Looking Ahead to Bowman Football: Week 3 Heisman Hopefuls
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The College Football season kicked into high gear in Week 3 as Texas had a roaring comeback against No. 1 Ohio State, while a lot of the other Heisman hopefuls have yet to be truly tested. Bowman Football is still a few weeks away from release after the pre-order last week.
So, who has stood out so far this season, and who has a lot of work to do before 2026 Bowman Football drops?
Heisman Frontrunners: Miami (Fl.) QB Darian Mensah & Notre Dame QB CJ Carr
Darian Mensah is the early front-runner for the Heisman after thrashing Stanford and Florida A&M, but the real test won't come until Miami and Notre Dame meet later this season. It will be an elimination game, of sorts, for the Heisman, and should have a major impact on the hobby side as well. Mensah had his Bowman 1st in 2025 Bowman Chrome University, but will be everywhere in the product in 2026.
2026 Bowman Football will be C.J. Carr's first card. Breakers will place extra emphasis on him as he'll likely remain a Heisman front-runner after release. While the game won't be an elimination game for the College Football Playoff, both markets would be better served with a win.
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith would also be in this conversation, but he does not have a card in 2026 Bowman Football.
The Second Tier: Texas QB Arch Manning, Indiana QB Josh Hoover, USC QB Jayden Maiava
Arch Manning led an epic comeback against No. 1 Ohio State, and Manning and the Longhorns are your new No. 1 team in the country. Manning will be the chase on the NIL side of 2026 Bowman Football, as he'll get his Bowman 1st in the product as well as the SSP Anime and GPK.
As for Hoover and Maiava, they both had Bowman 1sts in previous releases. Hoover will have a big late October and November with matchups against Ohio State, Michigan, and USC on the docket. For those chasing Hoover, he'll have a Spotlight and Crystalized, as well as his first autos in an Indiana jersey. Maiava will have all the case hits, except Anime, and may not be the hobby chase that his Heisman odds currently imply.
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss and Miami (Fl.) WR Malachi Toney would be in this tier if they had cards in 2026 Bowman Football.
Heisman Longshots: Miss. State QB Kamario Taylor & Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker
Kamario Taylor is flying under the radar in the Heisman race and will likely do the same in the hobby when 2026 Bowman Football drops. Taylor has been on fire to start the season; granted, it has been against an overmatched UL-Monroe and Minnesota, but Taylor has been fantastic this season with 581 passing yards, 145 rushing yards, and 8 combined touchdowns. Taylor will have a Spotlight and Crystalized, plus autos, and an SSP auto.
Drew Mestemaker came back from the dead with a monster performance against No. 6 Oregon in an upset win. After tearing things up with North Texas in 2025, we saw that same player again on Saturday in the win over Oregon. Mestemaker will have his Bowman 1st and most of the case hits, minus Anime, and will also be on a triple autograph with Carr and our final prospect.
The Fallen Star: Cal QB Jaron-Kaewe Sagapolutele
Cal got off to a rough start, getting blown out by UCLA, while Jaron-Kaewe Sagapolutele has struggled for most of the season, even in a comeback win against Syracuse. Sagapolutele is still somehow in the Heisman race, even though he has some of the longest odds, but he'll remain one of the biggest chases in 2026 Bowman Football based on his preseason hype.
He'll have his Bowman 1st as well as all of the main case hits and SSPs in 2026 Bowman Football, plus the aforementioned triple auto with Drew Mestemaker and CJ Carr.
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Brendan has worked for various platforms, including The Washington Post, SB Nation, NBC Sports Washington, and more, covering everything from college basketball to fantasy football and betting. An avid collector as a kid, he got back into collecting in 2021 and is a dedicated soccer, football, and basketball collector.
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