Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are the Ohio State names drawing the brightest Heisman buzz as the Buckeyes head into the 2026 season.
That kind of attention comes with the territory in Columbus. Ohio State walks into every year with expectations, and after an early exit in the 2025 College Football Playoff, the pressure to get back into the national title mix is already baked in.
The roster star power is a big reason why. Sayin and Smith are front and center for 2026, and both are showing up near the top of the latest Heisman trade markets.
The current market has Miami quarterback Darian Mensah out front at 12%, with nine quarterbacks filling nine of the top 10 spots. Smith is the lone non-quarterback in that group, sitting at 8%. Julian Sayin is right behind that cluster at 5%.
Here’s how the current 2026 Heisman odds stack up:
Player Yes Chance Yes Cost No Cost
Darian Mensah 12% 12¢ 91¢
CJ Carr 9% 9¢ 92¢
Arch Manning 8% 8¢ 93¢
Dante Moore 8% 8¢ 93¢
Jeremiah Smith 8% 8¢ 93¢
Trinidad Chambliss 6% 6¢ 97¢
Jayden Maiava 5% 5¢ 98¢
Julian Sayin 5% 5¢ 96¢
Keelon Russell 5% 5¢ 97¢
Byrum Brown 4% 4¢ 99¢
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the trophy last season, and the source material notes that he was the eighth non-quarterback to win the award in the last 10 seasons. It also says Smith and Sayin drew the most Heisman votes among returning college football players.
Across the board, this preseason race still looks like a quarterback’s playground. Mensah, C.J. Carr, and Arch Manning are all being treated like headline starters with major expectations, and Sayin checks in as the seventh-highest passer in the latest trade markets.
There’s also a split in how traders are pricing Ohio State’s two biggest names. Polymarket gives Smith the better Heisman shot at 8%, while Kalshi has him at 7% for better value. For Sayin, it flips the other way: Kalshi puts him at 7%, while Polymarket lists him at 5%.
Sayin’s case is built on what’s around him. He may not turn heads with pure physical traits, but the source material says he’s highly efficient when working with the talent on hand, and that has a way of turning into production.
Smith’s résumé already stands out. He has put together two straight seasons with more than 1,200 receiving yards, doing it as a freshman and sophomore.
With Carnell Tate off to the NFL, there are targets available in the Ohio State passing game. Chris Henry Jr. could be part of the answer, but Smith could also be the one to make the biggest leap, with the source material pointing to a possible move into Devonta Smith territory.
The catch with Smith is the Buckeyes’ style. Ohio State often controls games rather than piling on, and that can leave Smith with quieter Saturdays than the usual Heisman favorite can afford when the weekly box score becomes the main argument.
For anyone hunting a long shot, Bo Jackson is available as a dark horse at 1¢ per share.
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