We are almost halfway through the college football season, and one thing everyone likes to keep an eye on is the race for the best individual award in all of American sports: the Heisman Trophy. After we saw some great performances from a couple of players through the first few weeks, there is now a clear favorite in the race.
There is still a lot of time to go in the 2026 season, but we've not seen a dominating lead like this in a long, long time. Things could change, of course, and voters love to lean towards quarterbacks on teams that are in contention for some pretty big things, so we'll see how that all morphs and changes throughout the season.
Below are the ten players with the best Heisman Trophy betting odds after Week 6 via BetMGM:
QB Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
Current
Odds: +4000
Taylor vaulted himself into contention by playing out of this world, but then he came back to Earth against Alabama. The Bulldogs were off last week, and it's going to be hard to shake that performance going forward.
QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Current Odds: +4000
Hey, look! It's the first Big 12 player we've seen enter the fray when it comes to the Heisman. It would take an act of God for Mestemaker to make it to New York at this point, but he's beginning to rise and has folks forgetting about the Mike Gundy era that saw a lot of quarterbacks throw up astronomical numbers.
QB Arch Manning, Texas
Current Odds: +4000
Manning has just never met the lofty expectations he was saddled with. He's probably off to the NFL after this season, and his draft stock has taken a hit, especially after throwing two costly interceptions that led to a loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. All of Texas' goals are still on the table, but the bronze statue probably sailed into the sunset for Manning.
QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Current Odds: +3500
Sayin was one of four Heisman finalists last season, and he has a good chance of making it again in 2026. Unfortunately for the Ohio State gunslinger, he's on the same team as superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is the clear favorite to land in New York right now. The California native is having a very good season, having thrown for over 1.700 yards and 17 touchdowns so far.
QB Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Current Odds: +1500
If there's anyone that can reel in the favorite for the Heisman right now, it might be Chambliss. Unfortunately, the game everyone is going to remember is the train wreck we saw from Ole Miss against Florida. Still, Chambliss looked great again against Vanderbilt and could start to stack high-profile performances, and if he does well, he has a great chance at being a finalist.
QB Keelon Russell, Alabama
Current Odds: +1500
Russell has been fantastic this season and gives the Crimson Tide a dynamic, dual-threat under center. Unfortunately, it wasn't his best game against Georgia with a national, primetime audience watching. There will still be plenty of marquee matchups for the Alabama quarterback to make another impression with voters.
QB Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Current Odds: +1500
Stockton has been highly accurate this year and just finished leading his team to a big win against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Everyone loves a winner, and Georgia is now ranked as the No. 1 team in the country after the win last Saturday. If the Bulldogs continue to play well and Stockton is having good games, he'll be there at the end.
QB Darian Mensah, Miami
Current Odds: +1100
Miami was off last week, but Mensah has put up some astronomical numbers for Miami. He's currently leading the country in ESPN's Total QBR, but the 'Canes just don't have very many games that are going to turn television sets on for. That means he'll have to put his best foot forward when Miami plays Notre Dame on November 7, and potentially the ACC Championship game.
QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Current Odds: +1000
Carr has been solid, but he's benefiting from having a lot of buzz before the season and by being the quarterback of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish haven't really been tested in 2026, but there will be a couple of higher-profile games coming up against BYU this weekend and against Miami later on. The problem is that the Irish don't showcase Carr as much as other teams do for their quarterback, so it's going to be an uphill climb to put up the numbers voters like to see.
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Current Odds: -220
Smith is the unquestioned leader in the race for the Heisman through six weeks. He has 48 receptions, 916 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns already this year. He'll still need to perform well in some of the big games coming up, and he gets his first shot against Indiana on Saturday. The Heisman is never won midway through a college football season, but it's Smith right now, and then everyone else.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Heisman Trophy odds, top contenders after Week 6 | Buckeyes Wire
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