The Heisman conversation always starts with the headliners, and for 2026 that group already feels crowded. Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith and CJ Carr are the names that jump out first. But the award has a way of finding a few surprise challengers once the season gets rolling, especially if their teams win and their numbers keep climbing.
Will Hammond is one of those names. He was not supposed to be Texas Tech’s starter this season, but after the debacle with Brendan Sorsby, he is now in position to take over.
The Red Raiders have an offense built to stress defenses every week, and they produce no matter who is lining up at quarterback. Hammond’s sample size is small, but he already flashed in mop-up duty in 2025, throwing for 680 yards and seven touchdowns.
Texas Tech is expected to throw it around, and after reaching the College Football Playoff a season ago, the Red Raiders will be under a bright light again as Big 12 contenders. If they stay in that mix, Hammond could pile up the kind of passing numbers that push him into the Heisman race.
Jordan Marshall fits a different path. The Heisman has not belonged to a running back since Derrick Henry won it for Alabama in 2015, but Michigan still has room for a ground-game star to break through.
Bryce Underwood will draw plenty of attention in Ann Arbor, yet the Wolverines are still going to lean on running the football. New offensive coordinator Jason Beck brings a strong track record, with his offenses finishing No. 2 in the nation in the past two seasons.
Marshall started last season as a backup, finished it hurt, and still came close to 1,000 rushing yards. If Michigan wins 10 or more games, Marshall could turn that into a career year and a trip to New York.
Cam Coleman is another player with a real runway. After two average seasons at Auburn, the 6-foot-3 receiver moved to Texas, where he joins Ryan Wingo and catches passes from Arch Manning, a Heisman contender himself.
Coleman has already totaled more than 1,300 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over his two years at Auburn, so the production is there. Texas ranked 44th nationally in passing last season, and Manning was not always sharp.
But heading into 2026, Manning has a full season behind him and the passing game should be better. That gives Coleman a chance to break out in a major way.
Kevin Jennings has already shown he can put up numbers. SMU reached the College Football Playoff two seasons ago and stayed competitive this past season, and Jennings topped 3,200 passing yards in both years.
He is already part of the ACC quarterback conversation, and SMU has enough in front of it to make noise again. The Mustangs may not carry the national brand of Miami, Clemson or Florida State, but they are capable of knocking those teams off their perch.
If that happens, Jennings will have to keep developing, especially by cutting down on interceptions. Entering his third season as the starter, he has a path to New York if the production stays high and the mistakes come down.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Linebackers Suddenly Carry A Big Defensive Question
Texas A&Ms fifth preseason practice offered a little bit of everything on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Marcel Reed showing improvement and wide receiver Mario Craver continuing to stand out. The Aggies also brought in 17 transfer portal additions, and one of the more important ones for this fall is linebacker Ray Coney, who arrives with the kind of profile that can help steady a defense still sorting out its identity.
At linebacker, the intrigue is starting to center on how quickly that group comes together after the offseason turnover. Defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill has already expressed confidence in the room, and Daymion Sanford is nearing full strength again after the injury he suffered in the Maroon & White Game. Even with those encouraging signs, the position still carries a big question for Texas A&M as camp unfolds, because the next few practices will go a long way toward showing who can turn promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M's Texas Tech Decision Says Plenty About SEC Scheduling
Texas A&M has made its scheduling priorities pretty clear by passing on Texas Techs offer to set up a non-conference game in the foreseeable future. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said the Red Raiders have reached out to multiple schools about matchups in 2027 and beyond, and so far the answers have not been encouraging. For the Aggies, the decision fits the broader way SEC teams have been managing their calendars, with outside games carefully chosen around the demands of league play and the need to protect long-term scheduling plans.
Texas A&M already has home-and-home series lined up against Arizona State and Louisville over the next four seasons, which underscores how selective these openings can be. For fans hoping to see old regional ties revived, the Texas Tech pitch would have carried real appeal, but the Aggies refusal suggests they are not eager to add another commitment unless it fits exactly what they want. In the meantime, Tech keeps searching for a partner, and the lack of traction says as much about the current scheduling climate as it does about any one matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M May Have Finally Fixed One Passing Game Problem
Texas A&M spent a good chunk of last season looking for a little more variety in its passing game, and now it appears the Aggies may have added a piece that changes the shape of the room. A transfer receiver is on the way who brings the kind of size this offense has not consistently had, giving the unit a different look to pair with Mario Craver and KC Concepcion.
The addition matters because the new arrival is not just another target, but a player who produced in bigger spots last season and showed he could hold up against major competition. For an Aggies passing attack trying to become more balanced and harder to defend, that mix of size and production could be exactly what it needed. [Read more 🡒]