Early 2026 Heisman Trophy Contender Rankings, Odds, Best Bets

The most prestigious individual award in college football, the Heisman signals who made the biggest impact for their team while leading them to a successful season. Fernando Mendoza was the latest to win the award while carrying the Indiana Hoosiers to the National Championship. Heading into this season, Arch Manning headlines a very deep class of QB’s, jockeying with the likes of CJ Carr and Dante Moore at the top of the oddsboard.

Early 2026 Heisman Trophy Contender Top 25 Rankings

1. Arch Manning, QB (Texas)
2. CJ Carr, QB (Notre Dame)
3. Dante Moore, QB (Oregon)
4. Gunner Stockton, QB (Georgia)
5. Trinidad Chambliss, QB (Ole Miss)
6. Julian Sayin, QB (Ohio State)
7. Darian Mensah, QB (Miami FL)
8. Josh Hoover, QB (Indiana)
9. Sam Leavitt, QB (LSU)
10. Jeremiah Smith, WR (Ohio State)
11. Keelon Russell, QB (Alabama)
12. Rocco Becht, QB (Penn State)
13. Marcel Reed, QB (Texas A&M)
14. Jayden Maiava, QB (USC)
15. Bryce Underwood, QB (Michigan)
16. John Mateer, QB (Oklahoma)
17. LaNorris Sellers, QB (South Carolina)
18. Will Hammond, QB (Texas Tech) +7500
19. Kevin Jennings, QB (SMU)
20. Devon Dampier, QB (Utah)
21. Malachi Toney, WR (Miami)
22. Byrum Brown, QB (Auburn)
23. Demond Williams Jr, QB (Washington)
24. Bear Bachmeier, QB (BYU)
25. Avery Johnson, QB (Kansas State)

2026 Heisman Trophy Contender Odds

Plenty of quarterbacks sit atop the oddsboard for the Heisman award, including Arch Manning who is projected to be the number one overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Texas made an aggressive effort to surround Manning with one of the best groups of skill players in the nation, giving their star quarterback all the tools he needs to play at a high level.

Joining Manning at the top of the oddsboard are Dante Moore and CJ Carr, two productive quarterbacks who are poised to lead their respective teams to a deep run in the playoffs. While their lack of running ability may hamper their ability to stuff the stat sheet, their arm talent will more than help mask it, keeping them in contention while they rack up the wins.

Moving down the oddsboard, Trinidad Chambliss is also a viable contender to win the award after a judge ruled he is eligible to play this season. Unlike the previously mentioned QB’s, Chambliss is a versatile threat in the backfield who can gash opposing defenses with his legs. With so many question marks looming over the program after Lane Kiffin’s departure, pass on Chambliss until we get more concrete data on how efficient he can be in a new offense.

Julian Sayin on the other hand will get the benefit of continuity, playing in the same system that helped him rival Mendoza for the award last year. Unfortunately for Sayin, Jeremiah Smith is also a viable contender for the Heisman, a generational talent at wide receiver who is poised to make a major impact this season, potentially stealing votes away from his own teammate.

Speaking of wide receivers, Malachi Toney will rival Smith at the position this season as the focal point of the Miami Hurricanes offense, keeping his name in contention for the award in the process. Even with a new face under center, Darian Mensah is arguably a boost in production, helping Toney avoid any sort of regression while their offense irons out the kinks early in the year.

Early 2026 Heisman Trophy Best Bet

Best Bet: Gunner Stockton

In his first stint as the starting quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, Gunner Stockton was able to immediately contend for the Heisman award, finishing in seventh while receiving three first place votes. Stockton was efficient under center in 2025, throwing for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing nearly 70.0% of his passes.

What makes Stockton even more lethal is his running ability, adding another 462 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. His dual threat ability helps him stuff the stat sheet on a weekly basis, giving him the edge he needs to dethrone the top contenders who are more one dimensional with their production.

When digging into Georgia’s schedule, they are projected to be the favorite in all 12 games, giving Stockton plenty of opportunities to thrive while securing pivotal wins to help sway voters. At his current odds, place a wager on Stockton to win the Heisman now before they plummet after a hot start to the season. This will also give us some wiggle room to hedge later in the year, targeting other contenders who have separated themselves from the rest of the field.

2026 Heisman Trophy Contender Bubble Watch

Outside of the top-25, there are plenty of other names worth monitoring, including Austin Mack who would instantly leap up the list if he wins the starting job at Alabama. As the season progresses, this list will be updated and trimmed once the media starts to turn their attention towards actual candidates for the award.

26. Conner Weigman, QB (Houston)
27. Aaron Philo, QB (Florida)
28. Nico Iamaleava, QB (UCLA)
29. Lincoln Kienholz, QB (Louisville)
30. Cam Coleman, WR (Texas)
31. Kewan Lacy, RB (Ole Miss)
32. Drew Mestemaker, QB (Oklahoma State)  
33. Ryan Williams, WR (Alabama) +20000
34. DJ Lagway, QB (Baylor)
35. Bo Jackson, RB (Ohio State)
36. Noah Fifita, QB (Arizona)
37. Austin Mack, QB (Alabama)
38. Chris Henry Jr, WR (Ohio State) +10000
39. Ahmad Hardy, RB (Missouri)
40. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, QB (California)
41. Mark Fletcher Jr, RB (Miami FL)
42. Christopher Vizzina, QB (Clemson)
43. Austin Simmons, QB (Missouri)
44. Anthony Colandrea, QB (Nebraska)
45. Dakorian Moore, WR (Oregon) +18000
46. Nick Marsh, WR (Indiana)
47. Nate Frazier, RB (Georgia)
48. Turbo Richard, RB (Indiana)
49. Evan Stewart, WR (Oregon) +30000
50. Dylan Raiola, QB (Oregon)

Photo Credit: AP/Mike Stewart