Heisman momentum meter: Can Jeremiah Smith fend off Darian Mensah without his QB?

A pair of Big 12 quarterbacks debuted on USA TODAY’s Heisman Trophy momentum meter after huge Week 7 performances and wins. They weren’t able to keep up that position after games on Saturday, Oct. 24.

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier and Houston quarterback Conner Weigman both fall off the latest list after losing games to UCF and Utah, respectively. Bachmeier scored three touchdowns in the 39-31 loss in double overtime, but the loss results in a hit to the Cougars’ College Football Playoff and Big 12 championship appearance hopes.

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Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith remains the Heisman frontrunner, although the Buckeyes‘ situation offensively is muddied with true freshman Luke Fahey set to take over at quarterback. Starter Julian Sayin could potentially miss the entire season, which could slow down Smith’s record-breaking season.

Week 9 marks the final week of games in October, before the regular season turns into its final month. Here’s a look at how the Heisman race is shaking up after Week 8:

Heisman momentum meter after Week 8

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State ↔️ (1)

Smith and Ohio State were off in Week 8 after their 19-15 win over Indiana on the road in Week 7. The open week came at an opportune time, giving Fahey an extra week of first-team reps in practice before making his first career start against Southern California on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Ohio State is hoping Fahey can keep its offense chugging despite his inexperience. Smith is hoping Fahey’s good enough to keep his record-breaking season going, too.

2. Darian Mensah, Miami ↔️ (2)

Mensah has yet to be tested this season, but he has almost indisputably been the best quarterback in college football so far. The Duke transfer passed for 387 yards with four touchdowns in the Hurricanes‘ 52-23 win over Pittsburgh in Week 8, raising his completion percentage this season to a ridiculous 81.4%.

Mensah ranks ninth nationally with 2,151 passing yards, second nationally with 22 touchdown passes and first nationally in QBR at 89.7. He has checked every box so far except for a signature win.

He’s a Heisman moment away from taking over the race from Smith.

3. Malachi Toney, Miami ⬆️ (7)

Toney has been unstoppable the past two weeks. He has 27 receptions for 348 yards and five total touchdowns in Miami’s past two wins against Florida State and Pittsburgh, along with 31 rushing yards.

Toney now leads the country with 66 receptions and ranks third nationally with 952 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns. Smith, Toney and Oregon State’s Jesse Legree, another top-tier Heisman contender, are three receivers that are serious potential Heisman finalists.

“IT’S HARD TO TACKLE A VIDEO GAME!”

Malachi Toney takes it 53 yards to the HOUSE! pic.twitter.com/fCr7jcQET5

— ESPN (@espn) October 24, 2026

4. Jesse Legree, Oregon State ↔️ (4)

Legree and Oregon State were off in Week 8, which gave the true freshman breakout enough time to negotiate a deal to return to the Beavers for next season.

Despite not playing in Week 8, Legree still leads the country with 1,040 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns while averaging 22.6 yards per catch, which ranks third nationally. The former high school defensive back has been perhaps the best story of any player in college football this season, another factor working in his favor.

Legree’s status as a non-Power Four player hurts his status as a Heisman winner, but he should be in New York as a finalist, especially if he keeps up his pace that would break the NCAA’s single-season receiving yards record.

5. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss ⬇️ (3)

Chambliss had his worst start as a Division I quarterback in Ole Miss‘ 34-27 loss to Texas in Week 8. Chambliss completed only 25-of-52 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns in the loss, also tossing a career-high three interceptions against the Longhorns.

Chambliss hasn’t taken care of the ball as well as he did last season, with seven interceptions and two fumbles in 2026. Ole Miss also now has two losses, and another going forward could really hurt Chambliss’ Heisman case.

Chambliss will need to respond to vault back into top-tier contender status.

6. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State ⬆️ (8)

Mestemaker led the country in passing yards as a first-year starter at North Texas last season, and is making a push to do so again in 2026 after transferring to Oklahoma State.

Mestemaker passed for 386 yards with four touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 57-24 win over Colorado in Week 8, bouncing back from OSU’s 35-32 loss to Houston a week prior. He now has 2,326 passing yards with 20 touchdowns to six interceptions this season, along with 150 rushing yards and two scores.

Mestemaker is the current frontrunner to be the first quarterback selected in the 2027 NFL Draft, and his partnership with first-year Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris and myriad other North Texas transfers have been huge for the Cowboys’ turnaround.

Drew Mestemaker is 1.01 in the 2027 NFL Draft

Big-time throws galore pic.twitter.com/03Dtb1uIq1

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 25, 2026

7. Keelon Russell, Alabama ⬆️ (9)

Russell had a nice rebound performance against Texas A&M in Week 8, with 331 total yards and three touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s 31-20 win over the Aggies.

The former five-star recruit struggled in back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee prior to Alabama’s win over Texas A&M, failing to pass for at least 200 yards in both games. A strong performance against Texas A&M could be the confidence boost Russell and Alabama needs to feel confident in their College Football Playoff chances.

8. Gunner Stockton, Georgia ⬆️ (10)

Stockton and Georgia were off in Week 8 after their 27-24 upset loss to Auburn in Week 7. They’ll have an opportunity to bounce back against archrival Florida in a virtual home game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Stockton is still one of the most-efficient quarterbacks in college football for a top national championship contender. The loss hurt his Heisman status, but he’s more than capable of vaulting back up the list.

9. CJ Carr, Notre Dame ⬆️ (NR)

Carr and Notre Dame were also off in Week 8 after their upset loss to BYU.

Carr wasn’t at his best against the Cougars, but like Stockton, he has plenty of opportunities to respond from the loss. Carr has 1,639 passing yards with 16 touchdowns to an interception this season, along with an 84.7 QBR that ranks seventh nationally.

10. Sam Leavitt, LSU ⬆️ (NR)

Leavitt had committed a turnover in every game this season until LSU’s two most-recent games, which were also his two best performances of the season.

Leavitt completed 32-of-45 passes for 387 yards with three touchdowns in LSU’s 38-17 win over Auburn in Week 8, also rushing for 54 yards and a score on eight carries. The performance comes after he put up 300 total yards and four scores in the Tigers’ 31-0 win over Mississippi State the week prior.

Leavitt is playing his best football right now for LSU, who is still competing for a CFP bid and could still reach the SEC championship game. If this play continues, he can skyrocket up the Heisman list.

• Fell off list: Bear Bachmeier (5), Conner Weigman (6)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heisman momentum meter: Can Jeremiah Smith fend off Darian Mensah without his QB?