competition is currently underway before it returns at USC on Oct. 31.
True freshman Luke Fahey took over the offense immediately after Sayin was injured against the Hoosiers and has been operating as the team’s primary No. 2 quarterback this season.
But sophomore and former five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair is splitting some first-team reps with Fahey during the off week as the coaching staff evaluates who will officially start under center against the Trojans, and possibly the rest of the way.
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