The race for college football’s premier award is wide open, and a trio could find themselves vaulting up voters’ lists by November.
This year’s Heisman Trophy race is a potentially loaded one with big-name stars like Julian Sayin, CJ Carr, Arch Manning, and Dante Moore leading the discussion. Despite having so much name recognition, there’s always a possibility for unexpected names to win the award at the end of the season.
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2024 and 2025 proved that it is a real possibility with WR/CB Travis Hunter and QB Fernando Mendoza winning the award despite not being among the preseason favorites. If we were to have a truly out-of-nowhere winner in 2026, who could that be? I have three options worth considering.
Miami WR Malachi Toney
The first name worth watching is Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney, who was unbelievably productive as a freshman. He totaled 109 receptions, 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025. Darien Mensah is the more likely winner for the Hurricanes because he’s a quarterback, but Toney is positioned to put up ridiculous numbers in this offense.
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For Toney to produce at the level he did so quickly speaks volumes about his talent. Miami’s schedule also provides plenty of opportunities for him to load up box scores against weaker competition.
While it’s rare for wide receivers to win the award, Toney has the most compelling case. He’ll be able to present extra value for his case as a return man and all-around gadget for the Miami offense.
Alabama QB Keelan Russell
This pick qualifies as a true dark horse because Keelan Russell hasn’t even been declared Alabama’s starting quarterback yet. Russell was an extremely talented 5-star recruit coming out of high school, and he has an opportunity to take a significant step forward from what Ty Simpson did a year ago for the Crimson Tide offense.
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Coming out of high school, Russell received comparisons to former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels possessed a rare blend of athleticism and playmaking that Russell mirrors.
Russell’s tools are a perfect fit for what Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb want to do schematically. Alabama needs Russell to carry a heavy load if the Crimson Tide want to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation. If Alabama defies everyone’s expectations of having a year three slump under DeBoer, it will be because Russell arrived a year early. At the very least, there’s a real chance he ends up as a finalist sometime in the next few years.
Washington QB Demond Williams
The most intriguing candidate on this list is Washington quarterback Demond Williams. His profile checks every box for an unexpected Heisman Trophy winner. He’s super elusive, possesses an unexpectedly strong arm, and brings genuine creativity as a versatile playmaker. That was on display last year when Williams completed 69.8% of his passes for 3065 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He added 611 yards and six more scores on the ground.
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Williams is capable of boosting Washington into contention as one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season. If that happens, the individual accolades will follow. A quarterback lifting a program beyond expectations is the exact formula that has produced surprise Heisman winners in recent cycles, and Williams has the skill set to do it.
Hopefully, the 2026 college football season lives up to our early expectations of being one of the most exciting yet. If that’s the case, then we’ll see an unexpected star hoist the Heisman.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: 3 dark horse Heisman Trophy candidates who could come out of nowhere in 2026
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