2026 Heisman Odds: Smith, Mensah Share Top After Week 2

• 2026 Heisman Trophy odds are live for the college football season
• Jeremiah Smith and Darian Mensah share the top of the board at +600 after Week 2
• Arch Manning (+900) jumps back up the board after leading a comeback over No. 1 Ohio State

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The 2026 Heisman Trophy odds have tightened into a wide-open race. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith and Miami QB Darian Mensah share the top of the board, with Texas QB Arch Manning close behind after a signature win. With Fernando Mendoza off to the NFL, there’s no clear favorite and plenty of value across the board.

Check out the 2026 Heisman Trophy odds available at our most trusted sportsbooks below. The graphs underneath the table show each player’s average odds to win the 2026 Heisman.

2026 Heisman Trophy Odds

Jeremiah Smith and Darian Mensah share the top at +600 after Week 2, with nobody separating. Arch Manning sits at +900 after his comeback win over Ohio State, and Julian Sayin is right behind at +1000. The top of the board tightened once the marquee games hit.

CJ Carr (+1200) and Malachi Toney (+1200) are next, with Trinidad Chambliss (+1300) and Sam Leavitt (+1400) just behind. Smith is the best non-QB on the board, and Toney gives Miami a second receiver in the mix.

Jayden Maiava (+2000) and Josh Hoover (+2000) headline the next tier, with Dante Moore sliding to +2500 after Oregon’s upset loss. Hoover takes over for Mendoza at Indiana. Sayin is the only returning 2025 Heisman finalist in the mix.

*Heisman odds above are updated every 15-60 minutes from top-rated college football betting apps, including BetMGM and ScoreBet.

Odds to Win 2026 Heisman Trophy

Here are some notes on the Heisman Trophy odds movement:

• [September 13] Jeremiah Smith surges to co-favorite, in from +1275 to +700, after an eight-catch, 164-yard night against Texas. Darian Mensah shortens to +525 to share the top. Arch Manning comes in to +850 after leading a comeback over No. 1 Ohio State, while CJ Carr drifts to +1000.
• [September 5] Darian Mensah surges to the front of the board, in from +1150 to +600 as Miami’s offense draws heavy Heisman support to open the season. CJ Carr drifts from +750 to +800, with Arch Manning out to +925.
• [August 22] Keelon Russell wins the Alabama starting quarterback job over Austin Mack and holds at +2500. CJ Carr stays the favorite at +700, with Arch Manning at +800.
• [August 12] CJ Carr shortens from +750 to +700 to pull clear as the favorite, with Arch Manning in from +775 to +750.
• [July 1] Brendan Sorsby comes off the board for good. The NCAA denied his eligibility and he dropped his lawsuit. He’ll sit out 2026.
• [June 30] Darian Mensah climbs to +1050, third-shortest on the board, as Miami buzz builds. CJ Carr holds as the favorite with Arch Manning just behind.
• [April 9] CJ Carr and Arch Manning are tied at +775. Trinidad Chambliss tightens from +900 to +975 after the Mississippi Supreme Court denies the NCAA’s appeal of his eligibility ruling.
• [January 15] Arch Manning opens as the lone favorite at +750. CJ Carr sits just behind at +800. Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, and Josh Hoover share the next tier at +1100.

2026 Heisman Trophy Favorites

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR (+600)

Smith made the biggest jump of Week 2, going from +1500 after the opener to co-favorite. He turned 16 targets into eight catches for 164 yards and a 19-yard score against Texas, the one defense that had figured him out over their two previous meetings. It was the best individual night of the weekend in the biggest game on the schedule.

The one problem is the scoreboard. Ohio State led 23-3 going into the fourth and lost 24-23, and a loss costs a receiver more than it costs a quarterback in this race. Still, Smith is the best player in college football, with back-to-back 1,000-yard, 10-TD seasons and a path that could look like DeVonta Smith’s 2020 Heisman run.

Darian Mensah, Miami QB (+600)

Mensah slipped a tick from +550 to +600 despite going 14-of-15 for 252 yards and three touchdowns in one half of a 77-7 win over Florida A&M. Through two games the Duke transfer is 41-of-45 for 653 yards and eight scores without an interception, and he sits atop our national championship odds conversation.

