Darian Mensah is still climbing in the Heisman market, but the race around him has changed fast.
The Miami Hurricanes quarterback saw his odds improve from +480 to +420 on FanDuel, yet that bump came with a catch: he’s no longer sitting alone at the top. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has taken over as the new favorite at +340 after throwing for 363 yards and two touchdowns against LSU. That performance turned the Magnolia Bowl into the center of the college football conversation, with much of the attention tied to Lane Kiffin’s history of being a dislikable vagabond.
Mensah’s slide from lead dog to part of the pack has less to do with anything he’s done wrong and more to do with the reality of his schedule. Outside of November 7, he may not get many chances to play in games that grab the country’s attention.
That’s just life in the ACC. Virginia Tech and Duke could help change that if they keep winning and drawing more eyes, but the Blue Devils are undefeated, the reigning conference champions, and still received just 20 votes in the polls last week.
For Mensah, the path is simple: keep producing and keep winning. That’s all he can control, especially with Chambliss getting a road game against another ranked opponent in Florida while Miami is expected to handle Central Michigan by 40 points.
Heisman momentum has also started to tilt toward the SEC. Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor now has the third-best odds at +750, while ESPN’s nonstop conference promotion hasn’t exactly hurt the visibility of players like Chambliss. Without doing any dedicated research, i can guess Chambliss' name was mentioned at least 100 times in studio shows and Mensah's might have been mentioned five.
The market has also moved against a couple of high-profile playmakers. Malachi Toney’s odds fell from +1100 to +1500 even after he posted 12 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown against Wake Forest in a little more than a solid half of work. Jeremiah Smith also slipped, going from +700 to +850, because this is still a quarterback’s award.
Here’s how the Heisman favorites fared in Week 3, and the picture around the top has gotten even clearer. It feels like the oddsmakers could end the facade on Manning.
I don't care whose nephew he is, he's not going to put up the gaudy stats needed to win this award. The same goes for CJ Carr, who has gone from preseason favorite to afterthought.
He’s not playing badly, but he’s not doing anything remarkable against a soft schedule.
A few more names have faded as well. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava and Qhio State’s Julian Sayin are both down to +3000, opening the door for Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell at +2500 and Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton at +3000 to move into that second tier.
The week’s biggest riser, though, is Florida running back Jadan Baugh. He jumped from +15000 to +6500 after rushing for 162 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn. Baugh looks like a runaway favorite for the Doak Walker Award, but the Heisman climb is still a steep one.
In Other News...
Miamis Explosive Win Came With One Clemson Warning
Miamis first Saturday game of the season looked every bit like the kind of blowout a ranked team wants to put on tape, with a 52-3 rout of Central Michigan that showcased both the offenses ceiling and the defenses ability to take over a game. Darian Mensah topped 300 passing yards and threw four touchdowns, while Malachi Toney kept the pressure on the Chippewas with 120 receiving yards and a score. Miami also forced three turnovers and held Central Michigan to just three points, a reminder that the Hurricanes can win in more than one way.
The one thing that kept the afternoon from feeling fully polished was the flag count. Miami was penalized 13 times for 112 yards, a stretch of sloppiness that can get exposed much faster once the schedule turns to stronger opposition. For a team that spent the day overwhelming an overmatched opponent, the next challenge is obvious: clean up the details before those mistakes become costly against Clemson. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Have Every Right To Be Mad About Darian Mensah Snub
Desmond Howards hypothetical Heisman vote on ESPNs College GameDay has already sparked plenty of debate, and it is easy to see why Miami fans would have an issue with how the quarterback conversation shook out. Howard put Trinidad Chambliss first and Kamario Taylor second while running through a wide group of passers who have put together eye-catching seasons, including Darian Mensah, Lincoln Kienholz, Michael Hawkins Jr., Faizon Brandon and Keelon Russell.
For Miami supporters, the frustration comes from seeing Mensah left outside the top two after being included in the discussion at all. The piece walks through the production and big-game moments from several quarterbacks, but Mensah stands out as the name that feels most likely to linger in the debate, especially with so much attention on how national voters sort through a crowded field of standouts. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces One Big Test Beyond The Central Michigan Spread
No. 6 Miami comes back to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night with a 3-0 record and the kind of early-season numbers that have made the Hurricanes look every bit like a national contender. Central Michigan arrives at 2-1, and on paper this is the sort of nonconference matchup Miami is expected to handle while continuing to stack clean performances on both sides of the ball.
Still, the bigger question for Miami is not just whether it can win, but whether it can leave the night healthy and on schedule with the rest of the season ahead. The game comes with injury updates to monitor for both teams, along with broadcast details for fans who want to follow along, and those peripheral details may matter nearly as much as the spread once the ball is kicked off. [Read more 🡒]