Heisman Trophy Race: Jeremiah Smith, Jadan Baugh Keeping Pace With Darian Mensah In Week 5

Will Despart October 1, 2026 Fact checked by: Matt Moreno No Comments

Darian Mensah continues to shine for Miami, but a pair of non-quarterbacks made a move up our ladder as the Heisman Trophy race rolls on in Week 5.

The college football season is starting to heat up now that most teams have a conference game or two under their belt, which also means there’s plenty of Heisman Trophy-worthy statements being made across the country. 

Miami’s Darian Mensah sat atop the ladder last week and his historically efficient start to the season continued in Miami’s 52-3 thrashing of Central Michigan, but was it enough to remain No. 1 for another week? Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith certainly made his case with an insane performance against Illinois on Saturday, as did Jadan Baugh in Florida’s dominant win over Ole Miss.

Jeremiah Smith Ohio State vs. Illinois
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith celebrates with teammates after scoring against Illinois. Photo credit: (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

There’s a lot of turnover this week, so let’s get into it.

Top Heisman Trophy Race Contenders For Week 5

Previous Rankings: Preseason | Week 3 | Week 4

QB Darian Mensah, Miami

Darian Mensah’s position at No. 1 may not be nearly as secure as it was last week, but I simply can’t knock a guy who just completed 23-of-27 passes for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 49-point win. I understand he’s not facing the toughest schedule in the world, but his passing efficiency is hard to even comprehend. Mensah completed 94-of-106 (88.7%!) of his passing attempts this season and has thrown 14 touchdowns without an interception. In other words, he’s thrown more passing touchdowns than he has incompletions (12). According to ESPN, Mensah is the first player since at least 2004 to achieve that feat with 50+ passing attempts.

WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Jeremiah Smith was left off the ladder last week in favor of Malachi Toney, and he responded by registering a performance so superhuman that it gave him a serious argument to be the outright Heisman frontrunner. In Ohio State’s 42-19 win against the Fighting Illini last week, Smith tallied career highs with 12 receptions for 217 yards and caught 4 touchdowns in the process, cementing his position as both the most talented and best performing wide receiver in the country. Smith’s 617 yards and 7 touchdowns each lead the country, and it’s become clear he’s the straw that stirs the drink in Columbus. 

RB Jadan Baugh, Florida

Jadan Baugh made his debut appearance on the ladder last week and only cemented his status this week, and he could arguably be ranked higher after his dominant performance against Ole Miss. Baugh ran for 142 yards on 29 carries and reached the end zone three times, combining with backfield mate Duke Clark to run the Rebels all the way out of The Swamp. At this point in the season, Baugh has over 100 more rushing yards than three of the last four running backs to win the Heisman and twice as many touchdowns. If Florida keeps winning and proves itself as an SEC title and College Football Playoff contender, Baugh’s candidacy will continue to heat up.

QB Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State

There might not be a more talked about player in college football than Kamario Taylor, rightly so, and there may not be a more talked about place on the sport’s map than Starkvegas at the moment. Taylor’s performance through four games has been so lights out that he’s been the subject of incessant transfer portal talks, but I’d bet my bottom dollar he rides it out with the Bulldogs until it’s time for him to go No. 1 in the draft. He completed 27-of-38 passes for a season high 360 yards in Saturday’s 31-24 win over No. 19 Missouri, and his three passing touchdowns gave him a share of the national lead with 14 on the season. A word of advice? Find a TV whenever Mississippi State is playing the next two seasons. 

WR Malachi Toney, Miami

This may be the only time this season that only two quarterbacks appear on the ladder, but Malachi Toney still deserves a spot given his insane production for Miami this season. Despite the fact that he’s been somewhat overshadowed by Darian Mensah’s absurd performance the last few weeks, Toney still ranks in the top three nationally with 34 receptions and 564 yards and his 6 receiving  touchdowns are tied for fourth nationally. He only brought in 6 receptions against Central Michigan on Saturday, but he still tallied 120 receiving yards (20.0 YPC!) and a touchdown. 

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