Way-too-early 2026 Heisman watch: 15 players who could win the award

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led the No. 1 Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 record and their first Big Ten title since 1967, captured the 91st Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.

Mendoza beat out quarterbacks Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) and Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) to take home the trophy during a ceremony in New York.

Mendoza, who played two seasons at California before joining the Hoosiers this season, completed 71.5% of his pass attempts for 2,980 yards with 39 total touchdowns.

He was only the second Heisman Trophy finalist from Indiana. Running back Anthony Thompson was runner-up to Houston quarterback Andre Ware in one of the closest votes in 1989.

With Mendoza, Pavia and Love expected to move on to the NFL after this season, who are the top returning Heisman Trophy candidates for 2026?

In compiling the list of potential candidates, I projected that quarterbacks John Mateer (Oklahoma), Ty Simpson (Alabama) and Dante Moore (Oregon); receivers Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Zachariah Branch (Georgia) and Makai Lemon (USC); and running back Emmett Johnson (Nebraska) will turn pro (along with the aforementioned finalists from this year).

Here is a look at some of the top potential contenders (in no particular order):

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

2025 stats: 80 catches, 1,086 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns

Smith's highlight reel of acrobatic, one-handed catches continues to grow, and he arguably has been the best player in college football this season. He was the fastest Buckeyes player to reach career marks of 2,000 receiving yards (24 games), 100 catches (20) and 25 touchdown receptions (25).

Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State

2025 stats: 78.4% completion pct, 3,323 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

Sayin might have captured the Heisman Trophy this season if Ohio State's offense hadn't flopped in its 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game. In his first season as a starter, Sayin is on pace to break the NCAA single-season pass completion record of 77.4%, set by Oregon's Bo Nix in 2023.

Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia

2025 stats: 70.7% completion pct, 2,691 passing yards, 442 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns

In his first full season as Georgia's starting quarterback, Stockton helped guide the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record and SEC title. His legs and right arm were a big reason the Bulldogs averaged 31.9 points, despite enduring myriad injuries on the offensive line. Stockton was at his best when the game was on the line -- he completed 86% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and one interception in the fourth quarter against ranked opponents.

Malachi Toney, WR, Miami

2025 stats: 84 receptions, 970 receiving yards, 7 receiving touchdowns

Toney's teammates call him "Baby Jesus," and the true freshman delivered in a big way in his first season with the No. 10 Hurricanes. He ranks sixth in the FBS with 84 catches and had 1,328 all-purpose yards. Toney even threw for two scores. Not bad for an 18-year-old who would be a senior in high school if he hadn't reclassified to the class of 2025.

Arch Manning, QB, Texas

2025 stats: 61.4% completion pct, 2,942 passing yards, 32 total touchdowns

Even after all the hand-wringing about Manning being overrated at the start of the season, the former five-star recruit ended up putting together a good campaign, throwing for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns. The No. 13 Longhorns need to find some offensive linemen (he was sacked 23 times) and receivers to help him in 2026.

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

2025 stats: 65.5% completion pct, 3,016 passing yards, 24 total touchdowns

Ole Miss officials have submitted a waiver to the NCAA on Chambliss' behalf for another season of eligibility. He played his first three seasons at Division II Ferris State before transferring to Ole Miss this year. He was named SEC Newcomer of the Year after taking over the starting job in the third game of the season.

Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri

2025 stats: 1,560 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns

A transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, Hardy led the FBS with 130 rushing yards per game and was No. 2 with 1,560 total rushing yards. He had eight 100-yard games for the Tigers, including a whopping 300-yard effort with three touchdowns in a 49-27 victory against Mississippi State on Nov. 15.

Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M

2025 stats: 61.8% completion pct, 2,932 passing yards, 466 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns

Reed announced this week that he plans to stay at Texas A&M next season, which is great news for the No. 7 Aggies. He was a threat with the ball in his hands, throwing for 2,932 yards with 25 touchdowns and running for 466 yards with six scores. His decision-making needs to continue to improve, so he can cut down on his 10 interceptions.

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, QB, California

2025 stats: 63.6% completion pct, 3,117 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns

There's a reason new Bears coach Tosh Lupoi took a late-night flight to Hawai'i to make sure Sagapolutele was staying at Cal. He was only the second true freshman in FBS history to pass for 200 yards or more in each of his first 11 starts. In the Bears' late-season upsets of then-No. 21 SMU and No. 15 Louisville, Sagapolutele passed for a combined 653 yards with six touchdowns and no picks.

Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss

2025 stats: 1,279 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns

After transferring from Missouri, Lacy helped the No. 6 Rebels win 11 games in the regular season for the first time. He ranks No. 2 in the FBS with 20 rushing touchdowns and piled up 1,279 yards on the ground. Will he follow former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU or remain with the Rebels in 2026?

Jayden Maiava, QB, USC

2025 stats: 66.2% completion pct, 3,431 passing yards, 29 total touchdowns

If Maiava returns to the No. 16 Trojans for another season, he'll probably flourish in Lincoln Riley's offense. This year, he threw for 3,431 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He ranks No. 1 with a 91.2 total QBR. According to Pro Football Focus, he was second in the FBS with 26 big-time throws. (A big-time throw is defined as a high-difficulty, high-value pass.)

Bo Jackson, RB, Ohio State

2025 stats: 1,035 rushing yards, 6 total touchdowns

Jackson became the fifth true freshman in OSU history to produce a 1,000-yard season, joining Robert Smith (1990), Maurice Clarett (2002), JK Dobbins (2017) and TreVeyon Henderson (2021). That's good company. And, of course, he'd be the second Bo Jackson to collect a stiff-armed trophy.

Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas

2025 stats: 70.2% completion pct, 4,129 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns

Mestemaker is one of the best stories in college football. He didn't start a single game in high school, then joined North Texas as a walk-on. This season, he led the FBS with 4,129 passing yards, helping him capture the Burlsworth Trophy as the top walk-on in the country. Will he join former Mean Green coach Eric Morris at Oklahoma State in 2026?

CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame

2025 starts: 66.6% completion pct, 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns

Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman entrusted Carr to lead his offense after a heated battle in preseason camp. The decision paid off, as Carr put together one of the best performances by a first-time starter in Notre Dame history. He threw for at least one touchdown in each of his first 12 starts, becoming the first Irish player to do that since Everett Golson in 2012-14. Carr's 24 passing touchdowns are tied for the most in the first 12 starts by a Notre Dame player since 1966.

Demond Williams Jr., QB, Washington

2025 stats: 70% completion pct, 2,850 passing yards, 595 rushing yards, 27 total touchdowns

Williams is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the FBS, and his ability to run and throw was on display in the Huskies' 38-19 victory against Rutgers on Oct. 10. He became the first player in school history to pass for at least 400 yards (400) and run for at least 100 (136) in the same game. Williams was second on the team with 595 rushing yards.

Others to watch: Sam Leavitt, QB, TBA; Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn; Brendan Sorsby, QB, Cincinnati; Josh Hoover, QB, TCU; Darian Mensah, QB, Duke; Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia; LJ Martin, RB, BYU; Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU; LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina; Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan