CJ Carr Leads Preseason Heisman Odds as College Football Season Approaches

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza wrapped up his 2025 campaign in absolute perfection. He guided the Hoosiers to a flawless 16-0 season. The team lifted the national championship trophy in historic fashion. Mendoza also won the 2025 Heisman Trophy before getting selected first overall by the Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Now that the path is clear for someone new to leave New York City this December holding the award, who will it be? College football season is right around the corner. Check out the preseason Heisman odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 19. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may receive compensation. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

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 is what you need to know about the 2026 Heisman odds board. Carr sits as the slight favorite over Manning to capture 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. 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. He will look to carry that over into 2026. Despite struggling early in the year, Manning was seventh in the country in touchdown passes with 12 and 10th in the country in passing yards with 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. Both Peyton and Eli Manning, and their dad Archie, were Heisman finalists during their college careers.

Ohio State teammates Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are two players to watch for next season's Heisman. They were both in the conversation to win the award most of 2025. Sayin was a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the race with eight first-place votes. Smith did not make the trip to New York but finished sixth in the tally. Sayin threw for 3,610 yards which ranked 10th and 32 touchdowns which placed him fourth 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 which ranked seventh for 1,243 yards which placed fourth and 12 TDs which tied him for sixth 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?

Could Maiava bring the hardware back to South Carolina from New York City? 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 in 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.