For all the noise around the Heisman Trophy race, one thing still holds up: quarterbacks usually own this award. Since 2000, only five non-quarterbacks have taken it home - Reggie Bush, Mark Ingram II, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and Travis Hunter.
This year, though, the race has taken a different shape. A few quarterbacks people expected to be in the mix haven’t mattered much, and the field has been opened up by a surge from wide receivers and running backs. That has turned the Heisman picture into something a little less predictable than usual.
At the top right now is Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who moved from +850 to +280 on FanDuel after another huge performance. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah also climbed, going from +420 to +370, but he still isn’t the favorite. One of the biggest jumps came from Florida running back Jadan Baugh, who shot from +6500 to +1300 and now sits in the top tier of the race.
The list of contenders currently looks like this:
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (+280): 12 catches, 217 yards, 4 TDs (vs. Illinois)
Miami QB Darian Mensah (+370): 23-for-27, 338 passing yards, 3 TDs (vs. Central Michigan)
Mississippi State's QB Kamario Taylor (+750): 27-for-38, 360 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT (vs. Missouri)
Alabama QB Keelon Russell (+1100): 21-for-27, 365 yards, 4 TDs, rushing TD (vs South Carolina)
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss (+1100): 25-for-34, 298 passing yards, TDs, INT (vs. Florida)
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr (+1300): 14-for-22, 237 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT (vs. Purdue)
Florida RB Jadan Baugh (+1300): 29 carries, 142 yards, 3 TDs (vs. Ole Miss)
Smith’s line against Illinois was impossible to ignore. He had 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns, and Illinois’ defensive coordinator even had to be sent home after what happened.
Mensah, meanwhile, keeps putting together a cleaner and cleaner season: 14 touchdowns, no interceptions, and an 88.7% completion rate. The production is there every week.
The question is whether people are appreciating just how good it has been.
Then there’s Malachi Toney, and that’s where the market starts to feel strange. After a six-catch, 120-yard, one-touchdown game against the Chippewas, he dropped from +1500 to +3000. The Heisman odds seem to be treating this like a club with limited membership for non-quarterbacks - and right now, Smith and Baugh are the ones getting the invitation.
Still, Toney isn’t out of it yet. A big game against Clemson could put him right back in the conversation.
There are also a couple of players who look basically done in this race.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning is at +3000, and the Heisman buzz just isn’t going to happen for him this year. As much as ESPN and the SEC-dominated media are trying to make the next generation of Mannings a thing, Arch isn’t the one.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is also sitting at +3000, but his path is much clearer to read: Jeremiah Smith is the star, and Sayin is the guy fortunate enough to be throwing him the ball. He gives off strong Mac Jones vibes.
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