I aim to do a fair amount of Heisman Trophy updates in this space during the 2026 college football season, but obviously that's dependent on some significant movement among the favorites. We definitely got that following Week 1 as Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr entered as the +700 leader at DraftKings but is now fourth at +1100 for college football betting. Your new clear favorite for Heisman futures betting is Miami quarterback Darian Mensah at +550. Bet on college football at DraftKings, where new users get $200 when they spend $5+:
I thought the Canes might struggle a little bit last Friday, going all the way across country to face a Stanford side that had a game under its belt, but the U looked great in the 45-3 rout. I don't like how Mensah bailed on his former Duke school and teammates at the last minute this offseason to get paid more by transferring to Miami. But that's the college world we live in now and if Mensah, who was +1200 for the Heisman, can get more money, that's the American way.
The junior, a likely one-and-done at Miami like the past two QBs -- Carson Beck and Cam Ward -- completed 27 of 30 passes for a career-high 401 yards and a career-best five passing touchdowns in the win. In doing so, he became the first FBS quarterback since Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel in 2023 to complete at least 90% of his passes with at least 400 yards and five passing scores.
"His skill set really fits what we do," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Mensah. "His ability to read the field and his ability to digest concepts and to continue to evolve is really, really impressive. Sky's the limit."
And the thing is, Mensah might not even have been the best Hurricanes offensive player in that win. Utterly electric sophomore wideout Malachi Toney finished with 12 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Only two of his catches, including a 47-yard TD, came in the second half. The yardage broke the school record and the TDs tied another mark.
Toney opened as high as +3800 for the Heisman but is now down to +1250. Both Mensah and Toney should put up video game numbers Thursday against overmatched Florida A&M. Neither may play the second half after both were yanked in the third quarter of Week 1.
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Carr and Notre Dame as a whole struggled before intermission Sunday night in Lambeau Field against Wisconsin but woke up in the second half for a 41-13 blowout win. I'm already counting the days to Miami at Notre Dame on Nov. 7. Carr was solid but not spectacular, completing 19 of 29 for 239 yards and two scores.
He has also now been passed on the DK Heisman board by Texas QB Arch Manning at +950 (was +750) and Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith at +1000 (was +1400). Those two meet in one of the games of the year Saturday from Austin, so a big outing by either will get a lot of national attention and could close the gap on Mensah depending on what the UM quarterback does Thursday.
Three other guys who got solid odds boosts after Week 1 were USC quarterback Jayden Maiava (+2500 to +1900), Alabama QB Keelon Russell (+2200) and SMU signal-caller Kevin Jennings (+8000 to +5000) after his 430-yard, three-touchdown, two-INT performance to close Week 1 on Monday night in the Mustangs' last-second win at Florida State. Maiava in two games, meanwhile, amazingly has as many total touchdowns (six) as incompletions (six).
My current Heisman pick: Malachi Toney at +1250
