Preseason Heisman Odds and Rankings: Returning Star QBs Set Stage for 2026

What players should you be watching closest for in the 2026 college football season?

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 college football season is almost here. So, we've gotta talk Heisman hopefuls, of course.

There's a strong list of contenders around the country, as experienced quarterbacks and various other playmakers return. Whether they're back with their schools from a season ago or new ones, this is one of the most exciting groups of contenders we've seen in some time.

Here's the current odds, according to BetMGM:

• C.J. Carr (Notre Dame), Arch Manning (Texas): +750

• Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss): +900

• Dante Moore (Oregon): 10-1

• Julian Sayin (Ohio State), Darian Mensah (Miami, FL): 11-1

• Josh Hoover (Indiana), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): 12-1

• Gunner Stockton (Georgia): 16-1

• Sam Leavitt (LSU), John Mateer (Oklahoma): 20-1

• Jayden Maiava (USC), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), Keelon Russell (Alabama): 25-1

Preseason Top 5

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah speaks to the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

5. Darian Mensah (Miami, QB)

Mensah was one of the best acquisitions in all of college football in 2026. The redshirt junior QB is coming off a second-team All-ACC selection at Duke, as he posted 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns with six interceptions.

Winning nine games and putting up those kinds of numbers in Durham is impressive. But imagine how good the former Duke and Tulane QB can be with the bevy of weapons at Miami?

From Malachi Toney and former Duke teammate Cooper Barkate to senior back Mark Fletcher being back in the fold, Mensah should be able to light up the ACC once again with an even better supporting cast. My only concern is seeing what the offensive line looks like after Francis Mauigoa, Markel Bell and Anez Cooper were all drafted in the spring.

4. Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss, QB)

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maybe the most exciting player in college football a season ago, Chambliss had to scrape and claw to get one more opportunity to ball out at the college level in 2026.

Chambliss posted a 22-3 touchdown-to-interception rate, netted 3,937 passing yards and another 527 yards and eight scores on the ground. He did this en route to being named SEC Newcomer of the Year, a second-team All-SEC selection, and lifting the Rebels to an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinal in a thriller against Miami.

The sixth-year senior will be a treat to watch one last time. He'd be higher up on this list if he did not have a running back like Kewan Lacy taking away some of his luster as a Heisman hopeful in his own right.

3. Arch Manning (Texas, QB)

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs with the ball against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Camping World Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The man that everyone expected to anoint in 2025 was not ready to take the mantle just yet. But what Manning showed down the stretch last season may be a sign that he's ready to live up to the unbelievable expectations that come with playing QB in the Manning family.

From the Red Rivalry win against Oklahoma on, Manning totaled 15 TD passes against two INTs, tacked on another six scores (five on the ground and one in the air as a receiver), and he guided the Longhorns to a 7-1 finish after a 3-2 start.

Across the year, the redshirt junior QB accounted for 36 total scores (26 passing, 10 rushing). His dual-threat capabilities, combined with arguably the deepest receiver room in college football, make him a surefire Heisman hopeful for 2026.

2. C.J. Carr (Notre Dame, QB)

Quarterback C.J. Carr walks to a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As he's being touted as the next great college QB and a potential No. 1 overall pick, Carr is expected to take the leap to national superstar in 2026.

Carr had a stellar redshirt sophomore campaign, posting 24 TD passes against six INTs, with 2,741 passing yards and a 66.6 percent completion rate. But with his top-two backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price off to the NFL, his numbers should take a big step in his second season at the helm.

Carr also plays a fairly favorable schedule, too, with the biggest matchups coming at BYU on October 17 and against Miami on November 7. He is positioned to put up big numbers for a potential undefeated team.

1. Dante Moore (Oregon, QB)

Dante Moore throws a pass during a youth football camp at Marist Catholic High School on June 20, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Going off the 2025 formula with Fernando Mendoza, I think Moore should be favored to win the Heisman because he should be the best player on the best team in college football.

Even in losing first-round TE Kenyon Sadiq, he's got another projected first-round TE in Jamari Johnson, who is expected to expand on a great showing in the CFP. He's also got a dynamic group of wideouts that includes Dakorien Moore, Jeremiah McClellan and Evan Stewart, who missed all of the 2025 season.

If this group can help him expand on his 3,565 passing yards, 30 TD passes and 71.8 completion rate from 2025, he will be in the mix for the Heisman. Especially playing a slate that includes USC, Ohio State and Michigan, in an all-around tough Big Ten schedule.