2026 Heisman Trophy Odds: CJ Carr Tops Arch Manning As Preseason Favorite

Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza’s 2025 season could not have been more perfect. 

He led his Hoosiers to an unblemished 16-0 season, captured the national championship in historic fashion and won the 2025 Heisman before being selected first in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Raiders.

Now that the path is clear for someone new to leave NYC in December holding the Heisman, who will it be?

With college football season right around the corner, check out the preseason Heisman odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 19. 

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CJ Carr: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Arch Manning: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Dante Moore: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Darian Mensah: +1150 (bet $10 to win $125 total)
Julian Sayin: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Trinidad Chambliss: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Josh Hoover: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Jeremiah Smith: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Gunner Stockton: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Sam Leavitt: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
John Mateer: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Jayden Maiava: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Marcel Reed: +2700 (bet $10 to win $280 total)

Here’s what to know about the 2026 Heisman oddsboard:

The Favorites: Carr is the slight favorite over Manning to win the Heisman Trophy in 2026. As a freshman, Carr completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. And the latter is no stranger to Heisman talk. Manning opened as the favorite for the 2025 Heisman at several books and right before the season kicked off, bettors were hammering Manning’s futures. The excitement over Manning was short-lived once his Longhorns went 3-2 to begin the season behind his struggles. However, the Texas quarterback picked up major momentum at the end of last season and will look to carry that over into 2026. Despite struggling early in the year, Manning was seventh in the country in touchdown passes (12) and 10th in the country in passing yards (1,493) from Week 9 on. He also led the SEC in both categories in that same span while taking down undefeated Texas A&M in Texas’ final regular season game. If he is at least named a finalist, he would follow in the footsteps of his uncles and his grandfather, as both Peyton and Eli Manning, and their dad Archie, were Heisman finalists during their college careers. 

Arch Manning is +750 to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy.

Ones To Watch: Ohio State teammates Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are two players to watch for next season’s Heisman — especially because they were both in the conversation to win the award most of 2025. Sayin, in fact, was a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the race with eight first-place votes. Smith didn’t make the trip to New York but finished sixth in the tally. Sayin threw for 3,610 yards (10th) and 32 touchdowns (4th) with an 88.4 QBR that ranked third in the country last season. Coming off one of the best true freshman seasons by a wide receiver in college football history, Smith caught 87 passes (7th) for 1,243 yards (4th) and 12 TDs (T-6th) in 2025. In two collegiate seasons, he has led his team to a National Championship and won multiple national and Big Ten awards. The one thing missing? A Heisman Trophy. Could he finally capture it in his presumed final college season?

Heisman In Troy?: Could Maiava bring the hardware back to SC from NYC? Based on the early odds, he could have at least a slight chance. If the Trojans’ QB wins the most coveted individual award in college football, he’d be the first USC player since Caleb Williams (2022) to do so. Maiava finished the 2025 season with 3,711 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, as his squad ended the year with a 9-4 record.