Of the 15 college football players with listed Heisman Trophy odds on BetMGM, only one is not a quarterback — Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Smith finished sixth in the Heisman voting in 2025 as a sophomore and will certainly be viewed as a contender again next season.
But he isn’t the only non-quarterback with a chance to push into that conversation in 2026.
Last year, four non-QBs actually finished top-10 in the Heisman voting with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love third and one of the four finalists invited to New York City for the ceremony, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez fifth, Smith sixth and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs ninth.
Ditto for 2024, when Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter and Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty finished a relatively close 1-2 in the voting while Arizona State RB Cameron Skattebo was fifth and Penn State TE Tyler Warren seventh.
Over the last 25 years, five non-QBs have won the Heisman — USC RB Reggie Bush in 2005, Alabama RB Mark Ingram II in 2009, Alabama RB Derrick Henry in 2015, Alabama WR DeVonta Smith in 2020 and Hunter in 2024.
We already broke down our five best bets for the Heisman Trophy and fully expect it to go to a quarterback in 2026, with a deep cast of obvious contenders, but anything can happen.
Naming 5 Non-Quarterbacks In Play For The 2026 Heisman Trophy
Here are five non-QBs who could realistically force their way at least into the Heisman conversation this year.
1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Smith has been on the short list of best wide receivers in college football since his true freshman season in 2024 when he had 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 TDs (plus a rushing TD) for Ohio State’s national championship team.
Smith followed up with a big sophomore season as well, posting 87 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 TDs (plus a rushing TD).
With fellow star wideout Carnell Tate (51-875-9) moving onto the NFL, Smith could be even more of a focal point as a junior. Though, of course, Ohio State always has a deep stable of elite pass-catchers and brings in five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. — the No. 2-ranked WR from the 2026 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite.
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, a Heisman finalist last year as a redshirt freshman, should also be in contention again and that could split votes between the two Buckeyes.
The best path for Smith to truly contend for the Heisman Trophy is to post a career year, be among the FBS leaders in catches, yards and touchdowns, and account for an even higher percentage of Ohio State’s passing offense. There will also be voters who are inclined to reward him for being one of the best in college football for three years.
So if there isn’t an undeniably exceptional quarterback performance in 2026, Smith could potentially have a real shot at college football’s top honor.
2. Miami WR Malachi Toney
If Smith is widely considered the best wide receiver in college football, let’s call Toney the most dynamic offensive weapon nationally.
As a true freshman last season, Toney did it all for the Hurricanes on their run to the national championship game. Including the College Football Playoff games, the electric and elusive 5-foot-11 playmaker finished with 109 receptions for 1,211 yards and 10 TDs, 113 rushing yards and a score and 2 passing TDs.
Miami reloaded well through the transfer portal, including arguably an upgrade at quarterback from Carson Beck to Duke transfer Darian Mensah.
Toney could be even better as a sophomore and will have a substantial spotlight on him all season with ample opportunity to rack up “Heisman moments.”
3. Georgia Tech RB Justice Haynes
Haynes was off to a prodigious start last fall for Michigan with 857 rushing yards and 10 TDs in seven games before a season-ending foot injury.
His 122.4 rushing yards per game would have ranked second at the Power 4 level had he finished the season while his 7.1 yards per carry showed remarkable efficiency.
Haynes, who started his collegiate career at Alabama, now moves onto a third school in three years while transferring to Georgia Tech (for a surely sizable NIL package).
The Yellow Jackets are as much of a ground-and-pound team as any under coach Brent Key and had a breakout nine-win season last year. They ranked 21st nationally in rushing (197.46 YPG), led by dual-threat QB Haynes King, who is out of eligibility.
Look for Georgia Tech to lean heavily on its high-profile transfer addition and give Haynes every chance to rank among the national rushing leaders if he can stay healthy.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Haynes topped 100 yards and scored a TD in all but one of his seven games last season and averaged at least 5.1 YPC in every game.
4. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy
Hardy not only showed he could transfer his prolific 2024 production at Louisiana-Monroe to the Power 4 level but he was even better in his first SEC season at Missouri.
The 5-foot-10, 206-pound Hardy led all P4 players with 1,649 rushing yards, averaged a robust 6.44 YPC and scored 16 TDs. He had eight 100-yard games, including a 300-yard, 3-TD performance vs. Mississippi State and a 250-yard, 3-TD game vs. Louisiana.
Missouri has a clear offensive identity, ranking third among P4 teams in rushing attempts per game (42.9) last season, so Hardy should remain one of the most heavily used running backs in college football.
There’s no reason to expect his production to dip, so it’s more a matter of staying healthy and Missouri pushing its way into CFP contention. The Tigers got off to a 6-1 start last season before stumbling once starting QB Beau Pribula was injured.
Well, they’ve arguably upgraded the position entirely with Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons coming in and Pribula moving on to Virginia. With perhaps more of a passing threat to take defensive pressure off the run game, could Hardy be even more effective in 2026 for a Tigers team with heightened potential?
If so, Heisman talk isn’t hyperbole at all here.
5. Louisville RB Isaac Brown
Brown might be the most underrated player in all of college football.
A lower leg injury last November cost him four games right as he was peaking and limited what could have been video game-like season stats.
Brown returned for Louisville’s bowl game, rushed for 102 yards and 2 TDs on just 10 carries vs. Toledo and pushed his seasons totals to 884 rushing yards on an elite 8.8 YPC (tops among any RB at the FBS level with 100 carries) and 7 TDs in nine games.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Brown rushed for 1,173 yards and 11 TDs (plus a receiving TD) as a true freshman in 2024. His sophomore season would have easily surpassed those totals if not for injury setbacks.
In addition to the four games missed in November, Brown got just 1 carry (for 18 yards) in an early game vs. Bowling Green after being limited in practice that week. He then had his two worst performances of the season the following weeks vs. Pitt and Virginia, which doesn’t seem coincidental.
So he essentially missed almost five full games and also received just 6 carries (for 126 yards and 2 TDs) in a season-opening blowout win over Eastern Kentucky.
He topped 100 yards in six of his nine games and averaged at least 7.5 YPC in seven games.
During a three-game stretch vs. Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech coming off a mid-season bye week, he rushed for 448 yards on a ridiculous 9.96 YPC and 2 TDs before the lower leg injury. Add in the bowl game and he averaged an even 10.0 YPC over his final four games last season.
Brown initially announced plans to enter the transfer portal but opted to remain at Louisville and made his motivation for 2026 clear: “Heisman, for sure, because I know I can do it. I really feel I would have did it last year if I didn’t get hurt, so I feel like I’m going to be up for the Heisman, hopefully.”
It’s not that far-fetched if Louisville, which upset Miami and was ranked for much of last season, can stay in the ACC championship hunt.
Brown is as talented as any running back in college football — that much is inarguable.
