Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith Jr. catapulted into the Heisman Trophy odds conversation after another dominant showing Saturday night against Texas.
Although Texas rallied to win the game behind clutch play from Arch Manning, Smith Jr.’s 164 yards and one touchdown pushed him into the Heisman lead at DraftKings.
Key Takeaways
- Jeremiah Smith Jr. has not had a game with less than 151 receiving yards this season.
- Darian Mensah completed at least 90% of his passes in both of his games.
- Arch Manning surged to third in odds despite throwing for less than 200 yards.
| Player | Opening Odds | Last Week’s Odds | Current Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darian Mensah | +1,150 | +550 | +550 |
| Jeremiah Smith Jr. | +1,400 | +1,000 | +650 |
| Arch Manning | +750 | +950 | +1,000 |
| CJ Carr | +700 | +1,100 | +1,050 |
| Trinidad Chambliss | +1,500 | +1,300 | +1,300 |
| Malachi Toney | +3,800 | +1,250 | +1,300 |
| Julian Sayin | +1,200 | +1,400 | +1,500 |
| Josh Hoover | +1,300 | +1,900 | +1,700 |
| Jayden Maiava | +2,500 | +1,750 | +1,900 |
| Sam Leavitt | +2,000 | +1,500 | +2,500 |
Miami transfer quarterback Darian Mensah, the leader after Week 1, is still setting a blistering pace in the Heisman race. The junior completed at least 90% of his passes in each of his two outings against Stanford and Florida A&M en route to 653 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and a nation-leading 96.5 QBR. His Heisman Trophy odds remain unchanged from last week’s +550 value, according to DraftKings.
Smith Jr. briefly took the lead from Mensah during Ohio State’s matchup with Texas before surrendering it as of Sunday morning.
There is a NEW Heisman Trophy favorite 🚨
— DraftKings Sports (@DKSports) September 13, 2026
Jeremiah Smith is +500 to win the award 🏆 pic.twitter.com/P0ZEmozQgq
Smith Jr. has been an excellent college football player since he grabbed six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns against Akron as a true freshman in 2024. Two years later, and he’s just off the lead at +650, giving him a 13.3% implied chance of winning the award.
The junior wideout began the year at +1,400, which was only sixth on the board. Racking up 16 receptions, 315 yards and three touchdowns after just two games helped him gain an additional 6.6% likelihood in the award market.
Texas’ Arch Manning was the biggest winner of the weekend. He’d fallen to +2,300 when Texas entered halftime trailing Ohio State 20-3, but his excellent fourth quarter play brought him all the way back to third on the board at +1,000. Manning finished the game with 195 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Arch Manning last 3 drives:
— Underdog CFB (@UnderdogCFB) September 13, 2026
13-19
125 passing yards
33 rushing yards
1 TD
Texas scored touchdowns on all 3 drives. pic.twitter.com/xj3Yvt45n7
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr is fourth at +1,050. He logged 253 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-0 annihilation of Rice, in which he only played one drive in the entire second half.
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss and Miami WR Malachi Toney round out the top five contenders, both tied at +1,300. Chambliss picked up 225 yards and two touchdowns as his team cruised to a victory against Charlotte over the weekend. Toney brought in four receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown against Florida A&M.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
The chase pack
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin is the closest contender outside of the top five at +1,500. He finished with 278 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in Saturday’s loss to the fourth-ranked Longhorns, having been valued at +900 at halftime.
Indiana’s Josh Hoover is trying to do exactly what his predecessor, Fernando Mendoza, did last year by winning the Heisman while quarterbacking the national champions. He’s off to a nice start as he managed to throw for 145 yards and four touchdowns in only 11 attempts in a 55-0 win against Howard on Saturday.
USC QB Jayden Maiava, the only contender to have played three games thus far, sits at +1,900. He logged 261 yards, five touchdowns, and an interception in a win against Louisiana, and now leads the country in passing yards (896) and touchdowns (10).
LSU QB Sam Leavitt had the worst week of any top contender as he dropped from +1,500 to +2,500. The Arizona State transfer failed to match the hype he generated during a blowout win against Clemson the weekend before, throwing for 344 yards and scoring four total touchdowns, but also throwing three interceptions and getting sacked five times against Louisiana Tech.
Sam Leavitt making one of the best throws I’ve ever seen in one of the worst games I’ve ever watched
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 13, 2026
Really is the Sam Leavitt experience pic.twitter.com/bkDWT3HQi1
