Heisman Trophy Odds 2026: Biggest Risers after Week 1

At the risk of overreacting to a Week 1 game - let alone the only Power Four vs. Power Four matchup Friday night, which perhaps drew undue attention - No. 7 Miami’s 45-6 evisceration of Stanford drew plenty of attention. No other game so clearly impacted the early 2026 Heisman odds.

In fact, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah is suddenly the Heisman frontrunner, in part thanks to a disappointing showing from No. 4 Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr against Wisconsin Sunday.

📊 Heisman Trophy odds 2026

Live Heisman Trophy odds via our best sports betting sites.

🏆 Who were the biggest Heisman risers after Week 1?

Darian Mensah, Miami QB, now +550 at Caesars

The best price you will find right now on Mensah to win the Heisman is +650 via FanDuel, down from an offseason price as high as +1600. That should be expected when you go 27-of-30 for 401 yards and five touchdowns in Week 1.

Furthermore, the Miami Hurricanes should be handily favored in 10 of their remaining 11 games, and that Nov. 7 tilt at Notre Dame will give Mensah a national spotlight at the right time of year.

But if one thing could cut into Mensah’s Heisman chances, it is his favorite target …

Malachi Toney, Miami WR, now +1000 at Caesars

Toney is as high as +1400 at BetMGM right now, down from summer numbers as high as +3300. He is the best player on Miami’s roster, not Mensah, and Toney can lay claim to being the best player in the country.

But, of course, the Heisman has long been a quarterback’s award, with eight of the last 10 winners being passers. It will be difficult for Toney to assert his talent without showcasing Mensah as he does so, while Mensah will throw at least some passes to other receivers.

Of Mensah’s massive Friday stat line, Toney caught 12 of those passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns.

To some extent, these two may split votes and open the path for someone else come December.

Keelon Russell, Alabama QB, now +2400 at DraftKings

Keelon Russell can be found at +3000 at FanDuel, a massive drop from the summer’s +8000. While the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide largely flew below the radar in the preseason partly because Russell is such an unknown commodity behind center, the sophomore’s debut start should end such worry.

Russell threw for 256 yards and ran for 86 more (on 13 carries) in a casual 48-10 Tide win against East Carolina. More than anything else, Russell looked like an ideal fit for Kalen DeBoer’s offense, something that was less true of Ty Simpson the last two seasons.