Each week this college football season, For The Win will take a look at the 2026 Heisman Trophy race and break down the contenders. Check back every Tuesday as the best college football players in the country jockey for position with both oddsmakers and bettors. All odds via BetMGM.
We're only two weeks into the 2026 college football season, and we may already have a clear Heisman Trophy leader emerging.
Darian Mensah overtook the top spot in the odds to win college football's most prestigious individual award after Week 1, and he's going nowhere after completing 14 of 15 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns in Miami's 77-7 beatdown against Florida A&M on Thursday night.
Though he maintains his lead, several other college football stars are
still closing in on him. Here's how the Heisman odds look as we enter Week 3, per BetMGM.
T12. Gunner Stockton, Keelon Russell, Kamario Taylor (+3000)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Stockton (+2500)
- Russell +3000 (+2500)
- Taylor (+15000)
We start with a trio of SEC quarterbacks. Stockton is back on the leaderboard after throwing for five touchdowns in a rout against Western Kentucky, while Russell held his position after struggling in the first half before playing better down the stretch as Alabama pulled away against Kentucky. Taylor joins the leaderboard after something of a coming-out party in Mississippi State's dominant win at Minnesota, in which he threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 86 yards.
T10. Dante Moore, Sam Leavitt (+2500)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Moore +1500 (+1100)
- Leavitt +1700 (+2500)
Moore and Leavitt both saw their odds drop after struggling a bit in Week 2. Moore completed fewer than 50% of his passes and was sacked four times as Oklahoma State stunned Oregon, while Leavitt threw a trio of first-half interceptions before LSU ultimately pulled away against Louisiana Tech.
T8. Jayden Maiava, Josh Hoover (+2000)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Maiava +2000 (+2500)
- Hoover +2500 (+1600)
Maiava held position after throwing for five more touchdowns in USC's win over Louisiana, though he did toss his first interception of the season. Hoover, meanwhile, is on the rise despite only attempting 11 passes in Indiana's win over Howard. He completed six of them for 145 yards and four touchdowns. Turnovers were a problem for him at TCU in 2025, but he hasn't thrown a pick through two games.
7. Julian Sayin (+1700)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Sayin +1500 (+1400)
Sayin was far from bad on Saturday night, but his odds took a hit after Ohio State squandered a 20-point fourth-quarter lead against Texas. Sayin threw for 278 yards and a touchdown, though he threw his first pick of the season on a Hail Mary attempt on the last play of the game.
6. Trinidad Chambliss (+1300)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Chambliss +1300 (+1600)
Chambliss was efficient on Saturday against Charlotte, completing 23 of 26 passes, but his odds didn't change as he threw just two touchdowns. He has the chance for a Heisman moment on Saturday when he faces his former coach, Lane Kiffin, and LSU.
5. CJ Carr (+1100)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Carr +1100 (+700)
The preseason favorite's odds took a bit of a hit after Week 1, but he arrested the slide after throwing for 253 yards and four touchdowns in Notre Dame's blowout home opener win over Rice.
4. Malachi Toney (+1000)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Toney +1400 (+4000)
Toney's odds continue climbing after another strong game in Week 2. He wasn't targeted as many times, and the starters were pulled early, but he still managed four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.
3. Arch Manning (+800)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Manning +1100 (+850)
Manning's odds have now surpassed his preseason odds after he led the Texas comeback on Saturday night. He had quite a few struggles in the first half, but he finished with 195 yards, a touchdown and an interception against a strong Buckeyes defense.
2. Jeremiah Smith (+700)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Smith +1200 (+1600)
Despite Ohio State's loss, Smith is up to the No. 2 spot after a huge game against the Longhorns. He recorded eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown, and despite sitting the entire second half in Week 1, he ranks fifth nationally with 315 yards through two games.
1. Darian Mensah (+450)
Odds Last Week (Opening Odds)
- Mensah +650 (+1100)
If Mensah continues playing the way he has through two weeks, he may run away with it. He was essentially perfect against Florida A&M before he was pulled, completing 14 of 15 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. On the year, he's 41 of 45 (!) with 653 yards and eight passing touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 2026 Heisman Trophy odds tracker, Week 3: Do we have a frontrunner emerging?
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