The Heisman Trophy race had a major wrench thrown into it this season when Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin went down with an elbow injury that might end his season. Sayin himself wasn't in the Heisman race, but star Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith was leading the race entering Week 9.
The Buckeyes had two weeks to formulate a plan for what they were going to do without Sayin in the lineup and true freshman Luke Fahey under center. What Ryan Day and company came up with didn't work, as Smith had a relatively quiet night in the Southern California rain and Ohio State took its second loss of the season against USC.
Across the country on Saturday night, Miami survived another shootout on the road against North Carolina to keep the Hurricanes' No. 1 ranking. While the Miami defense continues to disappoint, the offense is still nearly unstoppable thanks to Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney.
As a result, Mensah and Toney keep rising up the Heisman Trophy power rankings and closing the gap on Smith. Which Miami star is getting closer, and who rounds out the top five? Let's get into the list.
Honorable mention: Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr, Oregon State WR Jesse Legree, Oklahoma State Drew Mestemaker, Utah QB Devon Dampier, Georgia QB Gunner Stockton
5. Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez
Last week: NR
The fifth spot in these rankings has been up for grabs for a long time now, and Lopez gets the nod this week. Wake Forest is quietly one of the best stories in the country, as Jake Dickert has the Demon Deacons at 7-1 and ranked No. 14 in the AP poll. At the moment, Wake Forest has the inside track to the ACC Championship Game.
Lopez has been a big part of that, and he has a redemption arc of his own after being cast aside following a brutal 2025 season at North Carolina. On the season, he has completed more than 67% of his passes for 2,176 yards and 18 touchdowns to just one interception. On top of that, he has 317 yards and six touchdowns on the ground for a Wake Forest offense that ranks ninth in scoring offense and 16th in total offense in college football this year.
4. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss
Last week: 4
After a rough night against Texas, Chambliss was back to himself on Saturday in a 45-15 win over Auburn. In that game, the star signal-caller finished 22-of-34 with 263 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He also carried the ball seven times for 65 yards and a score as the Rebels pulled away from Auburn's upset bid in the second half. Ole Miss still has to win out in order to keep its CFP hopes alive and keep Chambliss in the Heisman discussion, but doing so would take the kind of feat that could vault him into the top spot.
Ole Miss welcomes Georgia to Oxford next week, the same team Chambliss torched twice on his way to becoming a household name in college football last season. If he can do that again and beat Kirby Smart and company on Saturday, he will be right back in the conversation at the top of the Heisman rankings.
3. Miami (FL) WR Malachi Toney
Last week: 3
Toney made big play after big play on Saturday night for Miami against North Carolina, which is becoming his forte whenever the Hurricanes need him to come up with the goods. The star receiver finished with seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns and was Darian Mensah's top target once again.
On the season, Toney now ranks among the very best in the country on the stat sheet. He is currently third in receiving yards, second in receptions and second in touchdowns on the season. It might be hard for him to pass his quarterback on this list the way that he is playing, but this pace will get him a trip to New York in December.
2. Miami (FL) QB Darian Mensah
Last week: 2
Mensah continues to be just what Miami needs, when it needs it. He has been the best quarterback in college football so far this season and kept that up on Saturday, finishing 22-of-29 with 274 yards and three touchdowns while running for 36 yards on four carries. His efficiency continues to be the engine that drives this Hurricanes offense, and with the shaky defense on the other side, it is the main factor keeping Miami ranked No. 1 in the country. Mensah can make his case for No. 1 on Saturday against Notre Dame.
1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Last week: 1
Smith had a quiet night narratively on Saturday night while Ohio State's offense sputtered in the loss to USC, but his final stats actually came out okay. The Heisman favorite finished the game with 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. He is still fifth in the nation in catches, second in yards and second in touchdowns.
Ohio State's schedule is a little bit lighter at the end of the season, but they still play against a gauntlet of good defenses in Oregon, Northwestern and Michigan. It remains to be seen if Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair gets the start for the Buckeyes against Oregon on Saturday, but Smith is the key to Ohio State winning out and getting into the CFP. Even though it looks bleak after Saturday night, Smith is still good enough to get Ohio State to that level.