Way-too-early look at the 2026 Heisman Trophy race

indiana quarterback Fernando Mendozawho led the No. 1 Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 record and their first Big Ten title since 1967, captured the 91st Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.

Mendoza beats the quarterback diego pavia (Vanderbilt) and julian sign (Ohio State) and running back jeremiah love (Notre Dame) will take home the trophy during a ceremony in New York.

Mendoza, who played two seasons at California before joining the Hoosiers this season, completed 71.5% of his pass attempts for 2,980 yards with 39 total touchdowns.

He was only the second Heisman Trophy finalist from Indiana. Running back Anthony Thompson was runner-up to Houston quarterback Andre Ware in one of the closest votes in 1989.

With Mendoza, Pavia and Love expected to head to the NFL after this season, who are the top candidates to return for the Heisman Trophy for 2026?

When compiling a list of potential candidates, I guessed quarterback john mater (Oklahoma), ty simpson (Alabama) and dante moore (Oregon); receiver carnell tate (Ohio State), Zachariah Branch (Georgia) and corn lemon (USC); and running back emmet johnson (Nebraska) will turn professional (along with this year’s above finalists).

Here’s a look at some of the top potential contenders (in no particular order):

2025 stats: 80 catches, 1,086 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns

The highlight reel of Smith’s acrobatic, one-handed catches continues to grow, and he has been arguably the best player in college football this season. He was the fastest Buckeyes player to reach the career marks of 2,000 receiving yards (24 games), 100 catches (20) and 25 touchdown receptions (25).

2025 stats: 78.4% completion PCT, 3,323 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

Had Ohio State’s offense not failed in a 13–10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, Sain would have captured the Heisman Trophy this season. In his first season as a starter, Sayin is on pace to break the NCAA single-season pass completion record of 77.4% set by Oregon’s Bo Nix in 2023.

2025 stats: 70.7% completion PCT, 2,691 passing yards, 442 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns

In his first full season as Georgia’s starting quarterback, Stockton helped lead the Bulldogs to a 12–1 record and the SEC title. His legs and right arm were a big reason for the Bulldogs averaging 31.9 points, despite enduring numerous injuries on the offensive line. Stockton was at his best when the game was on the line – he completed 86% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and one interception in the fourth quarter against ranked opponents.

2025 stats: 84 receptions, 970 receiving yards, 7 receiving touchdowns

Tony’s teammates call him “Baby Jesus” and the true freshman has come up big in his first season with the No. 10 Hurricanes. He is sixth in FBS with 84 catches and has 1,328 all-purpose yards. Tony also threw for two scores. Not bad for an 18-year-old who would have been a senior in high school if he hadn’t reclassified to the class of 2025.

2025 stats: 61.4% completion PCT, 2,942 passing yards, 32 total touchdowns

Despite all the criticism about Manning being overrated early in the season, the former five-star player had a good campaign, throwing for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns. The No. 13 Longhorns need to find some offensive linemen (he was sacked 23 times) and receivers to help them in 2026.

2025 stats: 65.5% completion PCT, 3,016 passing yards, 24 total touchdowns

Ole Miss officials have submitted a waiver to the NCAA on Chambliss’ behalf for another season of eligibility. He played his first three seasons at Division II Ferris State before transferring to Ole Miss this year. He was named SEC Newcomer of the Year after taking over the starting duties in the third game of the season.

2025 stats: 1,560 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns

After transferring from Louisiana-Monroe, Hardy led the FBS with 130 rushing yards per game and was No. 2 with 1,560 total rushing yards. He had eight 100-yard games for the Tigers, including a massive 300-yard effort with three touchdowns in a 49–27 win against Mississippi State on November 15.

2025 stats: 61.8% completion PCT, 2,932 passing yards, 466 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns

Reed announced this week that he plans to stay at Texas A&M next season, which is great news for the No. 7 Aggies. He was a threat with the ball in his hands, throwing for 2,932 yards with 25 touchdowns and rushing for 466 yards with six scores. His decision-making needs to continue to improve so he can cut down on his 10 interceptions.

2025 stats: 63.6% completion PCT, 3,117 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns

That’s why new Bears coach Tosh Lupoi took a late-night flight to Hawaii to make sure Sagapolutele was staying at Cal. He was only the second true freshman in FBS history to rush for 200 yards or more in each of his first 11 starts. In the Bears’ late-season upset of then-No. 21 SMU and No. 15 Louisville, Sagapolutele passed for a combined 653 yards with six touchdowns and no picks.

2025 stats: 1,279 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns

After transferring from Missouri, Lacey helped the No. 6 Rebels win 11 games in the regular season for the first time. He is No. 2 in FBS with 20 rushing touchdowns and has gained 1,279 yards on the ground. Will he follow former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU or stick with the Rebels in 2026?

2025 stats: 66.2% completion PCT, 3,431 passing yards, 29 total touchdowns

If Maiava returns to the No. 16 Trojans for another season, he will likely thrive in Lincoln Riley’s offense. This year, he threw for 3,431 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He is ranked No. 1 with a total QBR of 91.2. According to Pro Football Focus, he was second in FBS with 26 big-time throws. (A big-time throw is defined as a high-difficulty, high-value pass.)

2025 stats: 1,035 rushing yards, 6 total touchdowns

Jackson became the fifth true freshman in OSU history to produce a 1,000-yard season, joining Robert Smith (1990), Maurice Clarett (2002), JK Dobbins (2017) and Trevion Henderson (2021). That is good company. And, of course, he’ll be the second Bo Jackson to capture the tough-armed trophy.

2025 stats: 70.2% completion PCT, 4,129 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns

The Maestemaker is one of college football’s best stories. He didn’t start a single game in high school, then joined North Texas as a walk-on. This season, he led the FBS with 4,129 passing yards, helping him capture the Burlsworth Trophy as the top walk-on in the country. Will he join former Mean Green coach Eric Morris at Oklahoma State in 2026?

CJ CarrQB, Notre Dame

Starting 2025: 66.6% completion PCT, 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns

Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman handed Carr the responsibility of leading his offense after a heated battle in preseason camp. The decision paid off, as Carr produced one of the best performances by a first-time starter in Notre Dame history. He threw for at least one touchdown in each of his first 12 games and became the first Irish player to do so since Everett Golson in 2012–13. Carr’s 24 passing touchdowns are the most in his first 12 starts by a Notre Dame player since 1966.

2025 stats: 70% completion PCT, 2,850 passing yards, 595 rushing yards, 27 total touchdowns

Williams is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in FBS, and his ability to run and throw was on display in the Huskies’ 38–19 win against Rutgers on October 10. He became the first player in school history to pass for at least 400 yards (400) and rush for at least 100 (136) in the same game. Williams was second on the team with 595 rushing yards.

Others worth watching: Sam LevittQB, TBA; Cam ColemanWR, Auburn; Brendan SorsbyQB, Cincinnati; josh hooverQB, TCU; Darian MensahQB, Duke; nate frazierRB, Georgia; LJ MartinRB, BYU; bear bachmeyerQB, BYU; Lanoris CellarsCubby, South Carolina; bryce underwoodcubby, michigan