Week 2 didn’t just shake up the 2026 college football season. It also scrambled the Heisman Trophy race in a hurry.
The early favorites took hits as Dante Moore, Julian Sayin and John Mateer all stumbled while leading ranked teams, and that kind of slip this early can drain momentum fast. Two weeks in, the door has swung open for a different group of players - some familiar stars, some quieter names who are suddenly forcing their way into the conversation.
Jeremiah Smith still went off in Ohio State’s heartbreaking loss to Texas8 REC, 164 YDS, 1 TD pic.twitter.com/bBYxw6eVwU
Smith gets an honorable mention here out of respect for how dominant he’s been. Even in Ohio State’s heartbreaking loss to Texas, when the Buckeyes coughed up a 20-point second-half lead, the junior wideout was impossible to ignore.
He’s kept right on torching defenses since breaking out in 2024. Through two games, Smith is averaging eight catches and 157.5 yards per game, and his 19.7 yards per reception jumps off the page. With a daunting Big Ten schedule ahead, the returning sixth-place Heisman finalist will need Ohio State to rebound - but he’s still producing like a player who belongs in the race every week.
Then there’s Gunner Stockton, whose start has been about as clean as it gets. Georgia has rolled over Tennessee State and Western Kentucky, including a 70-point outing in Week 2, and Stockton has more touchdown passes in two games (eight) than incompletions (four).
The senior from Tiger, Georgia has been lighting it up, even if the opposition hasn’t been elite. Georgia heads into SEC play in Week 3 with a trip to Arkansas, and after the Razorbacks were pounded by Utah in Week 2, Stockton has a chance to keep stacking Heisman buzz.
At USC, Jayden Maiava has been the busiest quarterback of the bunch because he’s already been playing since Week 0, and he’s made that extra runway count. He’s delivered three dominant outings, and in Week 2 he threw his first interception of the year while also setting a career high with five touchdown passes in the win over Louisiana.
His numbers are loud: a 91.0 QBR that ranks fifth nationally, plus one of only nine passer ratings above 200 in the country. USC has one more non-conference game left against Rutgers before turning to Big Ten play and an old Pac-12 matchup with Oregon.
Malachi Toney has been just as electric on the perimeter. Florida A&M’s defensive backs had no answer for him in a 77-7 blowout in Week 2, when he caught four passes for 96 yards and a touchdown in limited work.
Toney is a different kind of receiver than Smith, but the production is just as eye-popping. He’s averaging 20.6 yards per catch and has already scored four times in two games. Wake Forest is next on the schedule, and Toney and his star quarterback remain firmly in the Heisman mix.
Darian Mensah deserves a serious look too, and not just because he’s throwing to one of the best players in the country in Toney. The Miami quarterback has been surgical through two games, with eight touchdown passes and only four incompletions, and he has not thrown an interception.
He also leads the nation with a 96.5 QBR and hasn’t been sacked through two weeks. Miami has beaten Stanford and Florida A&M in convincing fashion, and Mensah’s case is built on more than just the talent around him. The numbers say he’s playing like a Heisman contender in his own right.
Darian Mensah routes on air vs Florida A&MThis game doesn’t mean anything for his NFL Draft stock, but an extra 252 yards and 3 TDs looks great on a Heisman resume. He’s my pick (by far) for the 2026 Heisman at the moment. https://t.co/sR3PWeOI87 pic.twitter.com/4b5I3edlf7
In Other News...
Miami's Next ACC Test Comes With A Wake Forest Threat
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For Miami, the attention now shifts to a Wake Forest offense that has found production quickly through its first two games and has shown it can stress a defense in more than one way. The road environment, the conference stakes and the fact that both teams enter without a loss make this one feel like an early barometer for how Miami handles the first real stretch of its season. [Read more 🡒]
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The Hurricanes have their own long memory for what happens when a season turns on one signature moment, and the broader history around college football is full of examples of teams using a win over the No. 1 team as a springboard. Ohio State has even turned that kind of defeat into a path toward national championships in the past, which only adds to the value of landing one of those games in the first place. For Miami, the lesson is obvious: the next climb is not just about being good, but about finding the kind of win that makes everyone else take notice. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Heads Into A Brutal Rivalry Test With Stakes Suddenly Rising
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For the Hurricanes, the challenge is not just the setting but how to handle it. Miami is dealing with key absences and uneven recent performances, which puts even more on quarterback Mensah as he tries to navigate a difficult environment and keep the offense steady. Rivalry games often reward the team that stays composed longest, and this one carries enough baggage already that every possession figures to matter long before anyone worries about the final score. [Read more 🡒]