B/R's 2026 Heisman Trophy Rankings Before Week 1

Personal glory typically takes a back seat to team success, but nobody has ever complained about winning a Heisman Trophy, either.

And in 2026, the race should be incredibly fun.

Entering the season, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr and Texas QB Arch Manning are among the most popular names for college football's top individual honor. Many other power-conference quarterbacks are popular early contenders, too.

The voting tide may be turning, though. One non-QB has been a finalist—a top-four finisher—in three straight years, and two receivers stand out this season.

Consider this a personal ranking of how I see the race playing out in 2026. Starting next week, though, the order will steadily shift from a long-term projection to a reflection of actual production.

10-6. Hoover, Stockton, Toney, Manning and Sayin

Previously a three-year starter at TCU, Josh Hoover is set to lead the reigning champions in 2026. He'll have a strong supporting cast at Indiana, which returns a rising star in receiver Charlie Becker and added key transfer Nick Marsh. Indiana's first-half schedule looks awfully favorable, too.

Gunner Stockton quietly finished seventh in Heisman voting last season. While throwing for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns to five interceptions, he rushed for 462 yards and 10 more scores. The receiving corps is a question mark, but UGA's projected team success will likely boost Stockton's appeal.

Whether as a receiver, Wildcat QB or returner, Malachi Toney can impact the game in so many ways. As a true freshman, he made 109 receptions for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding one rushing and two passing scores. Toney was an essential part of Miami's national runner-up campaign in 2025 and will remain the team's (heavily) featured playmaker this season.

An early favorite, Arch Manning has no shortage of opportunity. He stumbled through the first half of 2025 but improved down the stretch, ending the campaign with 3,562 total yards and accounting for 37 touchdowns. If the Longhorns are legitimate contenders in 2026, Manning will be soundly on the Heisman radar.

Julian Sayin closed the 2025 season on a couple of sour notes, but expectations are plenty high after he was a Heisman finalist. Last year, he posted a 77.0 completion rate—one of the highest marks in FBS history—while throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns as a first-time starter. Playing well in marquee games will be vital to Sayin bolstering his candidacy.

The good news? CJ Carr is a tremendous talent.

During his first season leading the offense, he passed for 2,741 yards with 24 scores to six interceptions. Carr, who isn't much of a runner, chipped in three short touchdowns on the ground.

There is a double-edged sword, however. Notre Dame should be outstanding in 2026, largely because of a powerful defense. Team success is always helpful in this conversation. But it's plausible his box-score stats won't be overly impressive in comparison to other candidates, as well.

Still, what a great problem that would be for the Fighting Irish. Carr can become a Heisman-level QB on a championship-worthy roster.

Trinidad Chambliss, on the other hand, is the single-most important reason why Ole Miss is hovering in the national discussion.

Last season, he surged from an accomplished D-II backup to the surprise starter in the SEC. Chambliss racked up 4,464 offensive yards—the No. 2 total in the country—accounted for 30 touchdowns with just three interceptions and propelled the Rebels to the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff.

His follow-up season will be a heck of a test, though.

Ole Miss has a pretty unrelenting schedule, one that includes six preseason Top 25 opponents. Even if the Rebels end around nine or 10 wins, that should put Chambliss in the range of a top-five voting slot.

At his third school in three years, Darian Mensah is a proven commodity. He took Tulane and Duke to a conference championship game in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and celebrated an ACC title last season. Mensah threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns with Duke.

Now leading Miami's scoring attack, Mensah should be on his best offense yet.

In addition to boasting Toney at receiver, the 'Canes have Cooper Barkate—who posted 1,106 yards as Mensah's top target at Duke. Throw in a few other complementary pieces, and this supporting cast is terrific.

The make-or-break moment for Mensah presumably will be when Miami travels to Notre Dame in November. If the Hurricanes win there and reach the ACC Championship Game, expect to see Mensah in New York as a Heisman finalist.

Oregon has a veteran roster built to compete for a national title with a deep group of skill-position playmakers around Dante Moore. Few teams can match the trio of Evan Stewart, Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan at receiver.

The offense should be among the best in the country, especially with Moore—who threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns last year—running the show.

Put simply, there's no excuse for Oregon not to overpower most defenses.

And if the Ducks live up to that billing, Moore should have an impressive, hyper-efficient stat line on a compelling Heisman résumé.

Dating back to 1991—when Desmond Howard struck the pose—just two wideouts have hoisted the Heisman. Travis Hunter's win in 2024, while well-deserved, was a product of him being a star cornerback, too.

For a receiver to snatch this award, he must be nothing short of phenomenal.

Well, that description applies to Jeremiah Smith. Heading into his third season at Ohio State, he's already a two-time All-American. Smith tallied at least 76 catches, 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns in both previous years.

Not only is Smith undeniably elite, but he should also command more targets after the departure of first-round NFL draft pick Carnell Tate.

Smith is the best player in the country. Ending his college career with a Heisman Trophy would only be fitting.