The Heisman race had a huge shakeup starting on Friday night and into the weekend as new contenders emerged.
1. Marcel Reed | Texas A&M QB | Sophomore (RS) | Last week: 1
Reed was tremendous in a victory over Arkansas on Saturday—totaling 335 yards and four touchdowns for an A&M offense that now leads the country with 43.0 points per game on the road. Of course, one of those games was a 41-40 win over Notre Dame last month, so Reed should have confidence this weekend heading into a matchup versus LSU in Death Valley.
Season stats:
61.9% | 1,770 PASS YDS | 15 PASS TD | 4 INT
51 CAR | 241 RUSH YDS | 4 RUSH TD | 4.7 AVG
2. Ty Simpson | Alabama QB | Junior (RS) | Last week: 2
Alabama has been on fire since losing the opener, and Simpson showed outstanding poise as a passer with another efficient game (19-of-29 for 253 yards and two touchdowns) to beat then No. 11-ranked Tennessee on Saturday night. This week, we’ll see if Simpson can stay hot for a road matchup against an underperforming South Carolina team that has talent on defense.
Season stats:
70.2% | 1,931 PASS YDS | 18 PASS TD | 1 INT
45 CAR | 66 RUSH YDS | 2 RUSH TD | 1.5 AVG
3. Fernando Mendoza | Indiana QB | Junior (RS) | Last week: 4 (+1)
Marcel Reed and Ty Simpson didn’t do anything to fall, but a case can be made for Mendoza being the Heisman favorite after completing 24-of-28 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-13 win over Michigan State. Although Indiana doesn’t have any ranked opponents left on the schedule in the regular season, a visit by a resurgent UCLA squad this weekend should be a fun one for Mendoza to make another statement.
Season stats:
73.5% | 1,755 PASS YDS | 21 PASS TD | 2 INT
41 CAR | 151 RUSH YDS | 2 RUSH TD | 3.7 AVG
4. Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State WR | Sophomore | Last week: 5 (+1)
Smith was held out of the end zone for the first time since the opener last week, but he still caught nine passes for 97 yards. As long as the Buckeyes keep winning games, Smith should remain in contention as the top non-quarterback—but he might need a couple of monster statistical performances to rise.
Season stats:
49 REC | 602 REC YDS | 7 REC TD | 12.3 AVG
2 CAR | 20 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | 10.0 AVG
5. Gunner Stockton | Georgia QB | Junior (RS) | Last week: NR
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia could have easily made the list this week as well, but Stockton—after five total touchdowns in a top-10 battle versus Ole Miss—put himself squarely into the race. Overall, Stockton completed 26-of-31 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns with another 59 yards and a score on the ground in the comeback win for the Bulldogs.
Season stats:
70.5% | 1,553 PASS YDS | 10 PASS TD | 1 INT
58 CAR | 279 RUSH YDS | 7 TD | 4.8 AVG
Dropped out:
Miami QB Carson Beck