The Latest Heisman Buzz On The Heisman Hopefuls

The shakeup in the college football polls following five losses among the Top 7 teams was as thorough as a bartender mixing a James Bond-ordered martini. Lots of movement.

The Heisman race is not exposed to dramatic tectonic shifts in the same way, but the movement as the media continuously re-evaluates the race is just as intriguing.

How will the loss of quarterback and 2025 Heisman finalist Julian Sayin affect Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith over the next month? Will BYU’s ascension to No. 2 following an upset over Notre Dame give QB Bear Bachmeier a big boost? Can once-unknown Oregon State wide receiver Jesse Legree continue his unlikely rise in the nation football media’s eyes?

Will No.1 Miami’s dynamic duo of QB Darian Mensah and WR Malachi Toney eat each other’s postseason award support? How will previously unbeaten QBs CJ Carr of Notre Dame, Gunner Stockton of Georgia and Josh Hoover of Indiana bounce back after dramatic losses?

Mississippi QB Trinidad Chambliss, like Stockton, Smith and Sayin, was a 2025 Heisman Top 10 finisher. He has kept the Rebels chugging away and remains firmly in the Heisman mix. He is 13th in passing yards per game and among the NCAA leaders in TDs. A schedule that has already featured games against four ranked teams doesn’t let up with games against No. 19 Texas, Auburn and No. 5 Georgia.

• • • As a weekly reminder, college football fans can now vote on a daily basis at hopefuls.heisman.com and have their vote count at the end of the season. The fan vote uses a season-long weighted model, developed in partnership with the Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center, that gives greater weight to votes cast later in the year as the body of work grows and conference races intensify. • • •

The Athletic has Chambliss fifth in its straw poll and called him “The best quarterback in the SEC.”

The Athletic, like rankings in many other outlets, including Bleacher Report and On3, has OSU’s Smith atop its polls. Smith had a modest, for him, game in the Buckeyes’ win over Indiana, snaring four balls for 68 yards and one highlight score. He is tied for the the nation’s lead with 52 catches and is second in both TD catches (12) and receiving yards (984).

ESPN handed Smith its “Halfway Heisman” honor this week in its midseason awards.

Said Sports Illustrated when listing Smith first in its Heisman rankings: “Hoosiers defensive coordinator Bryant Haines schemed up the most successful defense against Smith to date, holding him to his lowest output since last season’s game at Michigan. And yet, Smith still made the day’s biggest play, snagging a touchdown between two Indiana defenders early in the fourth quarter.”

Mensah appeared second in SI’s poll after leading the Hurricanes to a come-from-behind double OT win over Florida State, passing for 326 yards and three scores. He is the nation’s top-rated passer despite throwing his first interception Saturday and is fifth in passing yards per game and tied for fourth with 18 TDs.

His top target, Toney, had a monster game against the Seminoles with 11 receptions for 154 yards and two scores and even rushed twice for 31 yards. He has 50 catches without a drop and is tied for fifth with eight TDs.

Said The Athletic: “Toney dominated in the Hurricanes’ 43-35 double-OT win. When he wasn’t catching passes, which was rare, Toney occupied the attention of FSU defenders, allowing his teammates to rush for 257 yards. He chipped in with a 30-yard gain on the ground. And Toney’s 11 catches came on 12 targets.”

While reviewing wideouts, let’s review Legree. The Beaver freshman leads the nation in TD catches (14), receiving yards (1,040) and yards per catch (22.6). He has helped Oregon State reel off five straight wins and has 100 or more yards receiving in seven straight games, a first in Corvallis.

Said Bleacher Report: “Jesse Legree has steadily risen from a fun, early breakout player to a definite All-American candidate to a legitimate threat for Heisman Trophy votes. Oregon State has rattled off a 5-2 start, powered by Legree’s consistent impact, who’s reached the 100-yard mark and scored a touchdown in every game … Not bad for a true freshman, huh?”

Robert Griffin III has Legree fifth in his latest top 5 while Smith and Bachmeier are 1-2 while Mensah and Chambliss are 3-4.

Speaking of names out of nowhere, The Athletic pollsters moved Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez into a tie for sixth with Texas DE Colin Simmons (the latter of which will miss time with an ankle injury suffered last week).

Lopez has the Demon Deacons 6-1 and has a Mensah-like QB rating with 18 TDs and one interception.

Houston QB Conner Weigman got USA Today’s attention, placing him sixth in their latest rankings. He has passed for 1,771 yards with 20 TDs and just two interceptions while rushing for 229 yards and six more scores.

He is 10th in total yards (2,000), one spot back of USC QB Jayden Maiava, who is coming off a bye. The Trojans still have games against Ohio State and Indiana in their future, which could propel Maiva should USC catch fire.