Arch Manning sits atop the Heisman Trophy odds board, but will he take home the hardware this year? SBR's Rob Paul looks at the field and narrows it down to 5 bets that fit the blueprint of a Heisman winner.
The preseason favorite QB: Cade Klubnik (Clemson)
"Can Klubnik do what Lawrence and Deshaun Watson couldn't at Clemson and win the Heisman? He's right there with Manning and Garrett Nussmeier in terms of being an obvious preseason favorite. But unlike Manning, he has the experience behind him as he enters his third year as the starter. Unlike Nussmeier, he has so much continuity at the wide receiver position with stars Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore.
Klubnik is coming off a season in which he threw 36 touchdowns, ran for seven more, and finished fifth in the country in big-time throws (28). Of the big three preseason favorites, Klubnik is the best bet, just like Clemson is the best college football championship odds bet at this point."
The sophomore breakout QB: DJ Lagway (Florida)
"It already seems like DJ Lagway is everyone's favorite Heisman candidate to bet outside of the top five favorites. The former five-star recruit had some bright moments as a freshman - against Samford, Kentucky, and Florida State, specifically - and is poised to truly break out as a sophomore. He has one of the most impressive arms in the country and showcased it last year by having the highest big-time throw rate (8.8%) among Power 4 QBs (minimum 200 dropbacks). The question here is whether or not the Gators will win enough games to be nationally relevant."
The mobile QB: LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)
"Manning and Nussmeier lead the 2026 NFL Draft odds, but LaNorris Sellers should be right there with them. The South Carolina star was one of the most improved players in the country down the stretch last season as a redshirt freshman. Now he enters the year as one of the most dangerous playmakers in college football, and like a College Football 26 favorite for the gamers out there. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Sellers has a rare blend of explosiveness and power for a QB, running for 674 yards, seven scores, and forcing the sixth-most missed tackles among QBs (47) last season. He's also got the passing chops to win the award."
The transfer QB: Dante Moore (Oregon)
"Only five transfers have preseason Heisman odds of +4000 or shorter - Carson Beck at Miami (+3700), Sam Leavitt at Arizona State (+3000), John Mateer at Oklahoma (+2500), Dante Moore at Oregon, and Julian Sayin at Ohio State (+1800). However, two of them (Beck and Mateer) just joined their new team this offseason while Sayin has just 12 career pass attempts to his name. That leaves Leavitt and Moore as the best transfer options. So why the Duck over the Devil?
Well, Moore takes over an Oregon team that's sent two straight transfer QBs to the Heisman ceremony in Gabriel and Bo Nix. Having sat a year behind Gabriel to learn offensive coordinator Will Stein's offense, Moore is poised to live up to his five-star pedigree in Eugene. There were flashes with him two years ago at UCLA when he managed to have the 10th-highest big-time throw rate in the Power 4 as a freshman (6.4%). This Ducks team has national title aspirations, so Moore will get plenty of attention this season."
The transcendent non-QB: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)
"There's only one non-quarterback who really seems like he has any chance of winning the award, and to absolutely nobody's surprise, that player is Jeremiah Smith. He was the best player on Ohio State's national championship-winning team last year as a true freshman and has all the talent in the world to put up similar numbers to what Devonta Smith did when he won the Heisman at Alabama. The Buckeyes' star was third in the country in receiving yards (1,311), second in receiving touchdowns (15), and 10th in yards per route run (3.15) at just 18 years old. But his candidacy will be tied to Sayin and how quickly the new Ohio State starter acclimates to the spotlight."
Who is your pick to win the Heisman Trophy? Share your predictions below!
The preseason favorite QB: Cade Klubnik (Clemson)
"Can Klubnik do what Lawrence and Deshaun Watson couldn't at Clemson and win the Heisman? He's right there with Manning and Garrett Nussmeier in terms of being an obvious preseason favorite. But unlike Manning, he has the experience behind him as he enters his third year as the starter. Unlike Nussmeier, he has so much continuity at the wide receiver position with stars Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore.
Klubnik is coming off a season in which he threw 36 touchdowns, ran for seven more, and finished fifth in the country in big-time throws (28). Of the big three preseason favorites, Klubnik is the best bet, just like Clemson is the best college football championship odds bet at this point."
The sophomore breakout QB: DJ Lagway (Florida)
"It already seems like DJ Lagway is everyone's favorite Heisman candidate to bet outside of the top five favorites. The former five-star recruit had some bright moments as a freshman - against Samford, Kentucky, and Florida State, specifically - and is poised to truly break out as a sophomore. He has one of the most impressive arms in the country and showcased it last year by having the highest big-time throw rate (8.8%) among Power 4 QBs (minimum 200 dropbacks). The question here is whether or not the Gators will win enough games to be nationally relevant."
The mobile QB: LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)
"Manning and Nussmeier lead the 2026 NFL Draft odds, but LaNorris Sellers should be right there with them. The South Carolina star was one of the most improved players in the country down the stretch last season as a redshirt freshman. Now he enters the year as one of the most dangerous playmakers in college football, and like a College Football 26 favorite for the gamers out there. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Sellers has a rare blend of explosiveness and power for a QB, running for 674 yards, seven scores, and forcing the sixth-most missed tackles among QBs (47) last season. He's also got the passing chops to win the award."
The transfer QB: Dante Moore (Oregon)
"Only five transfers have preseason Heisman odds of +4000 or shorter - Carson Beck at Miami (+3700), Sam Leavitt at Arizona State (+3000), John Mateer at Oklahoma (+2500), Dante Moore at Oregon, and Julian Sayin at Ohio State (+1800). However, two of them (Beck and Mateer) just joined their new team this offseason while Sayin has just 12 career pass attempts to his name. That leaves Leavitt and Moore as the best transfer options. So why the Duck over the Devil?
Well, Moore takes over an Oregon team that's sent two straight transfer QBs to the Heisman ceremony in Gabriel and Bo Nix. Having sat a year behind Gabriel to learn offensive coordinator Will Stein's offense, Moore is poised to live up to his five-star pedigree in Eugene. There were flashes with him two years ago at UCLA when he managed to have the 10th-highest big-time throw rate in the Power 4 as a freshman (6.4%). This Ducks team has national title aspirations, so Moore will get plenty of attention this season."
The transcendent non-QB: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)
"There's only one non-quarterback who really seems like he has any chance of winning the award, and to absolutely nobody's surprise, that player is Jeremiah Smith. He was the best player on Ohio State's national championship-winning team last year as a true freshman and has all the talent in the world to put up similar numbers to what Devonta Smith did when he won the Heisman at Alabama. The Buckeyes' star was third in the country in receiving yards (1,311), second in receiving touchdowns (15), and 10th in yards per route run (3.15) at just 18 years old. But his candidacy will be tied to Sayin and how quickly the new Ohio State starter acclimates to the spotlight."
Who is your pick to win the Heisman Trophy? Share your predictions below!