Jeremiah Smith makes a Heisman statement against Iowa
There’s a boatload of Heisman candidates in 2026; here are the top five so far
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Wide Receiver, Junior
There’s still a lot of football left to be played, but Jeremiah Smith is your Heisman leader as of now. Smith had another huge game for Ohio State as they defeated Iowa on the road. Smith had 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns. He has 44 catches for 823 yards and nine touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ first five games this year. It helps him to have a star like Julian Sayin slinging him the rock. Sayin and Smith face Maryland this week.
2. Darian Mensah, Miami, Quarterback, Junior
Mensah is like Smith in that he has a superstar partner who can justly have their own Heisman campaign. Throwing to Malachi Toney helps, but Mensah is having a special season. He was 18 of 27 for 227 yards and two total touchdowns in the win over Clemson. This season, he is 112 of 133 for 1,438 yards and 17 total touchdowns (15 passing, 2 rushing). Miami host rival Florida State this week.
3. Charlie Becker, Indiana, Wide Receiver, Junior
Picking between Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin and Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney was easier than picking who’s the best player right now for the defending champions. I went with Charlie Becker over Josh Hoover because all Becker does is catch touchdowns. He has 27 catches for 477 yards and eight touchdowns for the Hoosiers so far. Every third catch of Becker’s is a touchdown. He had eight catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns in their win over Rutgers. Indiana and Becker hit the road to play undefeated Nebraska this week before a home game against OSU in two weeks.
4. Keelon Russell, Alabama, Quarterback, Redshirt Freshman
Russell was 16 of 22 for 285 yards with three touchdowns passing, and had 16 yards and another touchdown rushing. He and Alabama’s offense are on fire, averaging 49.6 points per game. Their rival and foe Georgia is averaging 51.4 points per game. Bama may need Russell to win a shootout this week. Keelon Russell is 94 of 132 for 1,514 yards with 11 touchdowns passing and 184 yards and four touchdowns rushing for the Tide.
5. Wayne Knight, UCLA, Running Back, Senior
Knight and UCLA had a bye this week, and Knight is still tied for second in the nation in rushing touchdowns, having played one fewer game than most of his peers.
