Arch Manning’s comeback win over Ohio State gave Texas a No. 1 ranking and gave his Heisman case a much-needed spotlight. But after two weeks, the race still runs through Miami quarterback Darian Mensah.
Mensah remains the favorite at +550 on both FanDuel and DraftKings, and his stock actually moved up after Miami rolled past Florida A&M 77-7 on Thursday. The junior was nearly perfect in that game, going 14-for-15 for 252 yards and three touchdowns. The opponent wasn’t much of a test, but the odds movement made the point anyway: even against an FCS team, Mensah tightened his grip on the top spot.
Manning is in the mix, just not at the front. He sits at +850 on FanDuel and +1000 on DraftKings, and he’s not even the highest-rated player from that Texas-Ohio State matchup. That distinction belongs to Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith, who is right behind Mensah at +700 on both books.
Manning’s performance against Ohio State was enough to fuel the conversation, not enough to settle it. He finished 23-for-37 for 195 yards with one touchdown and a comically unlucky interception. Texas got the win, and Manning got his defining moment, but the numbers left some room for skepticism about what comes next.
Smith, for his part, did his job in defeat. He caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, once again showing why he’s viewed as the best receiver in the country.
The obstacle is the one that has always been there: the Heisman usually belongs to quarterbacks. Twenty-one of the last 26 winners have played the position, and that makes Smith’s path steep.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin also took a hit in the odds after a rough outing. He’s now seventh on both FanDuel (+1400) and DraftKings (+1500) after going 17-for-32 for 278 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
A few names are sitting above him now, including Notre Dame’s CJ Carr (+1000 on FanDuel, +1050 on DraftKings), Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney (+1200 FanDuel, +1300 DraftKings) and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (+1200 FanDuel, +1300 DraftKings).
Two quarterbacks who entered Week 2 with real Heisman buzz saw their chances stretch out sharply: Oregon’s Dante Moore and Oklahoma’s John Mateer. Moore opened the season third in the odds, but Oregon’s loss at Oklahoma State pushed him all the way to +4000 on FanDuel and +6000 on DraftKings. Mateer’s number is even longer after Oklahoma managed only 10 points at Michigan.
Then there’s Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, who is suddenly climbing into the conversation. The sophomore posted 313 total yards, including 227 passing and 86 rushing, with three touchdowns in a 38-13 win at Minnesota.
Mississippi State has already scored 100 points, and Taylor is moving up not just the Heisman board but the 2028 NFL Draft board too. He’s now +2200 on FanDuel and +2500 on DraftKings, which puts him inside the top 10.
This week’s biggest Heisman stage belongs to LSU at Ole Miss. Chambliss is sixth in the odds, while LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is farther down the list, but both have a chance to make a statement in a game that will draw extra attention with Lane Kiffin returning to Ole Miss.
In Other News...
Where Ole Miss Stands As The SEC Race Starts Taking Shape
The SEC picture is already beginning to settle after a busy Week 2, and the conferences usual heavyweight traffic jam is taking shape early. Texas made the loudest statement by knocking off top-ranked Ohio State behind a strong Arch Manning performance and a sturdy defense, while Alabama opened league play with a convincing win over Kentucky fueled by a dominant defensive showing. Texas A&M, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi State also came away with victories, adding to the sense that the leagues first real sorting has already started.
For Ole Miss, the ripple effect matters even before the Rebels get fully wrapped into the race. With the updated US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 reflecting those results, the early SEC hierarchy is tightening around teams that handled their first major tests and positioned themselves well in the national conversation. The Rebels are now watching not just the scoreboard in their own building, but how quickly the contenders around them are stacking wins and strengthening their cases. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Is Giving Ole Miss Fans A New Reason To Believe
Trinidad Chambliss has already turned a quick start into a bigger conversation around Ole Miss, and the noise around him only got louder after ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said the quarterback has been the best-performing passer this season among the 2027 class. Chambliss has answered with production through his first two games, completing 44 of 62 passes for 561 yards and five touchdowns with one interception, giving the Rebels a real jolt of momentum at the game's most important position.
The timing matters because Ole Miss is heading into a major SEC opener against LSU, where every snap will be under a brighter spotlight. Chambliss has drawn attention fast, but the challenge now is holding that edge when the competition jumps and the stage gets bigger, even as he keeps his focus where the Rebels need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Reopened An Ole Miss Rivalry Wound
Lane Kiffins move from Ole Miss to LSU has done more than change a coaching address, it has reopened one of the SECs sharpest rivalry wounds. The LSU-Ole Miss matchup has long carried extra edge, and Kiffins departure brings a familiar kind of bitterness into sharper focus for Rebels fans who already view that game through a personal lens. In college football, coaching changes often reshape the mood around a program, but this one lands with the kind of history that lingers far beyond a single season.
For Ole Miss, the issue is not just who left, but where he landed and what that says about the rivalry itself. The article places Kiffins exit alongside other fan-base flashpoints around the sport, from Penn State to Arizona, Northwestern and Oklahoma, where departures have left lingering tension in their wake. In Oxford, though, this one feels especially fresh because it ties directly back to LSU, a team the Rebels know will always be measured with a little extra emotion when the schedules line up again. [Read more 🡒]