He inherited a loaded offense that just won the national title, and Malachi Toney is back as his top target. The Hurricanes haven’t had a Heisman winner since Gino Torretta in 1992. Two weeks in, Mensah looks like the guy who can end that drought, though he’s beaten Stanford and an FCS opponent to get here.

Arch Manning, Texas QB (+900)

Manning put up an ordinary line and walked away with the best win any candidate has on their résumé. He finished 23-of-36 for 196 yards with a touchdown and a pick against Ohio State, but he threw for 91 yards in the fourth quarter and ran three straight scoring drives to erase a 20-point deficit against the No. 1 team.

That’s the kind of night that shows up in a highlight package in December. Texas loaded up the offense for year two with Auburn transfer Cam Coleman (1,306 yards, 13 TDs), RB Raleek Brown, and five-star RB Derrek Cooper. The comeback keeps Manning firmly in both the Heisman and national championship pictures.

Julian Sayin, Ohio State QB (+1000)

Sayin is the only returning 2025 Heisman finalist. He threw for 3,610 yards and 32 TDs against just 8 interceptions as a true sophomore, completing a nation-best 77% of his passes. He finished fourth in last year’s voting with eight first-place votes.

Ohio State is a national title contender, and his top target Jeremiah Smith shares the top of the Heisman board with him. The Buckeyes took a tough 24-23 loss at Texas, so Sayin needs to get the team back on track. Returning quarterbacks on title-contending teams check every box voters look for.

CJ Carr, Notre Dame QB (+1200)

Carr sits at +1200 after throwing four touchdowns on 16-of-20 passing in a 52-0 dismantling of Rice. He broke out as a redshirt freshman in 2025, throwing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions while completing 67% of his passes.

The Irish reloaded around him with portal adds like DT Tionne Gray (Oregon), WR Quincy Porter (Ohio State), and EDGE Keon Keeley (Alabama). Carr drifted as the two co-favorites pulled clear, but he’s still a top-five projected pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The talent, schedule, and CFP path keep him in the conversation.

Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss QB (+1300)

Chambliss trimmed to +1300 after a 23-of-26, two-touchdown afternoon against Charlotte. The Division II Ferris State transfer didn’t become Ole Miss’s full-time starter until Week 3 of 2025 and still finished with 3,937 passing yards (third nationally), 22 TDs, and just 3 picks. He added 527 rushing yards and 8 rushing scores, finished 8th in 2025 Heisman voting, and led Ole Miss to its first-ever CFP appearance.

The NCAA denied his sixth-year eligibility request twice. Chambliss sued in Mississippi state court, won an injunction in February, and the NCAA’s appeal was denied by the Mississippi Supreme Court in March. He’s now cleared to play in 2026. Ole Miss travels to Texas in Week 8, which gives him a primetime stage to make his case.

Non-Quarterbacks to Watch

Malachi Toney, Miami (FL) WR (+1200)

Toney caught his fourth touchdown of the year and struck the Heisman pose for the fourth time in Week 2. He forced his way into the top tier in the opener with 12 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns against Stanford, a career day that broke a Miami single-game receiving record standing for more than 40 years.

He led the nation with 109 receptions as a true freshman in 2025, and now he’s the focal point of a title-contending offense. If Mensah keeps feeding him, a receiver-QB duo could put both Hurricanes in New York.

Dark Horse 2026 Heisman Contenders

Sam Leavitt, LSU QB (+1400)

Lane Kiffin landed the No. 1 player in the transfer portal at LSU. Leavitt helped Arizona State win a Big 12 title and reach the CFP in 2024 before injuries cut his 2025 short after seven starts. He still produced 1,628 passing yards, 10 passing TDs, and 5 rushing scores.

Here’s the wild stat: Leavitt could become the second player to transfer from Arizona State to LSU and win the Heisman in the last three years, following Jayden Daniels in 2023.

