2026 Heisman Trophy Odds: Mensah Takes Over as Favorite

Charlie Zschau Updated: 6 hours ago

The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding player in college football.

Fernando Mendoza won the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 2025, becoming the first player in Indiana Hoosiers history to win the award.

Mendoza led Indiana to an undefeated regular season, capped off by a 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes to win the first NCAA Football National Championship in school history.

In 2025, Mendoza passed for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns (Most in Division 1) while completing 72.0 percent of passes.

2026 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds Updated 11/03/2026.

Darian Mensah	+160	Jeremiah Smith	+280
Malachi Toney	+350	CJ Carr	+650
Trinidad Chambliss	+1200	Jesse Legree	+2000
Drew Mestemaker	+4500	Gunner Stockton	+4500
Sam Leavitt	+4500	Gio Lopez	+7500

With Mendoza gone (Selected first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders), a number of quarterbacks and wide receivers are all competing for the Heisman Trophy.

Darian Mensah & Malachi Toney (Miami)

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah is the new favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Mensah has improved each season in college football, and shredded the Stanford defense in his first game of 2026. Mensah passed for 401 yards and five touchdowns, setting the tone for the rest of the country. Mensah has passed for 2,425 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only one interception in 2026.

Mensah's top target, Malachi Toney also made his Heisman case known in Week 1, catching 12 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns, while notably posing like the famous trophy in the end zone for two of the TDs in the first game of the season. Toney has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games.

Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith holds the second best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. The X-receiver possesses elite body control, a big frame, and soft hands, which has drawn comparisons to NFL legends Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones. Smith, a junior, has already become the all-time Ohio State receiving yards leader, passing some NFL Hall of Fame caliber Buckeyes.

Through eight games, Smith has 62 catches, 1,067 yards (2nd in the Nation), and 13 touchdowns. In the week four win against Illinois, Smith caught 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns which many called his "Heisman moment."

Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss had taken over as the Heisman Trophy favorite after a statement victory against his former coach, Lane Kiffin, in Oxford, but has since fallen after losing to the Florida Gators and Texas Longhorns.

Chambliss is not just talented, but he's also a true competitor with a chip on his shoulder. He wasn't even supposed to be a starting quarterback last season, but after an injury to Austin Simmons, the Ferris State transfer was pushed into a starting role, and led the Rebels to their first College Football Playoff appearance.

Through eight games, Chambliss has passed for 2,189 yards and 18 touchdowns, while leading Ole Miss to three victories against ranked opponents (Louisville, LSU, Missouri).

Jesse Legree (Oregon State)

Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree and Braden Atkinson are some of the most surprising names in the 2026 Heisman race thus far. Legree, a true freshman, leads college football with 1,110 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, and is racked up over 100 receiving yards in each of his first seven games.

Braden Atkinson, Legree's quarterback at Oregon State, is also having an incredible season. Atkinson leads the country with 2,977 passing yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing only 2 interceptions.

Other Heisman Trophy Candidates

Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr, Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, and LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt are other Heisman Trophy candidates at this point in the season. More players in the hunt include Gio Lopez, Conner Weigman and Noah Fifita.