Ole Miss’s win over LSU was an early candidate for college football’s game of the year. Along with Week 2’s Texas comeback against Ohio State, it has helped shape some of the early narratives about the season as a whole. It also gave us a clear-cut Heisman Trophy front-runner.
Three weeks into the season, the race for the sport’s most coveted individual award is starting to take shape. Heismans are rarely won in September, and there are still months left for contenders to emerge. As such, we’re still casting a wide net, with 16 potential candidates divided up into four categories this week.
As we enter the final weekend of September, here’s where things stand in the Heisman race.
Stock down
16. Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU (2–1)
Week 3: Lost to Ole Miss, 32–24—16 for 27, 158 yards, one TD, one INT; 17 rushes, 63 yards, one TD
Season: 57 for 93 (62.3%), 732 yards, three TDs, five INTs; 40 rushes, 198 yards, six TDs
Leavitt very nearly completed the second incredible comeback in as many weeks on ABC’s prime-time broadcast. His interception to seal the loss to Ole Miss wasn’t the result of a terrible throw, deflecting off another player into the air making for an easy pick. He is clearly the engine that makes a very good LSU offense run, but the Tigers now have a loss to their name. He still has more interceptions than passing touchdowns and his last two games have been very inconsistent, even if LSU ultimately cruised to a win against Louisiana Tech in Week 2. He’s losing some steam in this early race, though there is plenty of time for Leavitt to get back in the mix—and with his fearlessness and flair for the dramatic, I wouldn’t bet against him to make it interesting.
Keep an eye on these players
15. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (2–1)
Week 3: Beat Portland State, 84–0—19 for 23, 280 yards, four TDs
Season: 61 for 89 (68.5%), 849 yards, nine TDs
Moore and the Ducks clearly took out the frustrations from the Week 2 loss to Oklahoma State on the poor Vikings, an FCS program that had no chance going in. It was the kind of dominant performance you want to see, with Moore ultimately giving way to high-profile backup Dylan Raiola, with Akili Smith Jr. and Brock Thomas also taking time under center. Moore’s numbers are still excellent, but he’ll need a few signature performances in the Big Ten to get himself back into the top tier of contenders.
14. Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana (3–0)
Week 3: Beat Western Kentucky, 38–0—18 for 24, 273 yards, two TDs; two carries, two yards
Season: 37 for 51 (72.5%) for 649 yards, 10 touchdowns; eight carries, 20 yards
Hoover hasn’t had to do much to open the season against the Hoosiers’ light nonconference schedule. Week 3’s win against the Hilltoppers represented his most active outing yet, and he was as good as advertised, throwing for a pair of touchdowns to bring his season total to 10 without an interception. His first Big Ten test comes next week against Northwestern.
13. Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia (3–0)
Week 3: Beat Arkansas, 45–17—10 for 13, 147 yards, one TD; seven carries, 97 yards
Season: 38 for 45 (84.4%), 538 yards, nine touchdowns; eight carries, 100 yards
The Bulldogs had scored a touchdown on every drive with Stockton under center through two games this season. That impressive run came to an end against the Razorbacks, but Georgia had little trouble in its SEC opener. The Dawgs attempted just 21 passes on 42 runs, and Stockton used his legs to great effect; after just one rush for three yards in the first two games of the season, he broke out for 97 yards to lead the team in Week 3.
12. Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Louisville (2–1)
Week 3: Beat SMU, 41–31—14 for 23, 177 yards, two TDs; 12 carries, 42 yards, one TD
Season: 48 for 73 (65.8%), 816 yards, six TDs; 32 carries, 153 yards, four TDs
Kienholz makes his debut on this list after leading the way in a monumental ACC win for the Cardinals. The first-year starter, a transfer from Ohio State, has impressed since the season opener, a tight loss to Ole Miss in which he largely went blow-for-blow with Trinidad Chambliss. On Saturday, he did it again, this time outgunning his opposing star QB, Mustangs veteran Kevin Jennings, with a three-touchdown day. An accurate passer and bruising, effective runner, Kienholz’s game resembles that of his national championship–winning former Buckeyes teammate, Will Howard.
11. Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida (3–0)
Week 3: Beat Auburn, 44–39—26 carries, 162 yards, three TDs; one reception, six yards
Season: 54 carries, 458 yards, eight TDs; one reception, six yards
Bringing back Baugh, a 1,170-yard rusher for the Gators a year ago, was a massive win for new coach Jon Sumrall. So far this year, Florida’s offensive identity has centered on the junior from Atlanta. He’s run for at least 136 yards and two touchdowns in each game. Putting up those kinds of numbers against the FAUs and Campbells of the world is one thing. Doing it on the road against a solid Auburn defense to help give Sumrall a win in his SEC debut? That’ll get you on Heisman watch.
10. Jayden Maiava, QB, USC (4–0)
Week 2: Beat Rutgers, 42–35—20 for 32, 277 yards, two TDs; three carries, nine yards
Season: 87 for 115 (75.6%), 1,173 yards, 12 TDs, one INT; one rushing TD
The Trojans struggled to put away a Rutgers squad that has looked horrible to open the season, but that falls far more on the defense than on Maiava and the offense. He wasn’t particularly sharp by his lofty standards, but he answered three of Rutgers’s five touchdown drives with USC scores, and a fourth with a 10-play, 44-yard drive to kill off the last four-plus minutes of the clock and seal the win (though a fumble from victory formation likely gave Lincoln Riley some real anxiety on the second-to-last play of the game).
True Heisman candidates
9. CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame (3–0)
Week 3: Beat Michigan State, 27–10—18 for 24, 234 yards; three carries, nine yards, one TD
Season: 53 for 73 (72.6%), 726 yards, six TDs; three carries, nine yards, one TD
Most of our other quarterbacks have had at least one excellent game against a big-time opponent. Carr, my preseason Heisman pick, meanwhile … has been very good, but hasn’t done enough to separate himself from the pack so far. On Saturday against the Spartans, he was held without a touchdown pass for the first time this season, though he did add his first score on the ground. None of his three games have been bad at any stretch, but none has been particularly Heisman-worthy. He could find himself on the outside looking in soon without one.
8. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State (2–1)
Week 3: Beat Kent State, 59–3—18 for 22, 241 yards, two TDs Season: 56 for 79 (70.9%), 839 yards, six TDs, one INT; one rush TD
The Buckeyes bounced back from their stunning loss at Texas to thump Kent State, their second overmatched MAC foe of the month. Sayin put up very solid numbers before taking a seat on the bench after one drive in the second half. Things will ramp back up for him and Ohio State next week, when Big Ten play begins against Illinois.
7. Nate Sheppard, RB, Duke (3–0)
Week 3: Beat Stanford, 35–7—23 carries, 154 yards, two TDs; one reception, two yards, one TD
Season: 82 carries, 528 yards, five TDs; nine receptions, 62 yards, three TDs
The nation’s leading bell cow back continued to dominate touches in a blowout win for the undefeated Blue Devils. As a team, Duke ran for 268 yards at an impressive 5.7 yards per touch, with Sheppard leading the way. The Blue Devils have a manageable schedule, as is the case for most ACC squads, while also facing Miami and Virginia—two potential showcases for Sheppard to make some real headway in the Heisman race.
6. Arch Manning, QB, Texas (3–0)
Week 2: Beat UTSA, 30–6—17 for 33, 164 yards, two TDs; nine carries, 50 yards
Season: 60 for 97 (61.9%), 664 yards, seven TDs, two INTs; 20 carries, 80 yards
Manning had a pretty ho-hum outing against the Roadrunners, completing only half of his passes for a pedestrian 5.0 yards per attempt. After last week’s dramatic win against Ohio State, a hangover performance against a Group of 6 opponent isn’t shocking, and it isn’t a huge cause for concern, though his Heisman résumé is fairly spotty beyond that incredible Week 2 comeback. That comeback, and a win against the Buckeyes, does carry plenty of weight though.
5. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (2–1)
Week 3: Beat Kent State, 59–3—Five receptions, 85 yards
Season: 21 receptions, 400 yards, three TDs
All five of Smith’s receptions came in the first half, as the Buckeyes went through the overmatched Golden Flashes defense like a hot knife through butter. Even in limited time, he led Ohio State in receptions and yards, while Brandon Inniss and Chris Henry Jr. hauled in touchdowns from Sayin.
Jeremiah Smith becomes Ohio State’s all-time receiving yards leader 😤
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 19, 2026
(via @CFBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/ds06Bk5n6p
Ohio State’s running game continues to be a question and averaged fewer than four yards per carry against Kent State. Smith may not have many opportunities to take things this easy on a Saturday moving forward, so Ryan Day and his staff probably welcomed the light load for the superstar wide receiver.
4. Malachi Toney, WR, Miami (3–0)
Week 3: Beat Wake Forest, 33–20—12 receptions, 114 yards, one touchdown
Season: 28 receptions, 444 yards, five touchdowns
The Hurricanes got their first serious challenge of the season with a road game against a pretty plucky Demon Deacons side. Miami jumped out to a 31–7 lead, including Toney’s touchdown pass from Darian Mensah. The Canes were clearly dialing up looks for the star wide receiver early, at one point setting him up to throw the ball, though the trick play didn’t develop. He was limited down the stretch due to injury, and the Miami offense slowed down with him sidelined. Coach Mario Cristobal downplayed the situation after the game, so hopefully he is good to go this week against Central Michigan.
Malachi Toney hit the Heisman pose after his TD 😤
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 19, 2026
(via @accnetwork) pic.twitter.com/Cxjp3KL4Pu
3. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (3–0)
Week 3: Beat Wake Forest, 33–20—30 for 34, 220 yards, three TDs, two carries, five yards
Season: 71 for 79 (89.9%), 873 yards, 11 touchdowns, five carries, 31 yards
The Deacs limited Mensah’s explosiveness in the passing game but couldn’t stop him from peppering completions all over the field. He still hasn’t hit double-digit incompletions and is now just a shade under 90% passing this season.
2. Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State (3–0)
Week 3: Beat South Carolina, 41–34—18 for 26, 251 yards, four TDs, one INT; eight carries, 33 yards
Season: 56 for 82 (68.3%), 832 yards, 11 TDs, one INT; 27 carries, 178 yards, one TD
Taylor has now led the Bulldogs to back-to-back road wins against Power 4 foes and to their first road SEC win against a team other than Arkansas since 2022, when the late Mike Leach was still on the sideline. And once again he did it in style, heating up after a quiet start, slinging SportsCenter-worthy deep balls and leading the team from 16–0 down to score 41 points in the final three quarters. There may not be a more talented thrower of the football in the country, and his production has matched so far this season.
The Heisman favorite
1. Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss (3–0)
Week 2: Beat LSU, 32–24—33 for 48, 363 yards, two TDs, one INT; nine carries, two yards, one TD
The football season is very young, and there are dozens of huge games left to be played, but as of Week 3, this is your Heisman front-runner—that much feels very clear. Chambliss put together a nearly spotless first half in the Rebels’ dramatic win against Lane Kiffin’s Tigers. He shook off a rough interception and halted a big LSU run with a massive go-ahead touchdown run, a 14-yard zone read in which he called his own number and beat the defense on a mad dash for the goal line.
Ole Miss TD and two-point conversion to up by 8 😤
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 20, 2026
(via @OleMissFB) pic.twitter.com/MDSUmHDvsj
He completed dart after dart, even when it was clear that OC John David Baker would put the ball in his hands, his running game hampered by the injuries limiting star back Kewan Lacy. As he did so often last year, Chambliss put his team on his back and gutted out a huge win against what was probably a more talented opponent. No one in the sport is better at it.
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