2026 Heisman Trophy First Look: One of the Deepest Fields Ever?

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After one of the most blah races ever, we're about to get the exact opposite with a loaded field for the 2026 Heisman Trophy.

Mendoza, Pavia, Love, Sayin – it was fine, but Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza's numbers weren't any big whoop. The 2025 Heisman race was wide-open – and not in a good way – deep into the second half of the Big Ten Championship.

This 2025 season isn't over, and the transfer portal will change all of this around in a big hurry, but let's do this. It's going to be a deep group of huge quarterback names, great skill players across the board, and we should see something special from the start.

Who are the ten early favorites for the 2026 Heisman Trophy race?

10 Early Favorites in the 2026 Heisman Trophy Race

Dec 13, 2025; New York, NY, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin speaks to the media during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis before the presentation of the Heisman Trophy.© Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Remember, it's really hard to be a true Heisman favorite. Just being a very, very good player isn't enough.

It takes a perfect storm of stats, hype, wins, and massive moments, so while all of these players will be among the stars of the 2026 season, it will take something otherworldly for these players – running backs need not apply – to be true Heisman-winning options.

5 Top Other Options: Sam Leavitt, QB (in the portal); Marcel Reed, QB Texas A&M; Gunner Stockton, QB Georgia; Bryce Underwood, QB Michigan; Demond Williams Jr., QB Washington

One other thing – who's coming back for another year? For example, if Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love really is interested in running it back, he's a top guy on this list. The same goes for quarterback John Mateer if he comes back to Oklahoma.

10. Indiana Starting Quarterback

Will it really be Alberto Mendoza trying to recreate the magic his brother brought? There won't be any shortage of top quarterbacks in the portal who'll want to run the Hoosier attack, and there's one guy out there who makes too much sense – I'll get to him in a moment.

To keep with punting on actually making a call …

9. LSU Starting Quarterback

Nov 29, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Louisiana State Tigers quarterback Michael van Buren Jr. (11) warms up before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. © Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

You might have noticed that Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss isn't on this list or in the bunch of other options. He'll likely get another year of eligibility, and at the moment, he'll probably stay in Oxford when he does, but he's only a true Heisman contender if he's working Lane Kiffin's attack in Baton Rouge.

Current Tiger Michael Van Buren is in this mix, and Kiffin can have his pick of any top playmaker in the portal.

8. Drew Mestemaker, QB North Texas

… if he's at Oklahoma State, or some other power program.

He might put up huge numbers at North Texas to get him noticed, but he's only on this list because it seems like a natural to go to Stillwater to play under former Mean Green head man Eric Morris. The passing numbers should be too good to ignore.

7. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, QB Cal

He's insisting he's sticking around under new head coach Tosh Lupoi, but the future top five overall draft pick will have mega-offers from everywhere.

You name the big schools with an opening – Miami, Oregon, Indiana (the Hoosiers did just fine with the last Cal transfer QB), LSU, and maybe Oklahoma – and he's a possibility.

6. CJ Carr, QB Notre Dame

Welcome to the leader and star of the 2026 Notre Dame Tour of Vengeance.

The Irish will still be able to run the ball well, but Carr has the tools, talent, and platform to take his profile and game up a few notches.

5. Jayden Maiava, QB USC

Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's been way too long since a Lincoln Riley quarterback won a Heisman. Maiava has the talent, the receivers, and the offense to be deep in the mix if he can make the O go like it's supposed to.

4. Jeremiah Smith, WR Ohio State

The guy should be in the NFL already, but he's around for one more year as the superstar of the Ohio State offense. He's the only non-quarterback who'll realistically be in the Heisman-winning mix from the start.

3. Arch Manning, QB Texas

Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl.© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

He'll have his opportunities to take the Heisman and make it his, starting with Week 2 when Ohio State comes to Austin. It was just a question of at-bats when it came to his development, and now, get ready for the Arch everyone was hoping for. Speaking of time logged in …

2. Ty Simpson, QB Alabama

It'll be his second year running Kalen DeBoer's offense, and now it's time to make it explode. The numbers might not be at a 2023 Michael Penix Jr. unbelievable level, but he'll be the quarterback at Alabama. He'll be on everyone's TV almost every week.

1. Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State

The guy was a finalist this year without any giant performances in huge games. He'll still have an NFL line to play behind, with NFL running backs to hand off to, and with Jeremiah Smith and NFL receivers to throw to. It he rocks against Texas right away, it'll be his to lose.

This story was originally published by College Football News on Dec 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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