2026 Heisman Watch: Early Heisman Trophy Favorites Led by Notre Dame's CJ Carr

It has been eight months since we saw Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza lift the heavy Heisman Trophy in NYC. He's now gone to the Raiders and the NFL, so who will step up and win the 2026-27 award? 

There is no shortage of candidates entering a new season. Four of the top eight finishers from last year (QB Julian Sayin, WR Jeremiah Smith, QB Gunner Stockton, and QB Trinidad Chambliss) are returning, and the transfer portal allowed teams to reload with star players, such as Miami grabbing Duke QB Darian Mensah. 

Texas QB Arch Manning, who was the favorite heading into 2025, is once again near the top of the board but will have plenty of competition for the elusive achievement.

Let's stack up the field in an early Heisman watch and break down the possible payouts for Heisman Trophy winners on PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can pick college football futures and earn money if you're right in 36 states.

Make your 2026 Heisman Trophy predictions on PrizePicks Team Picks.

{{cfb_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Heisman Watch: 2026 Heisman Trophy Candidates, Winner Payouts, CFB Futures

Here are some top college football players and Heisman Trophy candidates to win the award, including their payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks. 

The payouts listed below indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry pays out $200. The lower the payout multiplier, the higher the chance of the outcome occurring, according to user picks.

Who Will Win The 2026 Heisman Trophy? Top Favorites

Here are our top three Heisman Trophy contenders with the 2026 season getting underway. 

Heisman Trophy winner payouts courtesy of PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can pick which player you think will win the Heisman Trophy and earn money if your picks are right!

3: Trinidad Chambliss (QB, Ole Miss)

Trinidad Chambliss Heisman Trophy Winner Payouts: 9.09x Yes | 1.04x No

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss won his offseason appeal with the NCAA, allowing him to return to Ole Miss after lighting up the SEC for the second half of 2025. 

Chambliss took over as Ole Miss's QB in Week 3, yet still threw for 3,937 yards, the third most in the country and the most in the conference. He added 527 yards and 8 TDs on the ground — a true dual-threat QB. 

Just as important as his stats, Chambliss led the Rebels to wins in nine of 10 regular-season games and victories in the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff before losing in the closing seconds of the semis to Miami. 

The Rebels will look different in 2026, as former coach Lane Kiffin took his staff and many players to Baton Rouge, but they could remain potent. RB Kewan Lacy helps form one of the best QB-RB tandems in the country, and Chambliss will have speedster WR Deuce Alexander, Syracuse transfer Johntay Cook, and local recruit Caleb Cunningham.

Chambliss and the Rebels will know their chances early, playing 24th-ranked Louisville out of the gate and hosting 11th-ranked LSU and their former head coach in Week 3. Survive that, and it’s four ranked opponents in five weeks in late October for Chambliss to make his Heisman case. 

Predict the Heisman Trophy winner and more on PrizePicks Team Picks this college football season.

2: Darian Mensah (QB, Miami)

Darian Mensah Heisman Trophy Winner Payouts: 9.09x Yes | 1.04x No

For those who are fans of the portal, this is its beauty: Carson Beck leaves Miami after nearly winning a national title and is replaced by the Duke QB who led his team to the ACC Championship.  

At Duke last year, Mensah passed for 3,973 yards, second in the country and most among Power 4 QBs. He also had 34 TDs, trailing only Heisman winner and No. 1 pick Mendoza. Mensah finished with a 153.59 passer rating, good for 20th in the nation. 

He now takes his talents to Coral Gables to run a Hurricanes offense that was 30th in scoring and 36th in passing. He'll have one of the top playmakers in the country in Malachi Toney at WR, as well as Mark Fletcher Jr. at RB and a host of young breakout WR candidates in Josh Moore and Cooper Barkate. 

Playing the weak ACC might just allow Miami to get to 8-0 entering a November 7 showdown in South Bend, where Mensah could have a chance to send a message against the Irish. 

{{cfb_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

1: CJ Carr (QB, Notre Dame)

CJ Carr Heisman Trophy Winner Payouts: 6.66x Yes | 1.08x No

After leading the Irish to a 10-2 record as a freshman but missing out on the CFP, QB CJ Carr enters 2026 as the Heisman favorite, according to user picks.

Carr threw for 2,741 yards and 24 TDs in his first season as starter, ending the campaign with the fifth-highest passer rating in the country. He also ranked in the top five in yards per attempt at 9.4. 

Carr loses both his RBs from last season in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price but brings back top WRs Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse. He'll have a national audience every week, with games against ranked BYU, SMU, and the rematch with Miami.

On paper, the Irish look like an 11-win team, which would leave Carr squarely in the Heisman mix if he holds up his end of the bargain. 

Make 2026 Heisman Trophy Picks on PrizePicks

The 2026 college football season is here, and it’s never too early to talk Heisman candidates. Can Mensah be the key offensive general that Miami needs to get back to the title game, or will Carr take Notre Dame to the playoff they missed out on last season?

Make your Heisman Trophy picks with futures on PrizePicks Team Picks. Just go to the PrizePicks app, open Team Picks, select the player you think will win the Heisman, and earn cash if you're right. You can also make predictions on CFB game winners, spreads, and over/unders — now available in 36 states.

Keep it here with the Playbook for continued college football picks, predictions, futures, and more as we jump into 2026.