Darian Mensah just went nuclear. The Miami quarterback has absolutely taken over the early Heisman race, jumping to the front of the pack at +240 odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. We’re only in Week 3 of the 2026 college football season, and this dude is already separating himself like he’s running a whole different race entirely.
Mensah And Toney Are An Unstoppable Force
Mensah’s latest masterpiece? Starting 24-of-24 in Miami’s 33-20 win over Wake Forest on Friday night. Seriously, *twenty-four-for-twenty-four*! Yeah, he threw four incompletions later in the game, bringing his season-long completion percentage down to a still-pedestrian 89.9 on 79 attempts, but that opening stretch was pure fire. A huge part of his early season dominance is his unbelievable chemistry with wide receiver Malachi Toney. Toney isn’t just a sidekick, though, he’s a legit contender himself, tied for second in Heisman odds at +850. He’s leading the entire FBS in receptions with 28, receiving yards with 444, and an insane five receiving touchdowns. These two are putting on a clinic, and it’s making the rest of the league look like they’re playing catch-up.
The Steep Fall From Grace And A Surprising Rise
On the flip side, Marcel Reed just absolutely cratered. After Texas A&M got stunned by Kentucky at Kyle Field, Reed’s Heisman hopes basically vanished. He put up a brutal stat line: 26-of-49 for 236 yards, one touchdown, and *two interceptions*. Ouch. His odds plummeted to 125-1. While the Aggies still have time to claw back into playoff contention, the Heisman trophy is definitely not headed his way this year. Arch Manning is making moves, surging to +950 after Texas’s dramatic win over Ohio State, a huge jump from his +2500 last week. Oddly, that might have dinged Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, who dropped from +440 to +850, even after he broke the Buckeyes’ all-time receiving yards record in a 59-3 demolition of Kent State. It’s wild his own quarterback, Julian Sayin, is way behind Smith in the odds, but Smith’s just *that* dominant. Another guy who fell hard? Georgia QB Gunner Stockton. After a 70-20 romp over Western Kentucky had him at +2200, he’s now outside the top 10. He wasn’t asked to do much in their 45-17 road win against Arkansas, going 10-of-13 for 147 yards and a TD, plus 97 rushing yards. Still, not enough to keep him in the conversation this week.
Week 3 is wrapped, and the early Heisman picture is already getting crystal clear at the top, while other dreams are fading fast. The next few weeks are going to be absolutely critical. Can Mensah keep this ridiculous pace, or will someone like Toney or a surging Manning close the gap? Every snap matters from here on out. You gotta wonder who’s going to step up and make their move next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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