Kirk Herbstreit Overlooks Jeremiah Smith While Revealing His Heisman Trophy Favorite

The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in college football, and one of the most recognizable trophies in all of sports.

Who Will Take Home the Heisman in 2026?

Last season, Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the award, coming out of nowhere to lead the Hoosiers to a 16-0 season and the program's first national championship. The question for this season is: Who will take home the trophy?

One of the top candidates is Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He's arguably the best player in the sport. But the favorite to win the award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, is Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr. In his first year under center, Carr threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He led the Fighting Irish to a 10-2 record. What's working against Carr is that the preseason favorite rarely takes home the award.

Quarterback CJ Carr (13) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kirk Herbstreit Makes His Heisman Prediction

ESPN and "College GameDay" analyst Kirk Herbstreit doesn't care that the favorite rarely wins. He told his GameDay co-worker on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he has Carr winning the Heisman and Notre Dame taking home the national championship for the first time in nearly 40 years.

"They are going to walk, at least, into the playoff, and that guy right there is going to win the Heisman Trophy," Herbstreit said. "So, I'm all in on Notre Dame this year. I think this is the year. They've recruited well. They've got experience at receiver... this is a very talented team."

Herbstreit's prediction goes beyond simply picking Carr to win the Heisman. He is also backing Notre Dame to win its first national championship since 1988.

That's a massive expectations for a program that has come agonizingly close in recent years. Notre Dame reached the national championship game during the 2024 season before falling to Ohio State, then narrowly returned to the playoff last season.

Notre Dame Has the Experience to Make Herbstreit's Prediction Reality

The most important part of Herbstreit's prediction may be that he isn't relying solely on Carr. He pointed to Notre Dame's recruiting success and experience at wide receiver as reasons he believes the entire roster is positioned for a breakthrough.

If Carr takes another step forward, the Fighting Irish could have the quarterback play necessary to make a deep playoff run. And if Notre Dame reaches the stage Herbstreit expects, Carr would have the exact platform needed to turn preseason Heisman hype into the real thing.

Ultimately, Herbstreit is making two bets at once: that Carr will be the best player in college football, and Notre Dame will be the last team standing. If both come true, the Fighting Irish will have completed one of the biggest seasons in program history.

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