Updated Saturday, September 5, 2026, entering Week 1. Odds are DraftKings unless noted and move after every Saturday; this page is refreshed each week of the season.
The 2026 Heisman race opens with two quarterbacks at the top, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Texas’s Arch Manning, and a crowded second tier behind them. Manning was the preseason favorite a year ago and finished nowhere near New York; Fernando Mendoza came from off the board to win it and go No. 1 in the draft. Below is the full board, the case for and against each of the leaders, and the names to watch before the market moves.
| Player | School, position | Odds | Week 1 game |
|---|---|---|---|
| CJ Carr | Notre Dame, QB | +700 | vs. Wisconsin, Sunday |
| Arch Manning | Texas, QB | +750 | vs. Texas State, Saturday |
| Dante Moore | Oregon, QB | +1100 | vs. Boise State, Saturday |
| Darian Mensah | Miami, QB | +1150 | at Stanford, Friday (played) |
| Julian Sayin | Ohio State, QB | +1200 | vs. Ball State, Saturday |
| Trinidad Chambliss | Ole Miss, QB | +1300 | vs. Louisville, Sunday |
| Josh Hoover | Indiana, QB | +1300 | vs. North Texas, Saturday |
| Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State, WR | +1400 | vs. Ball State, Saturday |
| Gunner Stockton | Georgia, QB | +1700 | vs. Tennessee State, Saturday |
| Sam Leavitt | Arizona State, QB | +2350 | vs. Morgan State, Saturday |
Also on the board in the next tier: John Mateer (Oklahoma), Jayden Maiava (USC), Byrum Brown (Auburn), DJ Lagway (Baylor), and a handful of running backs at 40 to 1 and longer. Odds vary by book; Caesars and FanDuel have had Carr and Manning as near co favorites for most of the summer.
The Favorites
CJ Carr, Notre Dame (+700). Completed 66.6 percent for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions as a first year starter and led the Irish to 10 wins. He has the independent schedule that lets Notre Dame stay on national TV every week, a returning offensive line and no conference title game to lose. The knock: Notre Dame’s best skill player, Jeremiyah Love, went third in the draft.
Arch Manning, Texas (+750). Last year’s preseason favorite, then a 3 and 2 start, then the best quarterback in the SEC from Week 9 on: 12 touchdowns and 1,493 yards over the closing stretch and 36 total touchdowns for the season. Texas hosts Ohio State next Saturday, which is either the game that launches his campaign or the one that ends it early for the second year in a row.
Dante Moore, Oregon (+1100). The surprise of the offseason: a projected top two pick who came back. He threw for 3,565 yards at nearly 72 percent completion with 30 touchdowns and finished in the Heisman conversation for most of October. The 10 interceptions and Oregon’s brutal back half schedule are the concerns.
The Second Tier
Darian Mensah, Miami (+1150). Threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns with six picks at Duke, then transferred to a Miami team ranked in the top 10. Mario Cristobal has never had a quarterback with this kind of production.
Julian Sayin, Ohio State (+1200). The only 2025 finalist still in college. Plays with the best receiver in the country and starts the season on the No. 1 team, which is how Heisman winners are usually built.
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (+1300). Won his eligibility case in court and is back for a sixth year, now without Lane Kiffin. A dual threat with a highlight reel who gets the SEC schedule that voters watch.
Josh Hoover, Indiana (+1300). Transferred from TCU to replace Mendoza in the offense that just produced a Heisman winner. Curt Cignetti’s system did more for Mendoza’s candidacy than anything, and Hoover is the direct beneficiary.
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (+1400). The best non quarterback on the board after 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore. A receiver has not won since DeVonta Smith in 2020, and it took a title run and a 117 catch season.
How to Read the Board in September
Preseason favorites have a bad record. Manning collapsed to 40 to 1 by October last year while Mendoza went from off the board to winner. The market rewards three things: a quarterback, a team in the playoff picture through November, and one nationally televised signature game. Carr, Manning, Moore and Sayin all have those. The value plays are the quarterbacks on teams the market underrates: Chambliss at Ole Miss if the offense survives the coaching change, and Stockton at Georgia if Kirby Smart finally lets a quarterback throw it.
The Bottom Line
CJ Carr and Arch Manning are co favorites at roughly 7 to 1, Dante Moore, Darian Mensah and Julian Sayin sit just behind, and the board is deep enough that the eventual winner may not be in the top five today. Check back after each Saturday for the updated odds and our weekly Heisman watch. For every winner in the award’s history, see our Heisman Trophy winners by year; for this week’s games and picks, our Week 1 predictions and live scoreboard.