Darian Mensah and CJ Carr are set to face off in South Bend on Saturday night.

There’s some movement in the Heisman rankings this week. The nation’s darling, Jesse Legree, has unfortunately fallen out of the rankings and will likely stay out for the rest of the season. The Heisman is partially a team award on top of being an individual award, and a player on a 5-3 Group of Five team likely has no chance. Also, seeing Malachi Toney undergo season-ending ankle surgery and have his potential Heisman campaign cut short is unfortunate.

Now, let’s get into the post-Week 9 Heisman rankings.

1. Darian Mensah, Miami QB (10.00 BS)

There was some worry there for a moment in the North Carolina game. Miami losing would’ve hurt the case a lot for Mensah. The Hurricanes struggled to find success in the run game, but it didn’t matter, thanks to Mensah’s 274 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-sealing drive and touchdown pass to Toney.

Mensah has put up stats, been clutch and consistent. He checks every box of a Heisman candidate, and he’s on pace to hold up the trophy at the end of the year.

2. CJ Carr, Notre Dame QB (8.80 BS)

Carr is an interesting player to watch. He’s the ultimate game manager and doesn’t make very many flashy plays or insane throws. But, man, he’ll never miss that wide-open receiver, and he’s got some really good ball placement and decision-making.

Carr gets the opportunity to raise his stock this week against a defense that showed weakness last week. Billy Edwards diced up the Miami defense, and now Carr gets a chance to follow in his footsteps. A win would be a double whammy, too: a big win for him and a chance to drop Mensah in the rankings.

3. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR (10.00 BS)

Jeremiah Smith, man. It’s such a shame Julian Sayin got hurt. Smith almost had the award locked up and was on pace to have arguably the greatest wide receiver season of all time. Now, Smith is limping down the stretch with a team that’s struggling and a quarterback who clearly isn’t ready for the moment. Unless a major Ohio State turnaround happens, I don’t see how Smith could win the award. But maybe his unbelievable talent can shine through, even in a rough situation.

4. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss QB (7.98 BS)

Chambliss is the definition of a college football quarterback. Even though he doesn’t have the greatest size, his athleticism gives him the ability to make plays that others can’t. He may not be the most accurate, but he can deliver big plays when one is needed. That’s what the Heisman Trophy is all about.

Chambliss, like Mensah and Carr, gets a chance this weekend to beat a top team. This matchup against Georgia gives him a chance to put himself in the conversation for the award and potentially make himself the front-runner.

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