Way-too-early Heisman Trophy contenders for the 2026 season

We’re months away from the start of the 2026 college football season, and Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman trophy win may still be fresh in your brain, but it’s never too early to look at what’s ahead. Here’s a way-too-early look at the potential Heisman contenders in 2026.

Defense

In 2024, we saw Travis Hunter become the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson, albeit with plenty of help on his resume from Hunter’s time as a starting wide receiver. Are there any defensive players who could be the next to lift the hardware?

I see four defenders with a preseason shot at the Heisman trophy. The lone non-edge defender is Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore. Moore had five interceptions last year and has been arguably the best cornerback in the country since his freshman year. Now with two other starting-level corners on his side of the field, teams can’t avoid targeting Moore, which could allow him to have more game-changing plays to boost his Heisman candidacy.

PRESEASON CONTENT: Way-too-early college football top 25 rankings for the 2026 season

Now we get to the trenches. The top candidate off the edge is Texas’ Colin Simmons. He’s coming off a 12-sack season and is a potential candidate for the top pick in the 2027 NFL draft. South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart’s name will also be in that conversation for both the top pick and Heisman; he just hasn’t had the production of Simmons early in his career.

Closing the defensive group is the newest Miami edge-defender, Damon Wilson II. Wilson is at his third school in three years after transferring to Miami. After a modest start to his career at Georgia, he had nine sacks at Missouri last year. Now he goes to the defensive system that produced likely top-10 NFL draft pick Rueben Bain and first-round pick Akheem Mesidor. Wilson could have an eye-popping year.

🗓️: When does the 2026 college football season start?

Offensive skill positions

A few elite players on offense enter 2025 with a legitimate shot to prevent quarterbacks from winning the Heisman.

It starts with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The best player in college football for 2026 finished sixth in Heisman voting last year. He’s arguably been the best wide receiver in the country since a freshman. Expect 2026 to be no different.

Speaking of wideouts that were great as freshmen, Miami’s Malachi Toney should also be a Heisman candidate after his rookie campaign. Toney will be the No. 1 target in the Hurricane offense, regardless of who the quarterback is this fall. He could have a big year.

There are also a few running backs that could be in the running as the season progresses. Ohio State’s Bo Jackson would likely have Heisman buzz if he didn’t share his offense with two other Heisman candidates. Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy was a top-five Heisman candidate at the midseason mark last season. 

Mississippi running back Kewan Lacy was pivotal to the Rebels making a CFP semifinal run and should open as a Preseason First-Team All-SEC running back, if not All-American.

The two running backs who I think may fly under the radar in offseason Heisman talks are BYU’s LJ Martin and Louisville’s Issac Brown. Martin rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, while Brown rushed for a disappointing 884 yards and seven touchdowns. If Martin picks up where he left off and helps BYU get a CFP nod, he’ll be in Heisman discussions. Meanwhile, Brown could return to his freshman ways, where he had 11 rushing touchdowns as Louisville contends for an ACC title berth.

HEISMAN HISTORY: Top three finishers all-time | Closest voting finishes | Teams with most winners

The quarterbacks

No list looking at Heisman trophy contenders would be complete without quarterbacks. 21 of the last 26 Heisman winners have played the position, meaning 81 percent of 21st-century Heisman winners have been quarterbacks. Here’s a look at the top quarterback candidates.

The transfers

The transfer portal is far from settled since it’s before Christmas, but as of now, two quarterbacks could carry the newest December tradition of a transfer winning the Heisman. In seven of the last nine years, a former transfer has won the Heisman trophy.

Last year’s transfer quarterback to win the Heisman played for Indiana. Now, Josh Hoover transfers in from TCU after finishing second in the Big 12 in passing yards. Could he follow in Mendoza’s footsteps?

CHAMPS: How Indiana won its first-ever college football national championship

To that same tune, LSU has another Arizona State quarterback that transferred in — Sam Leavitt. Leavitt was one of the top available quarterbacks in the portal. Can he follow in the footsteps of Jayden Daniels and win a Heisman in the bayou after transferring from the Sun Devils?

Drew Mestemaker transferred to Oklahoma State, following his head coach, after leading the FBS in passing yards. While Oklahoma State won just one game last year, a turnaround led by Mestemaker could have his name in Heisman talks. Similarly, Rocco Becht followed his coach from Iowa State to Penn State, and the signal-caller could be key to turning around the Nittany Lions.

Brendan Sorsby won’t have to lead a turnaround after transferring within the Big 12 from Cincinnati to Texas Tech. With the Red Raiders poised to be a CFP-contending team, he could be in Heisman talks as the leader of one of the top teams in the country.

TRANSFERS: FCS transfers who could impact next year’s College Football Playoff race

The wildcards

The biggest wildcard this year in preseason Heisman talks will be LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina. He was one of the favorites entering last year, but had a disappointing season. Now he’ll have a new offensive coordinator as Kendall Briles comes into town with his Air Raid offense. If Sellers can live up to the hype this year, he could return to Heisman talks.

