Heisman Watch after Week 1: Evaluating Top 8 Heisman Candidates Before Week 2

College Football Week 1 delivered some fantastic performances from some of the nation's top quarterbacks, including a few of those who entered the season near the top of the Heisman odds. While a single week of matchups, largely against lesser competition, won't swing our Heisman Watch after Week 1 entirely, it does have some influence on where the players are ordered. Let's dive into our Heisman Trophy candidates rankings entering Week 2. Go Ad-Free 1. Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss Rebels 8 Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images On Sunday night against Louisville, Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss stepped up when his defense didn't. Week 1 didn't get off to the hottest start for the senior quarterback, as he fumbled in Louisville territory in the first quarter and had an interception on the third drive in the second quarter. It's part of the reason why Mississippi only led 10-6 at halftime.Chambliss made up for it in the second half with 4 total touchdowns and he delivered the win for the Rebels on the game-winning drive with 1:30 on the clock to set up Lucas Carneiro's winner at the buzzer. Chambliss' numbers and the win over a ranked opponent land him atop our Heisman ballot right now. Trinidad Chambliss stats 2026 (ESPN): 21-of-36 (58.3% completion), 336 passing yards, 9.3 yards per attempt, 3-1 TD-INT, 60 rushing yards, 1 touchdown and 82.7 ESPN QBR Go Ad-Free 2. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami Hurricanes 8 Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images Quite the Miami Hurricanes debut for Darian Mensah. While Stanford isn't a premier program by any means, cross-country travel is never easy. Teammate Malachi Toney rightfully stole the show in Week 1 with the program's single-game record for receiving yards, but Mensah's 400-yard performance came with nearly twice as many touchdown passes (five) as incompletions (three) and he didn't have a single negative play on 30 dropbacks. Mensah won't have an opportunity for a 'quality win' for several weeks, but he could put up more eye-popping stats in Week 2 against Florida A&M under the lights at Hard Rock Stadium. Darian Mensah stats 2026 (ESPN): 27-of-30 (90% completion), 401 passing yards, 13.4 yards per attempt, 5-0 TD-INT, 0 sacks, 98.2 ESPN QBR 3. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon Ducks 8 Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was one of the few Heisman Trophy candidates who faced a top-25 caliber team. The Boise State Broncos also gave Oregon an early scare, holding a 17-7 lead late in the second quarter. How did Moore respond? With six consecutive scoring drives, covering 319 total yards (53.2 yards per drive) to push the Ducks back ahead 34-27 and delivering the victory. Moore really responded well to some unexpected adversity in this one and he did a phenomenal job spreading the football around, with four pass-catchers pulling in six-plus receptions for at least 70 receiving yards. Up next, a stat-padding opportunity on the road against Oklahoma State. Dante Moore stats 2026 (ESPN): 38-of-37 (75.7% completion), 378 passing yards, 10.2 yards per attempt, 3-0 TD-INT, 1 sack taken, 91.1 ESPN QBR 4. Arch Manning, QB, Texas Longhorns 8 Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images It wasn't the cleanest performance for Arch Manning, given the Texas Longhorns quarterback threw an early interception at home against Texas State. However, given the Longhorns' recent history of not beating up on bad competition, Saturday's 59–7 win almost feels like a minor accomplishment. Manning's rapport with Cam Coleman (70 receiving yards and two touchdowns) will only get better from here, which should terrify defensive coordinators given what the Manning-Ryan Wingo combo (7–121–1) put up. Overall, the stats for Manning are solid and a Week 2 home victory over Ohio State would put him atop the Heisman Watch. Arch Manning stats (2026): 20-of-27 (74.1% completion),305 passing yards, 11.3 yards per attempt, 4-1 TD-INT, 1 sack taken, 96.1 ESPN QBR 5. CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 8 Notre Dame CJ Carr looks to pass the ball during the Blue-Gold spring game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in South Bend. Sunday night's victory over Wisconsin highlighted why it will be pretty difficult for CJ Carr to win the Heisman Trophy. On tape, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback looked good with poise, touch and timing that NFL scouts in attendance certainly loved. He also proved instrumental in Notre Dame turning a close game at the half into a second-half thrashing. With that said, he's a pocket passer who doesn't have exceptional playmakers around him and the rapport with some of his receivers clearly still needs work. If Carr is going to win the Heisman this year, Notre Dame probably needs to be the only undefeated team in college football. CJ Carr stats 2026 (ESPN): 19-of-29 (65.5% completion rate, 239 passing yards, 8.2 yards per attempt, 2-0 TD-INT, 1 sack taken, 81.3 ESPN QBR 6. Malachi Toney, WR, Miami Hurricanes 8 Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney doesn't turn 18 years old until Sept. 17. He just broke the program's single-game receiving yardage record in three quarters. A season removed from leading the NCAA in receptions as a true freshman, Toney's speed and playmaking ability with the football in his hands is unmatched in college football. Quite frankly, few can even match it in the NFL. We don't necessarily believe that Toney will remain one of the top Heisman Trophy candidates long-term given his production will also inflate Mensah's numbers. With that said, he's undeniably one of the five best players in the nation. Malachi Toney stats 2026 (ESPN): 12 receptions, 234 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns and 19.5 yards per reception 7. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State Buckeyes 8 Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) runs past Ball State Cardinals defensive back Willizhuan Yates (4) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Sept. 5, 2026. Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, in our view, is the best player in college football and he warrants being on the Heisman Watch right now. Unfortunately for the 6-foot-4 All-American wideout, there are probably just too many mouths to feed in this Buckeyes' offense for him to challenge the quarterbacks and Hurricanes' centerpiece Malachi Toney. What would it take for Smith to change that? Finding the end zone and tripling his yardage total from last season's matchup (43 yards on 6 receptions) versus Texas. Jeremiah Smith stats 2026 (ESPN): 8 receptions, 151 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns, 189 yards per reception 8. Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU Tigers 8 Quarterback Sam Leavitt 10 during LSU Football practice. August 18, 2026. Sam Leavitt started his LSU Tigers career with an interception on his second pass attempt of the night. Maybe it was the two-hour delay or a bit of nerves in his first start at Death Valley, but LSU's superstar wasn't particularly effective through the air in Week 1. So, he made up for it by tucking the football and powering his shoulders through every Clemson defender he could find for a 113-yard performance on the ground. Leavitt is already a quarter of the way to his rushing totals from 2024 (443 yards and 5 touchdowns) and he can get even closer next week versus Louisiana Tech. Sam Leavitt stats 2026 (ESPN): 16-of-28 (57.1% completion), 230 passing yards, 8.2 yards per attempt, 1-1 TD-INT, 0 sacks taken,113 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns and 95.0 ESPN QBR