Jeremiah Smith scored four touchdowns vs. Illinois.

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The 2026 Heisman race is shaping up to be a tight one, with a variety of players at different positions trying to stake a claim for being the best player in the country. From Florida running back Jadan Baugh tearing up SEC defenses to Miami quarterback Darian Mensah picking apart the ACC, this race is shaping up to be a good one. 

Read below for our current four-best players in the Heisman Trophy race. 

Darian Mensah, Miami QB (10.00 BiteScore)

Mensah has yet to provide a reason to drop him in these rankings. He continues to stack elite performances week after week. The only knock on Mensah has nothing to do with himself, but with his team. 

Mensah is moving down lists because he’s yet to play an elite defense, but this notion isn’t his fault. Mensah can only play the teams in front of him, and as long as he keeps taking care of business them, he’ll stay atop the rankings

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR (10.00 BS)

When evaluating college players, the word “generational” gets thrown around a lot more than it should. Jeremiah Smith is generational. Smith is the reason the term “generational prospect” exists. He dropped out of our rankings due to him being a wide receiver and playing weaker competition, and how hard it can be for non-quarterbacks to win the award. 

Smith transcends this idea. He played in the second half for the second time this year through four games and put up 217 yards and four touchdowns. Smith is putting up elite stats against good teams like Illinois and Texas, his worst game coming against Kent State.

Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State QB (10.00 BS)

Taylor earned his first ranked SEC win this season in Week 4. Just like in the South Carolina game, Taylor showed that he’s not afraid of the big moment. Playing in front of a sold-out home crowd, with a historic amount of cowbells, Taylor continuously made big play after big play when Mississippi State needed one. 

Whether it was the early game deep ball to take an early lead or the back-to-back big time throws on the lead-taking drives, Taylor keeps showing that he’s not just some run-of-the-mill athletic quarterback, but the real deal.

Jadan Baugh, Florida RB (10.00 BS)

Baugh and Smith might be in similar positions for this Heisman race. Baugh and the Florida offense put on a show in the swamp this past weekend, putting up 52 points on the Ole Miss defense. 

Baugh will face a tough path to the Heisman, given he’s a running back. The last running back to win the Heisman was Derrick Henry, and as good as Baugh is, that’s a steep comparison to make. Baugh can certainly make a push for the award, but we’ll have to see if he can overcome any of the quarterbacks in an elite Heisman race so far.

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