Connor Weigman had a sneakily good year at Houston last year, leading the Cougars to a 10-win season. Weigman has all the talent in the world as a former five-star recruit. If he can lead Houston to Big 12 contention, he could rise in Heisman talks.

Also in the wildcards, I’ll list Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Joey Aguilar (Tennessee), and Darian Mensah (Duke). Chambliss and Aguilar would be top Heisman candidates if they got another year of eligibility, while Mensah would be a top candidate if he ended up at Miami.

For Mensah, even at Duke, he’ll be a Heisman darkhorse after leading the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship win last year.

The unknowns

There are a few unknowns at the quarterback position in 2025 that could have breakout campaigns. Before you think, “someone won’t come out of nowhere to win the Heisman,” let me remind you of redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston. Even last year, Julian Sayin finished fourth in voting as a redshirt freshman.

True freshmen five-star quarterbacks Jared Curtis at Vanderbilt and Faizon Brandon at Tennessee could be day one starters in the SEC for teams that were competing for a College Football Playoff when November came around last year. If either has their teams in a similar position next year, they could be Heisman candidates.

A pair of 2025 recruits could also be Heisman contenders from the SEC. Mississippi quarterback Deuce Knight accounted for six touchdowns in his lone start in 2025 as a freshman for Auburn. He flashed potential that could shine for last year’s CFP semifinalist Rebels. 

Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers will have to win a battle with former Rebel quarterback Austin Simmons, but we got a glimpse of Zollers under center once Beau Pribula got hurt last year. Could Zollers be a star with a full offseason?

The last group of unknowns all reside in Tuscaloosa. After Ty Simpson departed for the NFL, Alabama has an opening at the quarterback position. Will Austin Mack be the starter, will former five-star recruit Keelan Russell be the starter, or will incoming freshman Jett Thomalla take over? The starting quarterback at Alabama, especially under Kalen DeBoer, is always in Heisman conversations at some point during the season.

MORE HEISMAN: Active NFL Heisman winners | Heisman CFP performances | Heisman top draft picks

The sophomores

This next set of quarterbacks could take the next step with a year of playing experience under their belts.

Notre Dame’s CJ Carr had the Fighting Irish on the fringe of the playoff. With his top two running backs gone to the NFL and a reloaded receiver room, Carr should take the next step forward this fall. Yet, he might not have a game for the “Heisman moment” with Notre Dame’s schedule.

BYU’s Bear Bachimier also had his team nearly in the CFP. Bachimier plays with a grit that few other quarterbacks can match and will lead a talented Cougar squad into Big 12 contention again. If he can throw more touchdowns, he could rise Heisman boards.

Michigan’s Bryce Underwood and Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele both flashed potential during their freshman seasons, but will have to learn under new head coaches this fall. Both could turn into Heisman contenders if they quickly mesh with their new head coaches.

The returnees

These four quarterbacks are all veterans who have returned to their schools, but aren’t in top-contender status yet.

Oklahoma’s John Mateer was the Heisman favorite before his September hand injury. He’s back and healthy with the Sooners and could get back atop the Heisman leaderboard this year.

Marcel Reed had Texas A&M near the top of the playoff rankings before the Aggies lost their final two games. Reed might be the most dynamic quarterback in this article and brings a dual-threat element that could pop on the screens of Heisman voters. 

The last two returnees here are out west. Southern California’s Jayden Maiava is back under head coach Lincoln Riley. He could be Riley’s fourth Heisman winner. Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. had a wild offseason, but he passed for over 3,000 yards last year and could surprise out of the Big Ten.

MORE: Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman Trophy

The top contenders

Now it’s time for the top Heisman contenders at the quarterback position entering 2025. Three quarterbacks stand out above the rest:

Ohio State’s Julian Sayin has to be the top Heisman contender entering the year. He’s a returning finalist after finishing fourth in voting last year. Some may argue he was a Big Ten title away from winning the award. The Ohio State offense returns plenty of talent, so Sayin should be one of the nation’s best yet again.

Oregon’s Dante Moore is second in the clubhouse of Heisman contenders. Moore spurned the NFL draft and the potential to be a top-two pick to come back and play for the Ducks. Moore threw for 30 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions last year and should be in Heisman contention for a very good Oregon team.

Texas’ Arch Manning is my third Heisman contender. The Manning hype might’ve been a year too early, but after a strong finish last year, Manning should have Texas as a top team in all of college football. Manning’s ability to create plays with his arm and his legs could let him create flashy plays that wow Heisman voters.

The fourth and final top-contending quarterback is Georgia’s Gunner Stockton. Stockton finished seventh in Heisman voting last year. He’ll lead a Georgia team expected to contend for an SEC title. Winning is always a positive on a quarterback’s Heisman resume.

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