Phil Steele's 2026 Heisman Trophy favorites list is out, and it's a quarterback-heavy affair. With the college football season just around the corner, the race for the prestigious award is heating up. Here's a deep dive into the top 10 contenders, with a focus on the quarterbacks who are setting the bar high for the upcoming season.
Arch Manning: The Texas Titan
Arch Manning, the son of NFL legend Peyton Manning, is a force to be reckoned with. In his first season as Texas' starter, he led the Longhorns to a 7-1 record in the final eight games, including impressive wins over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, and Michigan. Manning's performance in these games was nothing short of spectacular, passing for 2,012 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 239 yards and five scores. With a full year under his belt, Manning is poised to take Texas back to the College Football Playoff and is the clear favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
Dante Moore: The Oregon Duck
Dante Moore, a transfer from the NFL Draft, is the second-leading Heisman Trophy candidate. In his first season as Oregon's starting quarterback, Moore passed for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. He led the Ducks to a 13-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. With superstar tight end Jamari Johnson and talented wide receivers Dakorien Moore and Evan Stewart returning, Moore is set to have another stellar year and could find himself in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
CJ Carr: The Notre Dame Legend
CJ Carr, a freshman sensation, delivered an extremely impressive campaign for the Irish. Carr passed for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions across 12 games. In Notre Dame's two losses, Carr totaled 514 passing yards, four total touchdowns, and two interceptions. With a full year under Marcus Freeman's leadership, Carr is poised to take an even bigger leap and could become a legendary Notre Dame quarterback.
Trinidad Chambliss: The Ole Miss Rebel
Trinidad Chambliss, a star quarterback for Ole Miss, solidified the Rebels as one of the biggest winners of the college football offseason. Although he didn't open the 2025 campaign as the starter, Chambliss took over for an injured Austin Simmons and blossomed into one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. He passed for 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions and led the Rebels to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. With his talent and potential, Chambliss is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Julian Sayin: The Ohio State Buckeye
Julian Sayin, a native of Carlsbad, California, more than lived up to the hype in his first season as the Buckeyes' starter in 2025. Sayin passed for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, leading Ohio State to an unblemished 12-0 regular season record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. With his accuracy and ability to lead the Buckeyes, Sayin is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Jeremiah Smith: The Ohio State Wide Receiver
Jeremiah Smith, a wide receiver for Ohio State, sat atop On3's 'Top 100 players in college football for 2026' list. Across two seasons in Columbus, Smith has hauled in 163 receptions for 2,558 yards and a whopping 27 touchdowns. He was named a Unanimous All-American in 2025 and a First Team All-American in 2024, and has been tabbed the back-to-back recipient of Big Ten Receiver of the Year. While receivers aren't typically wise bets for winning the Heisman, Smith's tantalizing scope of skills makes him a strong contender.
Darian Mensah: The Miami Hurricane
Darian Mensah, a transfer from Duke, enters the 2026 campaign as one of Phil Steele's favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Mensah was remarkable for head coach Manny Diaz and Duke in his lone season in Durham. Mensah's 3,973 passing yards ranked second most in the country, while his 34 passing touchdowns were tied for second most in the country. With his accuracy, sense, and pocket awareness, Mensah is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Josh Hoover: The Indiana Hoosier
Josh Hoover has the extremely difficult task of succeeding a Heisman-winning quarterback at Indiana. Hoover has spent the past four seasons at TCU, serving in the starting role over the past three. Across 36 career games, the Heath, Texas native boasts 9,629 passing yards and 71 touchdowns with just 33 interceptions. With his talent and potential, Hoover is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Sam Leavitt: The LSU Tiger
The first starting quarterback of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU will be Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt. Leavitt was banged up in 2025 but led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff for the first time ever in 2024. Across two seasons as ASU's starter, Leavitt totaled 4,513 passing yards and 34 touchdowns with nine interceptions. With his mobility and creativity, Leavitt is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Devon Dampier: The Utah Ute
Finally, Utah's Devon Dampier rounds out Steele's top-10 Heisman Trophy contenders list. Dampier shined in his first season at the Utes' starting quarterback, passing for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns with just five interceptions. Dampier is a threat to contribute on the ground as well, as he racked up 835 yards and 10 more scores that way. With his talent and potential, Dampier is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy.
In my opinion, the 2026 Heisman Trophy race is wide open. With so many talented quarterbacks in the mix, the award is anyone's to take. However, Arch Manning stands out as the clear favorite, with his impressive performance in his first season as a starter and the potential to lead Texas back to the College Football Playoff. The rest of the contenders are also strong, and the race will be exciting to watch as the season unfolds.
