NCAAF · 10 hours ago

Ranking the Top 5 2026 Heisman Trophy Candidates Heading into Week 5

Bo Marchionte

Host · Writer

5. Arch Manning, Texas
We track the Heisman Top 5 journey each week from the preseason to Heisman Saturday.

Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 1 (September 1)
- 1) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
- 2) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 3) Donte Moore, Oregon, Quarterback
- 4) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 5) Julian Sayin, Ohio State, Quarterback
Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 2 (September 7)
- 1) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 2) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
- 3) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 4) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
- 5) Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss, Quarterback
Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 3 (September 14)
- 1) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 2) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
- 3) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 4) Malachi Toney, Miami (FL), Receiver
- 5) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 4 (September 21)
- 1) Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss, Quarterback
- 2) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 3) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 4) Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State, Quarterback
- 5) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
Heisman Top Heading into Week 5 (September 28^th)
- 1) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
- 2) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 3) Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State, Quarterback
- 4) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
- 5) Keelon Russell, Alabama, Quarterback
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith Heisman Trophy Profile
- Position: Wide Receiver
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 223
- School: Ohio State
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: Miami Gardens, Florida
Jeremiah Smith Week 4 Stats vs. Illinois
- Receptions: 10
- Receiving Yards: 168 yards
- Receiving Touchdowns: 2
Jeremiah Smith is doing the difficult thing in a quarterback-dominated award: making a wide receiver impossible to ignore. Another monster afternoon against Illinois pushed him to the front of FanDuel's board at +300.

Jeremiah Smith 2026 Stats
- Receptions: 34
- Receiving Yards: 558
- Receiving Touchdowns: 7
Jeremiah Smith Resume
- AP Top 25 Ranking: 2
- Team Record: 3-1
- Last Game: Illinois, Win, 42-19
- Next Opponent: Iowa, Oct. 3
2. Darian Mensah, Miami (FL)
Darian Mensah Heisman Trophy Profile
- Position: Quarterback
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 205
- School: Miami
- Class: Redshirt junior
- Hometown: San Luis Obispo, California
Darian Mensah Week 4 Stats vs. Central Michigan
- Passing: 27/30
- Yards: 330 yards
- Passing Touchdowns: 3
- Interceptions: 0
Mensah got the throw out the first pitch against the Atlanta Braves. A bonus of accumulating Heisman buzz. Miami's quarterback has thrown 14 touchdowns while completing 87.3 percent of his passes through four games, a level of precision that has become the story itself.

Darian Mensah 2026 Stats
- Passing Yards: 1,093
- Passing Touchdowns: 14
- Interceptions: 0
- Completion Percentage: 87.3%
Darian Mensah Resume
- AP Top 25 Ranking: 5
- Team Record: 4-0
- Last Game: Central Michigan, Win, 52-3
- Next Opponent: Florida State, Oct. 3
3. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
Kamario Taylor Heisman Trophy Profile
- Position: Quarterback
- Height: 6’4”
- Weight: 230
- School: Mississippi State
- Class: Sophomore
- Hometown: Macon, Mississippi
Kamario Taylor Week 4 Stats vs. Missouri
- Passing Yards: 360 yards
- Passing Touchdowns: 3
- Interceptions: 0
Kamario Taylor came into the Top 5 last week and he is rising. He just authored the kind of fourth quarter that moves a Heisman candidacy forward. His 24-yard touchdown strike with 3:57 remaining broke the tie as Mississippi State knocked off No. 19 Missouri, 31-24.

Kamario Taylor 2026 Stats
- Passing Yards: 1,192
- Passing Touchdowns: 14
- Interceptions: 2
- Completion Percentage: 69.2%
Kamario Taylor Resume
- AP Top 25 Ranking: 16
- Team Record: 4-0
- Last Game: Missouri, Win, 31-24
- Next Opponent: Texas, Oct. 3
4. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Trinidad Chambliss Heisman Trophy Profile
- Position: Quarterback
- Height: 6’0”
- Weight: 210
- School: Ole Miss
- Class: Fifth-year senior
- Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Trinidad Chambliss Week 4 Stats vs. Florida
- Passing: 25/34
- Passing Yards: 298 yards
- Rushing Touchdowns: 2
One Saturday can rearrange the entire Heisman board. Chambliss went from the betting favorite to +1100 after Ole Miss suffered its first loss, turning the next game into his first real rebound test of 2026.

Trinidad Chambliss 2026 Stats
- Passing Yards: 1,222
- Passing Touchdowns: 8
- Interceptions: 3
- Rushing Touchdowns: 4
Trinidad Chambliss Resume
- AP Top 25 Ranking: 15
- Team Record: 3-1
- Last Game: Florida, Loss
- Next Opponent: Arkansas, Oct. 3
5. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
CJ Carr Heisman Trophy Profile
- Position: Quarterback
- Height: 6’2”
- Weight: 215
- School: Notre Dame
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: Saline, Michigan
CJ Carr Week 4 Stats vs. Purdue
- Passing Yards: 237 yards
- Passing Touchdowns: 3
- Interceptions: 0
- Rushing Touchdowns: 1
Carr's Heisman case isn't arriving with a lot of noise; Notre Dame just keeps winning and he keeps supplying touchdowns. Three through the air and another on the ground helped bury Purdue 49-10 and keep the Irish perfect.

CJ Carr 2026 Stats
- Passing Yards: 950
- Passing Touchdowns: 9
- Interceptions: 1
- Completion Percentage: 71.6%
CJ Carr Resume
- AP Top 25 Ranking: 3
- Team Record: 4-0
- Last Game: Purdue, Win, 49-10
- Next Opponent: at North Carolina, Oct. 3
5. Arch Manning, Texas
We track the Heisman Top 5 journey each week from the preseason to Heisman Saturday.

Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 1 (September 1)
- 1) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
- 2) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 3) Donte Moore, Oregon, Quarterback
- 4) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 5) Julian Sayin, Ohio State, Quarterback
Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 2 (September 7)
- 1) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 2) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
- 3) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 4) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
- 5) Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss, Quarterback
Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 3 (September 14)
- 1) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 2) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
- 3) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 4) Malachi Toney, Miami (FL), Receiver
- 5) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
Heisman Top 5 Heading Into Week 4 (September 21)
- 1) Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss, Quarterback
- 2) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 3) Arch Manning, Texas, Quarterback
- 4) Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State, Quarterback
- 5) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
Heisman Top Heading into Week 5 (September 28^th)
- 1) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Receiver
- 2) Darian Mensah, Miami (FL), Quarterback
- 3) Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State, Quarterback
- 4) CJ Carr, Notre Dame, Quarterback
- 5) Keelon Russell, Alabama, Quarterback
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith Heisman Trophy Profile
- Position: Wide Receiver
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 223
- School: Ohio State
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: Miami Gardens, Florida
Jeremiah Smith Week 4 Stats vs. Illinois
- Receptions: 10
- Receiving Yards: 168 yards
- Receiving Touchdowns: 2
Jeremiah Smith is doing the difficult thing in a quarterback-dominated award: making a wide receiver impossible to ignore. Another monster afternoon against Illinois pushed him to the front of FanDuel's board at +300.

Jeremiah Smith 2026 Stats
- Receptions: 34
- Receiving Yards: 558
- Receiving Touchdowns: 7
Jeremiah Smith Resume
- AP Top 25 Ranking: 2
- Team Record: 3-1
- Last Game: Illinois, Win, 42-19
- Next Opponent: Iowa, Oct. 3