Malachi Toney put on a show week one vs. Stanford.

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Every college football season, watching how the Heisman race unfolds is fascinating. This season’s Heisman race may end up being one of the best we’ve ever seen after seeing what happened in Week 1. The opening week had so many great performances that it was hard to even sort them, but here’s where things stand heading into Week 2. 

No. 1 Miami QB Darian Mensah

Mensah’s Week 1 was nothing short of extraordinary. He threw for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading to a rout of Stanford on Friday night. Mensah was my preseason pick for the Heisman and after Week 1, I feel even stronger in this opinion. He and Toney might be the most unstoppable duo in college football and with the schedule he’s got going forward, I don’t see any reason this will stop. I’d look for Mensah to potentially eclipse Jayden Daniels numbers, and possibly even Joe Burrow’s.

No. 2 Miami WR Malachi Toney

Could we see the first non-quarterback Heisman since Devonta Smith this season? If there was any year for this to happen, it would be this season. Malachi Toney and another wide receiver who I’ll get to later are arguably the best and most talented we’ve seen since Smith. 

Unfortunately for Toney his biggest obstacle is in his own backfield. After 230 yards and 3 TD’s in about two and a half quarters, you’d be hard-pressed to find a receiver performance better than that.

No. 3 Oregon QB Dante Moore

What a second half from Oregon’s Dante Moore to put Boise away. Moore came out of the gate slow and that game looked pretty scary for them until about halfway through the second quarter. After that moment, Moore looked like the Heisman candidate and potential Top 5 draft pick that many believe he is. 

He finished the game with 378 yards passing and 3 TD’s, one of which was a 62-yarder in the fourth quarter that won them the game. Moore put on a show and what gives him the edge over some other players is that he did this against a high-level opponent like Boise State.

No. 4 Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

Everyone knows who Jeremiah Smith is and what he can do, so I’ll keep this one short and sweet. He put up 150 yards and 2 TD’s in a half of football. When someone asks you what a generational prospect looks like, point to Smith. He is the best player in the country; the only thing holding him back from the Heisman is how great he and his team are. He may never play in the second half, which will hurt his stats in the long run.

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