Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell scored four total touchdowns against Mississippi State.

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So far this season, Darian Mensah has maintained the top spot on our Heisman ladder. As the season has progressed, he has fallen down many people’s boards, including ours.

1. Jeremiah Smith – 10.00 BiteScore

Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football. No team has even come close to stopping him. If his current season pace holds up, which I see no reason it won’t, Smith may top the season that DeVonta Smith had in 2020. Jeremiah just put up 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns against an Iowa defense that was supposed to be elite. He’s probably the best football player I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. Smith is currently an overwhelming favorite, with minus odds to win this award. This means that the oddsmakers believe it is more likely than not that he wins the Heisman, which, after Week 4, is essentially unheard of. Smith is generational and is on a historic pace.

2. Darian Mensah – 9.92 BS

Mensah unfortunately falls to No. 2 on this list after not playing in Week 4. Mensah has been my ride-or-die pick all year, but Smith has just been too good to ignore. I believe Mensah has much better odds than the media. Smith’s elite season doesn’t change the fact that Mensah has been elite all year and will likely continue to be. Mensah’s saving grace may be the simple fact of his position. At the end of the day, most valuable player awards are typically quarterback awards, and we’ll see if this plays a factor in this race.

3. Keelon Russell – 10.00 BS

What a breath of fresh air for Alabama fans. After a few years of mediocre quarterback play, Alabama has another elite signal-caller. Russell is about as dynamic as they come, reaching over 21 miles per hour this year and being able to throw the ball beautifully down the field. Russell has shown elite playmaking ability so far this year and, as a redshirt freshman, has shown incredible poise and mental strength already through five games. He has gotten progressively better through each game and gets his first elite defense of the year this week against Georgia. If he dominates a unique Georgia defense, we could see an even higher position on this list for Russell.

4. Colin Simmons – 10.00 BS

Colin Simmons has an argument for the second-best player in all of college football. He’s been dominating offensive lines week after week and had a five-and-a-half-sack game against Tennessee to lead his team to victory. My main argument for Simmons comes down to players who came before him. Chase Young and Aidan Hutchinson, to be specific. These are two fellow defensive linemen who made the trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony. Simmons is on a better pace in sacks and pressures than both of these players. I find it unlikely that Simmons will win the award, but I fully believe that he can be in New York for the ceremony.

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