Preseason Heisman Trophy power rankings for 2026 college football season

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Preseason Heisman Trophy power rankings for 2026 college football season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The race for the Heisman Trophy was somewhat anticlimactic in 2025, as Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza ran away with the award while leading the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and a national championship. In 2024, however, Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty staged one of the best battles for the Heisman in recent history.

2026 could be a similar fight for the biggest individual honor in college football. Almost every team projected to be at the top of the sport this season has an elite quarterback, which bleeds into one of the best quarterback classes in recent memory in the 2027 NFL Draft. On top of that, both Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) and Malachi Toney (Miami) have the firepower and playmaking ability to sneak into the conversation with big seasons.

Some of the top contenders for the Heisman last season, such as Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and Smith, should all be in the mix for the award again this season.

Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

Whittling the list down to just five is a tough task, especially with no games on the docket just yet. Let’s take a look at who the favorites for the Heisman are coming into the season.

Honorable Mentions: Oregon QB Dante Moore, Indiana QB Josh Hoover, Miami (FL) WR Malachi Toney, Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, LSU QB Sam Leavitt, USC QB Jayden Maiava

5. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

The Heisman Trophy has become primarily a quarterback award, which will make it very difficult for Smith to win. However, if the award was given to the best player in college football regardless of position, just hand the award to the star wideout right now. The Florida native is one of the best wide receiver prospects in recent memory and has garnered comparisons to Julio Jones since he was just a freshman.

With no Carnell Tate opposite him, Smith could very well see his targets go up this season. For his two-year career, Smith has 163 catches for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns with a career year on tap for his third and likely final season in Columbus.

Blowouts could be the downfall of Smith’s Heisman case, if you look for a drawback. The Buckeyes should roll over most of their Big Ten opponents, which could deflate his numbers like it has in past seasons.

4. CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame

During his first year as a starter in 2025, Carr established himself as a reliable signal-caller with strong traits, making him a future NFL prospect. However, Notre Dame was still a pretty run-heavy offense, and Carr played with training wheels on for a lot of the season against a pretty soft schedule over the final 10 games.

None of those things will be true this season. Notre Dame has a number of difficult tests late in the year, such as a road trip to BYU, a game against Miami and a tricky test against SMU. That makes the Irish’s path to the CFP a bit trickier, but it also presents plenty of opportunity for some Heisman moments late in the season as the games get more and more important.

On top of that, Notre Dame lost both Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL. Notre Dame always has a strong running game, but Marcus Freeman is now entering the season with Carr as his most reliable piece of the offense. If it’s bombs away through the air in South Bend, maybe Carr will be the one to lift the Heisman at the end of the year.

3. Arch Manning, QB, Texas

Many people will have Manning as the No. 1 candidate on their lists, like they did last season. He earned that recognition with the way he played at the end of the 2025 campaign. But there are still questions that need to be answered.

Can Manning speed up his processing from a year ago? Will the short accuracy improve enough to make this Texas offense more efficient. How much will Steve Sarkisian lean into the quarterback run game? Those are all questions that can make or break Manning’s case for the award.

There is good news for anyone banking on Manning to win the Heisman. Texas should be improved on the offensive line, and having Cam Coleman on the outside gives Manning a true ball-winner outside the numbers that he hasn’t had before. All of those factors could lead to the Texas star blowing up and matching the hype he had coming into college.

2. Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

On paper, Trinidad Chambliss has everything you want to see in a Heisman Trophy contender. He is an explosive, athletic playmaker who is a highlight reel each and every time he touches the field. His heroics in the College Football Playoff give him a reputation coming into 2026 that is almost unlike any other quarterback in college football. On top of that, Chambliss will have to be spectacular to get Ole Miss back to the CFP against a very difficult schedule.

Late in the season, Ole Miss has a stretch of games against Texas, Auburn, Georgia and Oklahoma all in a row. That is the kind of stretch that can catapult a quarterback into the Heisman Trophy conversation, especially someone like Chambliss who can win those games with his dynamic ability.

There’s only one thing that is holding Chambliss back from being in the top spot on this list coming into the season. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who stayed with the Rebels through the CFP even after Lane Kiffin’s departure, is now in Baton Rouge with LSU. John David Baker is the new OC at Ole Miss after spending a few years at East Carolina. What does the Rebels’ offense look like now? Even a small step back could be a killer for Chambliss’ Heisman hopes.

1. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (FL)

Darian Mensah is ClutchPoints’ Heisman favorite coming into the season, and it would be a pretty big surprise if he isn’t in the conversation deep into the season. The Hurricanes are going to have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, with plenty of balance and a good offensive line to go with it. Shannon Dawson is a great offensive coordinator and is the same guy who helped Cam Ward get into the Heisman conversation and become the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft a few seasons ago.

This will be the best supporting cast that Mensah has had around him during his career, by a lot. Malachi Toney is arguably a top-three wide receiver in the nation. Cooper Barkate, Mensah’s top target a year ago at Duke, is also with the Canes now. Mark Fletcher Jr. is one of the best running backs in the nation, which should take some pressure off of Mensah.

Miami also has high-profile road games against both Clemson and Notre Dame, giving Mensah a chance to make a statement on a big stage. The Hurricanes should dominate most of their opponents, putting them in CFP position while giving Mensah a chance to put up gaudy numbers and still get some big wins. Those factors make him the preseason favorite to win the Heisman.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos