The first month of the college football season is in the books, the calendar has flipped to October and the Heisman Trophy race is starting to take shape.
With roughly one-third of the regular season complete, the focus has shifted from early-season statements to the grind of conference play, where contenders will have their biggest opportunities to strengthen — or damage — their cases.
Several familiar names are in the mix, but the first month also produced several unexpected contenders, including a few players who entered the season with little or no Heisman buzz.
Now, as conference races heat up and marquee matchups fill the October schedule, the path to New York is becoming clearer.
From a wide receiver leading the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns to a defensive star making a case to break the quarterback stranglehold, here are our 10 leading Heisman Trophy candidates as October begins.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
The Heisman headliner as September wrapped up. The junior has 33 catches, 617 yards and seven touchdowns, and he leads the FBS in receiving yards and TDs. His 12-217-4 performance against Illinois pushed him to the top of the list. The Buckeyes have road games in October against No. 14 Iowa (Oct. 3), No. 6 Indiana (Oct. 17) and No. 18 USC (Oct. 31), and they will need Smith to continue to produce at an elite level as Ohio State’s Big Ten schedule gets significantly tougher.
Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State
The sophomore first-year starter was one of the biggest stories of the first month: 1,192 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions for the undefeated Bulldogs. No. 17 Mississippi State hosts seventh-ranked Alabama on Oct. 3, an enormous opportunity for Taylor to show his early-season numbers can translate against elite competition and turn his fast start into a legitimate Heisman conversation.
Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
The junior has 83 carries, 600 yards and 11 TDs, including 142 yards and three scores in a 52-28 rout of then-No. 4 Ole Miss. He’s become perhaps the most compelling non-QB challenger alongside Smith. The Gators travel to No. 1 Texas (Oct. 17) and face No. 2 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (Oct. 31) this month, so Baugh will have two prime opportunities to elevate his profile in the Heisman race.
Darian Mensah, QB, Miami
The redshirt junior, a starter at Tulane in 2024 and Duke in 2025 before transferring to Miami, has 14 touchdown passes against only 12 incompletions for an 88.7% completion rate through four games. Against Wake Forest, he hit his first 24 pass attempts. The Oct. 3 game against Clemson in Death Valley, the Oct. 17 rivalry matchup against Florida State and the Nov. 7 trip to South Bend to face Notre Dame give Mensah three marquee tests that will help define his breakout season.
Colin Simmons, Edge, Texas
The junior has 7.5 sacks, highlighted by a five-sack performance at Tennessee, to go with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The No. 1 Longhorns are back in action Oct. 10 in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma, then face five straight ranked opponents (No. 8 Florida, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 16 Mississippi State at home, No. 25 Missouri and No. 11 LSU on the road), providing Simmons plenty of chances to solidify himself as the nation’s top defensive Heisman candidate.
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
The sixth-year senior has 1,222 passing yards (fifth nationally) and 12 total touchdowns (eight passing). His Week 3 performance against LSU and former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin — the man who brought Chambliss to Oxford from Division II Ferris State — can’t be understated. He threw for 314 yards and ran for 71 against the Tigers, and with games against Texas, Georgia and Mississippi State still to come, Chambliss has plenty of opportunities to add to his Heisman case.
Keelon Russell, QB, Alabama
Here’s another sophomore who has surged in his first year as a starter. Russell’s 365-yard, four-touchdown passing performance against South Carolina pushed his season totals to 1,129 yards and eight TDs, to go with 168 rushing yards and three scores. The Crimson Tide’s next five games — at Mississippi State, vs. Georgia, at Tennessee, vs. Texas A&M and at LSU — provide a gauntlet that could shape his Heisman candidacy.
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
The junior has been efficient with the football (70.5 completion percentage, 963 yards, nine touchdowns, one interception) for the No. 3 Fighting Irish. Carr’s two biggest opportunities to bolster his Heisman candidacy are upcoming — Oct. 17 at No. 10 BYU and Nov. 7 against No. 4 Miami in South Bend, giving him a chance to showcase his poise and production against two of the nation’s top teams.
Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
The redshirt sophomore transfer from North Texas caught the nation’s attention with his 317-yard, two-touchdown passing performance during a 39-31 upset win over then-No. 6 Oregon in Week 2. He ranks fourth nationally with 1,271 passing yards and has 11 TD passes. The Cowboys have only two ranked opponents (No. 20 Houston and No. 12 Texas Tech) remaining, so Mestemaker has limited opportunities to add marquee wins to his Heisman résumé.
Arch Manning, QB, Texas
The redshirt junior, one of the Heisman favorites entering the season, hasn’t dazzled (63.5 completion percentage, 862 passing yards, seven touchdown passes, three interceptions), but that stirring comeback win against then-No. 1 Ohio State in Week 2 keeps him in the conversation for now. Like his teammate Colin Simmons, Manning has the rivalry game with Oklahoma on Oct. 10, then five straight ranked opponents to try to put a charge into his candidacy.
READ MORE: Which schools have produced the most Heisman recipients? Every winner by program
Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.