Two Miami Offensive Weapons Are Creeping Their Way to the Top of the Heisman Odds List
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After yesterday's throttling of the Pitt Panthers at home, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney started garnering even more national attention than they already had, and not just from the top 25 polls.
After two impressive statistical performances against a hobbled Pitt team, the Heisman odds, according to FanDuel, are now closer than ever, with both Miami offensive weapons inside the top three.
Toney hauled in just over 190 yards through the air, while Mensah threw for nearly 400 passing yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. Mensah's final completion percentage? 83%. Mensah continues to have one of the most efficient seasons not just in Miami history, but in college football history.
Performances like that will shoot anyone up the Heisman rankings, but who leads, and who follows according to the odds?
Top 3 Heisman Candidate Odds: Miami Lands a Pair of Offensive Weapons in the Top 3
1. Jeremiah Smith
It's South Florida everywhere you look inside the top 3. Currently, Ohio State wide receiver and Miami Gardens native Jeremiah Smith leads the odds race for college football's best player at +120. He's already recorded over 900 receiving yards this season and averages over 18 yards per reception. However, with Julian Sayin out indefinitely, he'll have to haul in passes from the second string for the foreseeable future, opening the door for the next two players.
2. Darian Mensah
Mensah lands second in the Heisman odds at +290. The former Duke quarterback-turned-Miami superstar is again putting together one of the most efficient seasons the college football landscape has seen under center. Mensah is starting to draw some 1-1 predictions in mock drafts, showing that, yes, the Miami quarterback plan still works.
3. Malachi Toney
At +370, Miami's Malachi Toney is third in the Heisman odds. If Jeremiah Smith is the best player in the country with the ball in the air, then Toney is the best player with the ball in his hands. See his breakaway score against Pitt yesterday as proof. While he still has at least one more year before he turns pro, making this short list in your second season of college football is no small feat, and now Toney has dominated at this level with two different quarterbacks and will likely have to do so again with a third next season.
Source: FanDuel Sportsbook
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Miami Hurricanes on SI Staff Picks
Justice Sandle:
1. Malachi Toney
2. Jeremiah Smith
3. Darian Mensah
The biggest question is what happens with Jeremiah Smith without Julian Sayin. Also, it is a prisoner of the moment with the Canes playing this week while Ohio State is also on a bye. That said, Toney is on pace to break every Hurricanes receiver record as a sophomore. I repeat, as a sophomore.
The Hurricanes will have two players in New York. Mensah has been elite, but when he is spamming the Toney button week after week, things are very simple for a QB, even with elite throws.
Jordan Lopez:
1. Malachi Toney
2. Jeremiah Smith
3. Darian Mensah
The season Jeremiah Smith is having with Ohio State is spectacular, and he is the best wide receiver in college football. But when it comes down to the best football player, it’s Malachi Toney. Not only is he a superstar wide receiver, but what separates him is his ability to carry the ball and also throw the ball. His numbers through seven games are better than the year Devonta Smith won the Heisman in 2020. Toney is the leader for me, as he continues to break records (some of which were his before) and be the most impactful player for the Hurricanes.
Sophia Garman:
Tanner Marlar:
1. Darian Mensah
2. Jeremiah Smith
3. MalachI Toney
I can't get over Mensah's otherworldly efficiency. The math just doesn't make sense. Compared to last year's winner, Fernando Mendoza, Mensah already has 2,151 yards, while Mendoza had 2,980 over his entire season, and he's also on track to beat Mendoza's 33 TD passes, all while being about 10 percentage points more efficient in completion percentage. I'm not sure the award belongs to anyone else if Mensah stays on his current trajectory, and next year, I imagine it will be Toney's to lose.
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Tanner Marlar is a contributing writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI who has covered collegiate athletics at the local and national levels for nearly a decade, including at Cowbell Country, Mississippi State On SI, Boston College On SI, and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. As a former beat writer, Tanner strives to give thought provoking and exciting coverage to readers who want to know the very best current information about their team.
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