Dante Moore, Oregon QB (+2500)

Moore sits at +2500 after Oregon dropped a 39-31 game to a 24-point underdog, with Oklahoma State outgaining the Ducks 554-281. He threw for 3,565 yards and 32 total touchdowns in 2025 but added 10 interceptions and has to learn a new offense after OC Will Stein left for Kentucky.

The returning talent around him is high-end, but Oregon can’t afford another slip like that. Cleaning up the turnovers and the losses is the only path back into the race.

Heisman Trophy Betting Trends

• Quarterbacks have won 16 of the last 20 Heisman Trophies
• Five of the last six Heisman-winning QBs were transfers
• Since 1988, every Heisman winner has come from a team that won at least 9 games
• Since 2013, five Heisman winners have gone on to be the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick
• Fernando Mendoza is the fourth straight transfer QB to win the Heisman

Heisman Odds History: Preseason vs Closing

Want proof that the Heisman favorite rarely wins? Here’s how the last 10 winners opened vs where they closed, plus the preseason favorite that year.

Just one of the last 10 preseason favorites actually won. That’s why preseason longshots like Mendoza (+5500), Burrow (+4000), and Jackson (+10000) are where the real Heisman value lives.

How to Bet the 2026 Heisman

Heisman futures move sharply throughout the season. The earlier you bet, the better your price. Here are the key windows:

• Preseason (now through August): Best value on longshots and breakout candidates. Mendoza was +5500 last preseason and closed at -1000.
• Weeks 1-3: Sweet spot for spotting surging contenders before their odds tighten. Mendoza moved from +5500 to a single-digit favorite by midseason.
• October-November: Lines tighten dramatically after key signature games. Value is mostly gone on the favorite by this point.
• Conference Championship Weekend: Final big swing window. The award is essentially decided here in most years.

Who Usually Wins the Heisman Trophy?

Quarterbacks have owned the Heisman for years. Travis Hunter broke through in 2024 as a two-way player, but Mendoza put the award right back in a quarterback’s hands in 2025.

Recent Heisman Winners

Since 2000, quarterbacks have won 21 of 25 Heismans. The other four winners: Derrick Henry (RB), DeVonta Smith (WR), Travis Hunter (CB/WR), and Reggie Bush (RB).

Heisman Trophies by Conference

The SEC leads all conferences with nine Heisman winners since 2000. The Big Ten picked up its third with Mendoza’s win for Indiana. Conference realignment has shaken up the traditional pecking order.

Where Can You Bet on the Heisman Trophy?

The main sports betting apps offer Heisman Trophy betting, including BetMGM and ScoreBet. Some sites pull their Heisman odds on Saturdays during games but they’ll be back once the books adjust for the day’s results.

Heisman Odds FAQ

Who's the favorite to win the 2026 Heisman?

Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith and Miami QB Darian Mensah share the top of the 2026 Heisman odds at +600 after Week 2. Arch Manning is next at +900 after leading a comeback over No. 1 Ohio State, with Julian Sayin at +1000.

What happened to Brendan Sorsby?

Brendan Sorsby will sit out the 2026 season. A June injunction briefly cleared him, but the NCAA denied his eligibility and he later dropped his lawsuit. He’s off the Heisman board.

Who won the 2025 Heisman Trophy?

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy in a landslide over Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia. Mendoza picked up 643 first-place votes to Pavia’s 189. Mendoza was selected No. 1 overall by the Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Who are the best non-QB Heisman bets?

Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (+600) is the best non-quarterback bet on the 2026 Heisman board and now sits as a co-favorite after an eight-catch, 164-yard night at Texas. Miami WR Malachi Toney (+1200) is the next receiver on the board after four touchdowns in his first two games.

Has a freshman ever won the Heisman?

Only two freshmen have won the Heisman Trophy. Johnny Manziel (2012) was the first, as a redshirt freshman. Jameis Winston (2013) is the only true freshman ever to win the award.

When is the 2026 Heisman Trophy awarded?

The Heisman Trophy is awarded in December at the end of the regular season and conference championship games. The 2026 ceremony will take place in New York City in December 2026. Exact date and time will be announced closer to the event.

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Archived Heisman Trophy Odds:

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