Heisman Trophy watch 2026: CJ Carr, Julian Sayin and others will vie for the award in wide open race

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Heisman Trophy watch 2026: CJ Carr, Julian Sayin and others will vie for the award in wide open race originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A post-play shoving matchup broke out between Ohio State offensive and defensive players in the heat of a morning practice on Aug. 8 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. 

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was quick to escape before it was broken up. Yet he smiled when asked about what was said later. 

"You definitely encourage it – because it brings out the best in both sides," Sayin told reporters. "You love the chippiness. You don't want to get excessive obviously and get into fights and waste time, but you love the chippiness because that's what it is going to be like on Saturdays." 

Sayin is the only returning Heisman Trophy finalist from last season. He finished fourth in the voting with 3,601 passing yards, 32 TDs and a FBS-best 77% completion percentage. He also is set up for another prolific season for Ohio State – which is No. 1 in the AP Preseason Top 25 and Coaches Poll. Why isn't that generating more Heisman Trophy buzz? 

If anybody should be a little chippy, it's Sayin. He's added 10 pounds heading into his second year as a starter with coach Ryan Day, and the addition of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is a plus. 

"Being able to take the points from Coach Day — obviously an elite developer of quarterbacks and somebody who knows the pass game really well," Sayin said.  "It's been fun. Just getting started really." 

Of course, Sayin has the advantage of throwing to Jeremiah Smith –  a returning first-team All-America selection who could be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Smith – who finished sixth in the voting last year – is the more-publicized Heisman contender. Yet that connection between Sayin and Smith runs strong. Sayin and Smith repeatedly talked on the side during 7-on-7 portions of that practice. 

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"How can we improve our timing and get on the same page with everything?" Sayin said. "A lot of that work was done in the offseason. Communication is the best thing for our offense." 

Sayin also carries the celebrity of being Ohio State's quarterback, which he said came from observing Will Howard in 2024. The Buckeyes have had 12 players finish in the top 10 in the Heisman voting since 2014. Will Sayin be the first Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006?

The one thing we can predict about the 2026 Heisman Trophy race is it promises to be full of surprises. After all, who had Indiana's Fernando Mendoza winning the award over Diego Pavia at the start of the 2025 season? Quarterbacks dominate our prospective field, and it's a mix of returning high-profile and transfer QBs, with a trio of deep sleepers. Keep in mind seven of the last nine Heisman winners were transfers, and two won it in their first year at their new school.

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2026 Heisman favorites

CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame

Carr totaled 2,741 passing yards, 24 TDs and six interceptions in his first year as a starter—and the Irish are a true national championship contender. Carr had a 170.2 passer rating in November. Will he become Notre Dame’s first Heisman Trophy winner since Tim Brown in 1987?

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Arch Manning, QB, Texas

Manning totaled 221 passing yards, 155 rushing yards and four TDs in the Cheez-It Bowl victory against Michigan, which rekindled the hype from last season. Manning averaged 255.9 passing yards with 13 TDs and two interceptions in Texas’ last seven games, and he will be a contender this time around.

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

Smith stayed in the "best player in college football" conversation each of the last two seasons. He topped off last season with 15 catches for 301 yards and a TD over two postseason games against Indiana and Miami. Ohio State has a loaded schedule in 2026, which means multiple chances for Heisman moments.

Returning CFP QBs

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

Chambliss returns to Ole Miss, where he averaged 307 passing yards per game during a three-game College Football Playoff run. He had 22 TDs and three interceptions in 2025, and September matchups against Louisville and LSU offer a chance to take an early lead in the race.

Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Moore bypassed the 2026 NFL Draft and returned to Oregon, where he passed for 3,565 yards, 30 TDs and 10 interceptions in 2025. Bo Nix (2023) and Dillon Gabriel (2024) each finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia

Stockton finished seventh in the Heisman voting last season. He had 2,894 yards, 24 TDs and five interceptions with 462 rushing yards and 10 TDs. He could emerge as a contender with another SEC championship run.

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Transfer QBs

Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana

Mendoza and Kurtis Rourke averaged close to 3,300 yards with 35 TDs the last two seasons with Curt Cignetti at Indiana. Hoover averaged more than 3,700 yards and 28 TDs the last two seasons at TCU. He needs to reduce the interceptions, but the arm talent is there.

Darian Mensah, QB, Miami

Mensah follows Cam Ward and Carson Beck as the Hurricanes’ third straight transfer quarterback. He led the ACC with 3,973 passing yards and 34 TDs at Duke last season—those numbers were better than Beck’s with the Hurricanes.

Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU

Leavitt will look for a bounce-back season paired with first-year coach Lane Kiffin. How will Leavitt, who is coming off foot surgery at Arizona State, make the adjustment to the SEC competition?

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Heisman sleepers

Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU

Bachmeier, an unconventional QB who wears No. 47, passed for 3,033 yards with 15 TDs and rushed for 527 yards and 11 TDs as a freshman. The matchup against Notre Dame on Oct. 17 is a major spotlight game.

Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri

Hardy, the top returning rusher in the Power 4, needs to get fully healthy still after an injury from a gunshot wound. He had 1,649 rushing yards and 16 TDs on 6.4 yards per carry, and that included a 300-yard game against Mississippi State.

Jayden Maiava, QB, USC

Maiava led the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards in 2025. Lincoln Riley has coached three Heisman winners in Baker Mayfield (2017), Kyler Murray (2018) and Caleb Williams (2022). Maiava will have the stats if the Trojans can make the CFP for the first time.

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