2025 was a relatively weak year for the Heisman Trophy, as there weren't any real statistical standouts on the level of both Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty in 2024. In the end, Fernando Mendoza took home college football's biggest individual honor after leading Indiana to a 13-0 record, the Big Ten Championship and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
Now, before the CFP gets underway on Friday, it's time to look ahead to the group that will contend for the Heisman in 2026. Mendoza will be off to the NFL, as will fellow finalist Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame. Diego Pavia is out of eligibility, but Ohio State QB Julian Sayin will be back after making it to New York as a finalist this season.
Who else could join him there? Let's get into the top five from a very deep group of candidates.
Honorable Mention: Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed, Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, Miami (FL) WR Malachi Toney, former Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt, Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy
5. USC QB Jayden Maiava
Maiava didn't get a lot of national love this season, but he was consistently one of the best quarterbacks in the nation for a very good USC team that finished the season 9-3. Maiava is also one of the most entertaining players to watch in the country, as he is always willing to push the ball down the field into tight windows, giving his guys chances to make plays on the ball.
Maiava is losing his top target in Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon, but Ja'Kobi Lane will be back on the outside and has a chance for a breakout year. Lincoln Riley finally has this USC program moving in the right direction, and Maiava could be in New York next season if that continues.
4. Washington QB Demond Williams
This one is a bit of a hot take, but Williams truly has a chance to emerge as one of the best players in college football next season. The sophomore signal-caller is fresh off of lighting up Boise State in the LA Bowl and should carry that momentum into 2026. Williams is electric with both his arm and his legs and should have Washington right in the middle in the Big Ten next season.
Williams is also likely losing his top receiver with Denzel Boston likely going pro, but he is the kind of player that has the ability to go on one of those epic Heisman runs that we have seen from quarterbacks in years past.
3. Ohio State QB Julian Sayin
In his first season as the starter at Ohio State, Sayin has been a hyper-efficient machine at quarterback, carving up defenses with his precision and accuracy. He struggled against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, but Sayin still completed 78.4% of his passes for 3,323 yards and 31 touchdowns to six interceptions to earn a spot in New York as a finalist.
Sayin will lose Carnell Tate on the outside, but Jeremiah Smith will be back, as will Bo Jackson at running back. This Ohio State offense has all the tools to be one of the best in the nation again, and Sayin will be right at the center of that.
2. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Smith may already be the best player in college football, so he almost certainly will be again next season. He has had a real case to win the Biletnikoff Award in each of the past two seasons and will be extra motivated to do so after a pair of snubs.
Despite playing in a slow Ohio State offense that played in a lot of blowouts, and struggling with injury during the second half of the season, Smith still ranked in the top 10 in the FBS in catches (80), yards (1,086) and touchdowns (11). Another year with Sayin should help them build that chemistry together and could propel Smith to a Heisman Trophy season.
1. Texas QB Arch Manning
Manning came into 2025 as the Heisman favorite, but that billing turned out to be a bit premature as the former five-star recruit struggled in his first month of college action. However, as Texas fell out of the playoff race, Manning slowly got things together and started to play very good football.
Manning's pocket movement was very good near the end of the season and his accuracy improved as the year went on. By the end of the season, he was hurting defenses as a scrambler and keeping the offense on schedule with his arm from the pocket, all while operating without a reliable running game for the most part. Another year of development with Steve Sarkisian should have Manning playing his best ball right from the jump next season.
