The first week of the college football season wasted no time handing the Heisman conversation a fresh jolt, and the passing numbers were loud from the jump.
At the top of the list sat Darian Mensah, whose Miami debut looked every bit like the kind of performance that can change a national conversation. The former Duke quarterback went 27 for 30 for 401 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in Miami’s 45-6 win at Stanford. Both the yardage and the touchdown total were career highs, and the showing was strong enough to make him the early Heisman Trophy favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook at +600 odds.
Mensah wasn’t the only quarterback making a statement in a new uniform. Cutter Boley, fresh off a difficult year at Kentucky, opened his Arizona State run with a sharp 21-of-27 outing for 387 yards, six touchdowns and no picks in a 70-7 win over Morgan State. Those six touchdown passes were career bests, matching the kind of reset Arizona State was hoping for when he arrived in Tempe.
Oregon’s Dante Moore also made his presence felt in a game that demanded it. The Ducks were down 10 in the first half against Boise State before Moore helped steady the comeback in a 34-27 win.
He finished 28 of 37 for 378 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, capped by the go-ahead 62-yard strike to Dakorien Moore midway through the fourth quarter. Moore is tied for sixth in Heisman odds at +1300 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
A little lower on the list, but every bit as eye-catching, was Mason Heintschel. The Pittsburgh quarterback carved up Miami (Ohio) in a 59-14 win, throwing for 453 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception.
All seven scoring throws went to different targets, and the total tied the Panthers’ program record set by Pete Gonzalez against Rutgers in 1997. It was Heintschel’s second career 400-yard game and the fifth time in 10 starts he’s topped 300 yards.
Kevin Jennings kept the momentum going for SMU on Monday night, even with a couple of mistakes mixed in. He completed 26 of 36 passes for 430 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions as the Mustangs beat Florida State 27-24. Jennings also helped on the decisive late drive, throwing for 50 yards and running for eight on SMU’s game-winning 71-yard field goal march.
Braden Atkinson gave Oregon State something to build on despite a loss at No. 23 Houston.
In his Beavers debut, the former Mercer quarterback threw for 376 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing score in a 33-20 defeat. Last season at Mercer, he passed for 3,611 yards, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Deuce Bailey also made a strong first impression after following Ryan Beard from Missouri State to Coastal Carolina. The redshirt freshman threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a 31-24 road loss at West Virginia. He completed 21 of 37 passes in the Chanticleers’ first game of the Ryan Beard era.
Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor showed a different side of his game in his 2026 debut. After mostly flashing as a runner in two late-season starts last year, he passed for 354 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while also rushing for 59 yards and a score in a 62-13 win over Louisiana Monroe.
Gio Lopez also looked refreshed after another transfer. After an uneven season at North Carolina, Lopez moved on to Wake Forest and completed 21 of 32 passes for 350 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 39 rushing yards in a 38-16 win over Akron on Thursday.
Jayden Maiava rounded out the group with another efficient performance for USC. In only three quarters against Fresno State on Friday, he went 23 for 25 for 349 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 39-0 win.
Through two games, Maiava has completed 48 of 54 passes for 635 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, and he’s also added a rushing score. He currently has the 10th-best Heisman odds at +1750 on DraftKings.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Gets An Oregon Twist For Its First Real Home Test
Dan Lanning is adjusting Oregons routine for Saturdays trip to Oklahoma State, sending the Ducks out a day earlier than usual so they can get a better handle on the early kickoff and the time change. Instead of the standard Friday departure, Oregon will leave after Thursdays normal practice, giving the team a little more runway before facing an 11 a.m. local start in Stillwater, which translates to 9 a.m. Pacific Time back home.
The move fits the larger challenge of a season built around national travel and repeated time zone shifts, something Oregon will keep dealing with as it moves through the schedule. For a program that has tried to be deliberate about how it handles the demands of coast-to-coast football, this is another small adjustment that could matter, even before the Ducks find out how well the early wakeup call really lands on game day. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Got An Early Playoff Snub Fans Will Hate
Andy Staples week 1 College Football Playoff projection already gives Oregon fans a reason to grumble. In his early bracket, the Ducks are slotted behind USC even though the Trojans path to this point has not looked nearly as demanding on paper, a detail that will land especially hard in Eugene given how much stock gets placed in Oregons schedule strength and week-to-week rsum.
The projection also puts USC into the playoff field for the first time in school history, a seismic call in its own right, while Oregon is left on the outside looking in for now despite being ranked near the top of the pecking order. There is still plenty of season left for the Ducks to change the conversation, but with key players, early performances and upcoming games all feeding into these first impressions, this is exactly the kind of opening snapshot that can linger if Oregon does not answer quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ducks Are Already Making Oregons Transfer Losses Feel Real
The fallout from Oregons College Football Playoff semifinal loss was always going to reach beyond the spring portal window, and Week 1 of the 2026 season offered an early reminder of why. After 31 players left in search of more playing time, several former Ducks wasted little time showing what they could bring elsewhere, with new roles and bigger opportunities already turning into visible production for their next teams.
Makhi Hughes settled in at Houston, Jayden Limar found a place in Washingtons backfield, Kingston Lopa made an impact for California and Luka Moga got a chance to operate New Mexicos offense. Those are only a few of the names to watch, but the broader picture is hard to miss for Oregon: the transfer losses are no longer just a roster-management headache, they are already showing up on Saturdays in ways Duck fans can measure. [Read more 🡒]