Who will hoist the Heisman in 2026? A way-too-early look

"Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led the No. 1 Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 record and their first Big Ten title since 1967, captured the 91st Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. Mendoza beat out quarterbacks Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) and Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) to take home the trophy during a ceremony in New York. Mendoza, who played two seasons at California before joining the Hoosiers this season, completed 71.5% of his pass attempts for 2,980 yards."

"With Mendoza, Pavia and Love expected to move on to the NFL after this season, who are the top returning Heisman Trophy candidates for 2026? In compiling the list of potential candidates, I projected that quarterbacks John Mateer (Oklahoma), Ty Simpson (Alabama) and Dante Moore (Oregon); receivers Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Zachariah Branch (Georgia) and Makai Lemon (USC); and running back Emmett Johnson (Nebraska) will turn pro (along with the aforementioned finalists from this year)."

"Here is a look at some of the top potential contenders (in no particular order): 2025 stats: 80 catches, 1,086 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns Smith's highlight reel of acrobatic, one-handed catches continues to grow, and he arguably has been the best player in college football this season. He was the fastest Buckeyes player to reach career marks of 2,000 receiving yards (24 games), 100 catches (20) and 25 touchdown receptions (25)."

Fernando Mendoza won the 91st Heisman Trophy after leading No. 1 Indiana to a perfect 13-0 season and the program's first Big Ten title since 1967. Mendoza completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards after transferring from California and beat finalists Diego Pavia, Julian Sayin and Jeremiyah Love. Indiana produced only its second Heisman finalist, following Anthony Thompson in 1989. Multiple top players from the season are projected to enter the NFL, and a preliminary list of possible 2026 Heisman contenders includes returning quarterbacks, receivers and running backs from major programs.

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