Week 5 didn’t shake up the Heisman conversation so much as sharpen it. With the 2026 college football season moving deeper into October, a handful of quarterbacks and one dominant receiver are making it impossible to ignore their names in the trophy race.
Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith keeps looking like the most unstoppable pass-catcher in the sport. Against Iowa on Saturday, he piled up 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, and the Hawkeyes never really found an answer for him no matter how they mixed up their coverages.
Through five weeks, Smith has 44 receptions for 823 yards and nine touchdowns. He also already sits atop Ohio State’s all-time list in receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards.
Miami’s Darian Mensah is building a case that’s just as loud, even if his style is more surgical than explosive. In the win over Clemson, he threw for 227 yards and a touchdown while adding 27 rushing yards and another score.
For the season, he’s completed 84.2 percent of his passes for 1,438 yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions. He has Miami off to a 5-0 start, and the production matches the results.
Alabama’s Keelon Russell also kept the momentum rolling. He put together a strong outing in the 56-23 win over Mississippi State, finishing with 285 passing yards, three touchdowns and a rushing score.
That performance came against fellow Heisman contender Kamario Taylor, and Russell has now thrown for 1,414 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season. Over his last three games, he’s posted a 10-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has been quieter in the national conversation, but his numbers keep stacking up. He threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns against North Carolina and now has 1,197 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and just one interception on the year. He’s shown he can make every throw and has enough mobility to keep defenses honest.
Taylor remains very much in the mix despite a rough afternoon against Alabama. One game won’t erase what he’s done across the season, and his stat line still stands out: 1,450 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. Mississippi State gets another big chance to reset on Oct. 17 at LSU, a matchup that should be one of the day’s marquee games.
In Other News...
Kam Taylor Has A Huge Chance On Florida States New-Look Roster
Florida State heads into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks almost nothing like the one before it, and that gives Kam Taylor a real opening to make an immediate impact. The transfer from UNC Asheville arrives in Tallahassee with a reputation for athleticism and playmaking, plus the sort of scoring rsum that suggests he can handle a major role right away.
With 12 newcomers set to make up much of the Seminoles new-look group, the early chemistry questions will be as important as any individual skill set. Taylor should be one of the most watched names when Florida State opens exhibition play against Mississippi State on Oct. 10, because the Seminoles will need to find out quickly who can help shape this roster into something cohesive. [Read more 🡒]
Micahi Danzy Just Framed Florida States Biggest Test After That Win
Florida States latest conference win did more than push the Seminoles above .500 in 2026. It also gave the locker room a reminder of what can happen when the team stays locked in and keeps the bigger picture in view, and Micahi Danzy was quick to point out that the challenge now is handling the moment without letting it get too big.
Danzys message fit the mood around the program: enjoy the result, stay grounded, and keep building confidence as the season moves forward. For a team trying to turn one good night into lasting momentum, the next stretch will be less about celebrating the breakthrough and more about proving it can carry over. [Read more 🡒]
Ashton Daniels Just Put Florida States Offense In A New Spotlight
Ashton Daniels breakout against Virginia did more than add another convincing win to Florida States rsum. It pushed the Seminoles offense into a new conversation, with the quarterback landing on the Davey OBrien Great 8 and the Midseason Watch List after a performance that paired efficient passing with a relentless ground game in the 38-7 rout. Daniels completed 12 passes for 183 yards, ran for 136 yards and helped the Seminoles control the game from start to finish.
The bigger takeaway is how quickly Daniels has turned one big afternoon into national recognition, while also giving Florida State a clear centerpiece for the stretch run. He was named ACC Quarterback of the Week after setting multiple school and conference marks, and teammate Andre Otto also drew league honors as ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week. The numbers from that Virginia game will get plenty of attention, but the real question now is how high Daniels can keep raising the bar. [Read more 🡒]