It's November, which means the Heisman Trophy conversation needs to take shape and account for what we have seen in ten weeks of college football. This is less a final verdict and more a conversation starter, because we need to allow the next four weeks to run their course before we decide on the winner and the finalists who will get a trip to New York in December. Let's start here: CJ Carr should not be the leader of the Heisman race, even after his strong performance against Miami.
One-game season
CJ Carr was decent but not amazing against BYU a few weeks ago. He committed a critical turnover in that game and ultimately lost it. Given how soft Notre Dame's schedule is and has been, one great performance against Miami should not be nearly enough to elevate
him to the No. 1 spot in the Heisman Trophy race. Other players are playing much tougher schedules week to week. Sorry, Irish: That's the price to pay for scheduling comfortably.
Quarterbacks in 2026 college football
Quarterback play has not been very good in college football this year. Consider all the big-name programs struggling because they haven't figured out the QB spot or because of injuries at the position. Michigan is a mess. So is Oklahoma. Texas hasn't gotten the best out of Arch Manning. Oregon has dealt with injuries, as has Ohio State. Quarterbacks have not been the best players on their teams, for the most part, which leads us to the next point:
CJ Carr is not the best player on the Notre Dame roster
Leonard Moore is the best player on the Fighting Irish. You could see in the Miami game that the Hurricanes tried to get Moore off the Canes' best receivers with crossover and in-breaking route concepts. Those concepts worked. When Moore is able to get into a one-on-one duel with a top receiver, he often wins and reduces the effectiveness of that top weapon.
Parallels with last season
Quarterbacks are not the best players in college football this year. They weren't last year. Fernando Mendoza was the No. 1 NFL draft pick, but he was not the best player on the Indiana national championship team. The whole Hoosier defensive line plus cornerback D'Angelo Ponds had more dominant seasons than Mendoza did. Indiana won some ugly games in which Mendoza made clutch plays but was not the main author of 60-minute-long success.
This season, the QBs aren't the best players on the field, either. Trinidad Chambliss just got embarrassed by Georgia. Jayden Maiava has not lived up to his full potential at USC. Devon Dampier is talented at Utah, but he blows hot and cold and has a really good defense behind him.
Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football
Jeremiah Smith is the best player in the sport, but the quarterback disaster at Ohio State is hurting his Heisman chances. He should still be a Heisman finalist, but if his QBs can't get him the ball, it's hard to see him winning, especially since the Buckeyes are cratering on the field under Ryan Day.
Vote a defensive player as Heisman winner
With quarterbacks struggling again in 2026, shouldn't a defensive player gain serious consideration for the Heisman Trophy? Jacob Rodriguez got unfairly snubbed last year. This year, another player in the state of Texas should get Heisman love: Texas defensive end Colin Simmons. He's the FBS sack leader and a true game-wrecker who has been bringing it each week. He has been battling injuries in his own right, but Simmons is at the head of the class among defensive players.
Old Heisman Trophy biases keep coming back
The Heisman Trophy all too often becomes an award given to the quarterback on a College Football Playoff team. It's not supposed to be that. It's supposed to be an award given to the most outstandings college football player in America. Colin Simmons and Jeremiah Smith have more of a claim to that distinction than CJ Carr. Can the Heisman truly be an award meant for all college football players, and not just a high-profile quarterback? The award's legitimacy and stature will grow if it can become applied to more - and different - kinds of players.
Malachi Toney of Miami
Malachi Toney of Miami could reasonably be viewed the most valuable player in college football for 2026 based on how bad Miami's offense looked in the first 35 minutes against Notre Dame. Toney's absence had a profound effect on UM-Notre Dame. In his absence, Toney cast a large shadow over this season and the Heisman race itself.
Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sportsnews, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: CJ Carr should not be leading Heisman Trophy race despite Miami win
