Notre Dame Leads 2026 Title Picks 5-3 Over Ohio State in Preseason Roundtable

Q: Will an elite wide receiver finally shatter the quarterback monopoly to claim the 2026 Heisman Trophy?

Yes, but only if the receiver is clearly the sport’s best player and his team is in the title race all season. In 2026, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is the strongest candidate to do it. The barriers are real. Quarterbacks have won 16 of the past 20 Heismans, and the award still tends to follow elite QB production on playoff contenders. This year’s market reflects that: Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Texas’ Arch Manning opened as co-favorites around +750, with Oregon’s Dante Moore, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin all clustered near the top. Smith, at roughly 12-1 to 14-1, is the best-positioned non-quarterback, but he is still chasing a QB-heavy field. What gives Smith a legitimate path is his profile. He has 163 catches, 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns through two seasons, is widely described as the best player in college football, and plays for a national-title contender with weekly spotlight games. If he posts overwhelming numbers, adds signature moments against Texas, Oregon and Michigan, and separates himself even from his own quarterback, voters could follow the DeVonta Smith model from 2020. Miami’s Malachi Toney is another receiver with an outside shot because of his versatility and huge reception totals, but his odds and national standing remain behind Jeremiah Smith’s. So the monopoly is not likely to end, but it is more vulnerable than usual. If any wide receiver breaks it in 2026, Jeremiah Smith is the most plausible bet.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Sep 2

Five of 12 writers picked Notre Dame to win the 2026 national title, ahead of Ohio State with three votes, while Texas and Oregon drew two each.
CJ Carr's expected leap, veteran line play and a manageable Irish schedule drove the Notre Dame case, while Ohio State backers cited Julian Sayin and a battle-tested path.
Heisman predictions were more split: Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith drew three votes apiece, CJ Carr had two, and Malachi Toney also received two.
Outside the AP Top 25, Oklahoma State emerged as the most popular sleeper with three picks after a 1-11 season, with Arizona getting two and Boise State, Navy and others single mentions.
The roundtable also flagged LSU-Ole Miss, Ohio State-Indiana and Oregon-Ohio State among the season's must-watch games as Week 1 approaches.