The Heisman race took a sharp turn at the end of September, and the common thread was hard to miss: the non-quarterbacks are making noise, too.
Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons headlined that group with a wrecking-ball performance against Tennessee. He finished with a career-best eight tackles, three straight games with at least one sack, and a suffocating line that included five sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. That pushed him into a tie for the national lead with seven sacks.
At the same time, a few quarterbacks kept stacking up numbers that are tough to ignore.
Keelon Russell turned in what looked like his best afternoon yet for Alabama. The sophomore set career highs with five total touchdowns, including four through the air, and 365 passing yards in a blowout of South Carolina. He carries an 89.0 QBR, seventh-best in the nation, into a showdown with fellow Heisman contender Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State.
Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr also took a step forward.
The grandson of Lloyd Carr accounted for four scores - three passing and one rushing - while throwing for 237 yards in a rout of Purdue. The schedule has been manageable so far, but tougher tests are coming, starting with a home date against Bill Belichick and North Carolina.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is still very much in the conversation despite the Rebels’ loss to Florida. He put up 342 total yards, with 298 through the air and 44 on the ground, and he accounted for three total touchdowns, including two rushing. With Kewan Lacy absent, Chambliss has been asked to carry more of the load, and that could keep him in the mix if Ole Miss gets back on track.
Miami’s Malachi Toney keeps showing up every week. In the Hurricanes’ win over Central Michigan, he caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. He has scored in all four games this season, though he still isn’t the Miami player making the biggest Heisman push.
That belongs to Darian Mensah.
The Miami quarterback has been almost absurdly efficient since arriving from Duke. Against the Chippewas, he went 23 of 27 for 338 yards and three touchdowns, pushing his season total to 14 scores.
He shares the national lead in touchdown passes with Taylor and Maiava, while also sitting at the top of the country in QBR at 93.9 and passer rating at 228.0. He’s only thrown two interceptions, and over Miami’s first four games he has become the only quarterback since 2004 with more passing touchdowns than incompletions among players who attempted at least 50 passes in that span.
Mensah will get a better read on where he stands when Miami hosts Clemson this Saturday.
Kamario Taylor gave the Heisman field another jolt, too. The freshman picked up his first career win in a ranked matchup, beating Missouri while flashing the kind of arm talent that has made him one of the most exciting young players in the country.
He threw for a career-high 363 yards and three touchdowns, and his 14 touchdown passes are tied with Mensah and Maiava for the most in the nation. He has only two interceptions so far.
Next up is a trip to Alabama, where the spotlight gets even brighter.
Ohio State’s Smith kept building his own case in emphatic fashion. Against Illinois, the junior wide receiver caught 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns, tying a Buckeyes record in the process.
He now leads the nation with 617 receiving yards and is tied for the national lead with seven touchdown catches. The only real blemish on his resume is the Week 2 loss to Texas, but if Ohio State keeps winning and he keeps producing like this, he’ll be in the December conversation.
Florida running back Jadan Baugh made his case the old-fashioned way: by pounding a defense into submission. In the Gators’ win over the Rebels, he ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns.
He now leads the nation with 11 rushing scores, has three games with three rushing touchdowns, and is averaging 7.2 yards per carry and 150 rushing yards per game through the opening month. Florida hasn’t looked like this in a long time, and Baugh is a huge reason why.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Got A Huge Edge In UNCs Biggest Weakness
Bill Belichick has made it clear Billy Edwards will stay under center for North Carolinas trip to Notre Dame, even as the passing game continues to sputter. The Tar Heels have had their issues throwing the ball this season, and Belichick pointed to the broader challenge of getting the entire offense working more cleanly rather than pinning it all on the quarterback.
For Notre Dame, that leaves a familiar matchup edge against a unit still searching for consistency through the air. Edwards has completed 56.4% of his passes this season, and North Carolina enters the game as a three-touchdown underdog, which only adds to the pressure on an offense that will need sharper execution to keep the Irish from controlling the night. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Could Land A Recruiting Win Oklahoma Fans Would Hate
Recruiting momentum has a way of building quietly, and Notre Dame is at least in the mix for one of the more intriguing names in the 2028 class. Kamieon Compton-Nero, a four-star athlete with nearly 20 scholarship offers, has trimmed his list to five schools, with the Irish alongside Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Alabama and SMU. He is set to be in South Bend on Nov. 7, when Notre Dame hosts Miami, giving the program a chance to make a strong impression in a high-profile setting.
For the Irish, the visit matters because Compton-Nero has already shown a positive view of the coaching staff and the program, which is often the first step in turning a shortlist into real traction. Oklahoma is still squarely in the hunt, and that only raises the stakes for a matchup that could have significance far beyond the field. Notre Dame will be trying to turn a game-day atmosphere into something lasting, with a coveted recruit watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiyah Love Is Rising Fast And Notre Dame Fans Will Love Why
Jeremiyah Loves recent breakout with the Arizona Cardinals offered a glimpse of the kind of all-around back he is becoming, and Notre Dame fans have every reason to keep an eye on his rise. Against the San Francisco 49ers, he handled a heavy workload on the ground, added work as a receiver and finished with his first career receiving touchdown, showing the versatility that made him such an intriguing young player in the first place.
Even in defeat, Loves approach stood out. He took personal responsibility for not making the most of every chance, which is the kind of accountability coaches and teammates notice quickly. Through the season, he has also emerged as one of the most productive first-year players in the league, leading all rookies in yards and carries, a sign that his role and his confidence are growing fast. [Read more 🡒]