2026 Heisman Trophy Odds (Darian Mensah Jumps to Favorite After Saturday’s Week 1 Action)

It took just two weeks (if you include Week 0 as a full week) of the college football season for there to be a new favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Notre Dame’s CJ Carr (who plays on Sunday) opened the regular season as the favorite to win the award with Texas’ Arch Manning right behind him in the odds. However, a monster game from Miami quarterback Darian Mensah in Week 1 has pushed him from +950 (third) to +550 and in the lead in the Heisman market.

There’s a long way to go in the 2026 season, but we’ve already seen a bunch of movement in the market with players like Dante Moore, Bryce Underwood, Josh Hoover and others falling a bit in the odds after Week 1.

Meanwhile, USC’s Jayden Maiava (who has played two games already this season) and LSU’s Sam Leavitt are both all the way up to +1900 to win this award.

All season long, the SI Betting team will be tracking the Heisman market to keep bettors in the know on the favorites, but also to explore which stars have some betting value as candidates to win the award.

Here’s a look at where the Heisman Trophy odds stand following a loaded Saturday in Week 1 of the college football season.

2026 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Darian Mensah: +550
CJ Carr: +850
Jeremiah Smith: +1100
Arch Manning: +1100
Julian Sayin: +1400
Malachi Toney: +1400
Dante Moore: +1400
Jayden Maiava: +1900
Sam Leavitt: +1900
Trinidad Chambliss: +1900
Josh Hoover: +2500
John Mateer: +3000
Keelon Russell: +3000
Marcel Reed: +3500
LaNorris Sellers: +4000
Rocco Becht: +5500
Demond Williams Jr.: +5500
Aaron Philo: +5500
Gunner Stockton: +5500
Bear Bachmeier: +5500
Kamario Taylor: +6500
Conner Weigman: +6500
Lincoln Kienholz:+7000
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele: +7000
Bryce Underwood: +7000
Will Hammond: +7000
Faizon Brandon: +7000
Devon Dampier: +8000
Byrum Brown: +8000
Kevin Jennings: +8000
Nico Iamaleava: +8000
Avery Johnson: +8000
Cam Coleman: +8000

Note: No other player is shorter than +10000 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Darian Mensah Takes Top Spot in Latest Heisman Odds

Mensah dominated in Miami’s season opener against Stanford, throwing for 401 yards and five scores while completing 27 of his 30 pass attempts.

The star quarterback had a big year in 2025 at Duke, and he’s now in a Miami offense that has produced back-to-back NFL quarterbacks in Cam Ward (a No. 1 overall pick) and Carson Beck (a third-round pick).

Mensah is off to a great start as he looks to match last season’s numbers (3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns) throwing the ball. The difference? Mensah is now leading a Miami team that has an extremely clear path to an ACC title and a College Football Playoff berth.

That makes him a very intriguing Heisman candidate, as he’ll likely have the counting numbers and the team success to help vault him to the top of the board.

Sam Leavitt Rising After LSU’s Blowout Win vs. Clemson

One of the biggest games in Week 1 took place at Tiger Stadium with LSU hosting Clemson, but Sam Leavitt, Lane Kiffin and the Tigers left very little doubt on Saturday night.

LSU won that game 51-10, and Leavitt (who was picked on the first drive) settled in nicely with his new team throwing for 230 yards and a score while adding 12 carries for 113 yards and two scores on the ground.

The dual-threat ability of Leavitt makes him a very intriguing Heisman candidate, and his odds jumped from +2500 to +1900 after the win. This was a huge victory for an LSU team that can’t afford many slip ups in a loaded SEC if it wants to make the College Football Playoff.

Kiffin has always designed and led elite offenses, which is a great sign for Leavitt’s chances of contending for the Heisman in 2026.

Bryce Underwood Drops After Upset Scare vs. Western Michigan

I don’t want to talk about the extra second that allowed Michigan to avoid a shocking upset loss to Western Michigan on a Hail Mary in Week 1, but Bryce Underwood’s Heisman odds are already in a freefall.

The true sophomore entered 2026 with some momentum as a breakout candidate, but he struggled in Week 1, dropping his Heisman odds from +4000 to +7000.

Underwood was just 12-of-22 passing for 170 yards, a score and a pick. The touchdown and a huge chunk of those passing yards came on the game-winning Hail Mary that may have been a gift from the officiating crew for Michigan. Underwood did add 47 yards rushing and a score, but his accuracy issues are a concern after he completed just 60.3 percent of his passes and threw nine picks in 2025.

Michigan’s College Football Playoff outlook is also a little dicey after this offense couldn’t get going against Western Michigan as a massive favorite.

Underwood is going to need a major turnaround to get himself in any Heisman talk in 2026.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Create a new FanDuel Sportsbook account, and you can get up to $1,000 in bonus bets. Register now and make a $5 wager each day for five days to claim your FanDuel promo code offer today.

Add us as a preferred source on Google