The Heisman picture is starting to take shape, and the wide receiver race is being driven by two names: Jesse Legree and Jeremiah Smith. Legree has turned in the kind of season many expected Malachi Toney to have, and the freshman is quickly turning into Smith’s biggest threat in the postseason awards chase.
At the top of the quarterback board, Notre Dame’s Carr is forcing his way into the conversation with a late surge. He’s been rolling lately, and his latest outing came in a blowout of Stanford.
Over the last three games, the junior has thrown 10 touchdowns against just one interception. He also flashed another layer in the win over the Cardinal by adding a career-best 41 rushing yards.
Notre Dame still hasn’t been truly tested and has no wins over ranked opponents, but that changes in a big way with No. 8 BYU coming up Saturday.
Georgia’s Stockton is right there in the mix as well, especially after helping the Bulldogs beat Alabama in one of the most important SEC games in the early part of 2026. The junior went 18 for 22 for 249 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground.
It was his third game of the season completing more than 80 percent of his throws. He now sits second nationally in QBR at 90.4 and fourth in completion percentage at 76.6.
With Auburn and Florida next, both unranked, Stockton has a clear chance to keep climbing if the production stays steady.
Then there’s Legree, who has been torching every defense in sight. The Oregon State freshman leads the nation in receiving yards with 932 and touchdowns with 12.
He has scored in every game in 2026 and has not been held under 100 receiving yards once. His numbers across the board jump off the page: 24.5 yards per catch, 4.76 yards per route run, and 13 missed tackles forced.
Against San Diego State, he kept the streak rolling with a career-high 10 catches, 191 yards, and three receiving touchdowns, matching his best mark in scores.
The problem for Legree is the same one that hangs over a lot of spectacular stat lines: Oregon State is 4-2, and the Pac-12 schedule has been softer than the ones some of the other contenders have faced. Still, that doesn’t make him any less dangerous in the award race. Production like this speaks loudly.
Miami’s Mensah stays firmly in the picture too, even with the Hurricanes on bye. A week off didn’t knock him down, because nobody else in the country can match his 15-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
He also leads the nation in QBR at 92.5, passer rating at 212.1, and completion percentage at 84.2. The road ahead looks favorable in the ACC, and his next major test arrives November 7 at Notre Dame.
Smith, meanwhile, keeps looking like the best player in college football. He added another strong line in Ohio State’s win over Maryland, finishing with 93 yards on four catches and two touchdowns.
That pushed him to 11 receiving scores on the season. His 916 receiving yards are second nationally, trailing only Legree, and he has built those totals against multiple Big Ten opponents plus two ranked teams in Texas and Iowa.
He gets another chance to make a statement in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten title game against defending national champion Indiana. If his career is any guide, more fireworks are probably coming.
In Other News...
Ohio State Heads Into Indiana Showdown With Big Lineup Questions
Ohio State heads into its matchup with Indiana facing some early lineup uncertainty, with offensive lineman Austin Siereveld ruled out because of a non-football illness and running back JaKobi Jackson unavailable after suffering an ankle injury. Those absences alone would matter in a Big Ten game this size, but they are part of a larger injury picture for the Buckeyes, who have several other players still listed as questionable.
Indiana, meanwhile, has a much shorter injury report, with only two players listed. For Ohio State, the challenge now is less about the opponents health and more about how much flexibility the Buckeyes can preserve as they sort through the final availability questions before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey Suddenly Has A Real Chance To Earn Trust
An unexpected shakeup in the backfield has opened the door a little wider for Legend Bey. With Ja'Kobi Jackson ruled out for the upcoming game against Indiana and Isaiah West listed as questionable, Ohio State may need to lean on its freshman running back more than it had planned. The Buckeyes are also dealing with Austin Siereveld being out, which adds another layer of strain to the offensive line depth and could shape how the offense handles the ground game.
For Bey, this is the kind of moment that can change how a staff views a young player in a hurry. More snaps against Indiana would not just be about filling a need in the moment, but about showing he can be trusted if the Buckeyes have to keep adjusting on the fly. Ohio State has managed its backfield carefully so far, but the injury picture now gives Bey a real opening to make his case. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Gave Ohio State Fans A New Ranking Debate
ESPNs latest ranking stirred up a familiar kind of college football debate, and this one comes with a fresh Ohio State twist. The network put together a top-60 list of the best wide receivers in the past 50 years, blending talent and production, and it included some heavy company in Larry Fitzgerald, DeVonta Smith and Justin Blackmon.
Jeremiah Smith made the cut as the lone active college receiver on the list, which is already a notable honor for a player still early in his career. For Buckeyes fans, it is the kind of recognition that says plenty about how high Smiths ceiling already looks, even if the bigger conversation around where he fits historically is still very much ongoing. [Read more 🡒]