The 2026 Heisman Trophy race already has its headliners, and FanDuel Sportsbook has put Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr at the front of the board ahead of Texas star Arch Manning.
Carr’s freshman season gave the Irish plenty to build on. He completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 2025, and the setup around him only adds to the buzz. Notre Dame also has a favorable schedule ahead of it, which only strengthens the case if Carr takes the expected sophomore leap.
Manning, meanwhile, comes into 2026 after a year that started unevenly and finished with much more momentum. He opened the 2025 season as the Heisman betting favorite, but his roughest moment came against UTEP, when he completed only 44% of his passes for 114 yards.
From there, he steadily improved and ended the year with 61.4% completions, 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. If that second-half surge carries over, he’ll be right back in the thick of the national quarterback conversation.
Darian Mensah is next at +1100 after a big year at Duke, where he threw for almost 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns before transferring to Miami. With more talent around him now, he’s firmly in the mix.
Behind that top group, the odds board includes Trinidad Chambliss at +1200, Jeremiah Smith at +1300, Julian Sayin at +1300, Dante Moore at +1300 and Josh Hoover at +1500.
FanDuel’s list includes every player at 100-1 odds or shorter, with odds subject to change.
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Since returning to Austin, Muschamp has drawn praise from players and coaches alike, which is exactly the kind of reception Texas was hoping for when it made the change. The optimism is real, but so is the pressure, because the Longhorns will find out quickly whether the hire can translate into the kind of defense fans remember, with a demanding stretch of games waiting to test it early. [Read more 🡒]