On Saturday Night, the greatest individual award in all of sports was handed out as Indiana star Fernando Mendoza took home the Heisman Trophy. While Mendoza still has a National Championship to play for, the Heisman ceremony always signifies the end of one season, and the preparation for the next year in college football.
Heading into 2026, we should see a much closer battle for the Heisman Trophy as this season's race underwhelmed. Most of the top candidates for the trophy fell out of the race this season, making for a bizarre race for the majority of the season.
The 2026 Heisman Trophy battle will have it all from one of the best wide receivers in college football history, a returning finalist, and an elite running back who could topple the absurd numbers we've seen win the award.
Predicting the Top 10 Heisman candidates for 2026
As things currently stand, Sam Leavitt is Arizona State's quarterback, but it appears he will be transferring. Leavitt will be the biggest free agent of the offseason, and he'll land in an incredible situation for his hopes of proving he's one of the best in the Country. If Leavitt ends up in the right scheme with a solid roster around him, he could quickly emerge as the favorite for the award.
As things currently stand, Bryce Underwood doesn't have a head coach, but the change may end up helping his development. It was clear how talented Underwood was this season, but the offense never allowed him to fully tap into what makes him an elite talent. Michigan's top priority will be hiring a staff that can help him develop, and with the right coach, he'll have a great chance to prove he's one of the best in the Country.
LaNorris Sellers announced he'll be passing up the NFL Draft to return to South Carolina for another season. Sellers entered the year as a Heisman frontrunner, but he quickly faded out of the race as the team underwhelmed. Sellers' hopes will depend on the offense doing a total 180, but hiring Kendal Briles was a solid first step.
CJ Carr was quietly one of the most impressive quarterbacks in the country in his first season as the starter for the Fighting Irish. As Jeremiyah Love departs for the NFL, Carr will become the player this offense leans on. If Carr can take the next step while taking a larger role in the offense, he could skyrocket up the race for the Heisman.
The Arch Manning Heisman hype was likely a year early, and we'll almost certainly see a real push from the Texas quarterback next season. Down the stretch of the season, we started to see Manning take strides, finishing the year with impressive numbers after how negative it was around him early in the year. Steve Sarkisian will need to upgrade this offensive line, but Manning can push for the award in this offense.
We often see the Heisman Trophy go to the quarterback on the best team in the Country, which makes Gunner Stockton a name to watch next season. In his first season as the starter, Stockton accounted for over 3,000 total yards and 31 total touchdowns. Stockton has been at his best when the game is on the line, which will give him plenty of opportunities to have a "Heisman moment."
After feeling he was snubbed in the Biletnikoff Award voting, we're going to see Jeremiah Smith playing with even more to prove in 2026. It's clear that Jeremiah Smith is the most talented player regardless of position, and we've seen a surge of wide receivers winning the award as of late, with Travis Hunter and DeVonta Smith. With Julian Sayin still throwing him the ball, Jeremiah Smith may blow away the competition in 2026.
The wrong running back may have been in New York this year, as Ahmad Hardy has the stats to argue that he was the best running back in the country. After taking the jump to the SEC, Hardy rushed for 1,560 yards, which was the second most in the FBS with 16 touchdowns. If Hardy can post the same numbers or better, he'll have a great chance to compete for the Heisman.
Marcel Reed was a staple of the Heisman Trophy race, and if not for losing the final regular season game, it could've been his award to lose as he had the numbers of Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza. Reed took massive strides as a passer this season, and he's a dynamic runner, which has always been a difference maker for top candidates.
There's only one finalist from this season who will be back in 2026, and that's Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. If Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship, it's highly likely that it would've been Sayin taking home the trophy. After passing for 3,323 yards and 31 touchdowns in his first season, Sayin should only get better, and with a weapon like Jeremiah Smith, he'll be tough to beat.