Maybe quarterback Darian Mensah didn't get much consideration for the preseason AP All-American team, but the Miami Hurricanes quarterback definitely has the attention of the odds makers for the Heisman Trophy.
Mensah has been steadily climbing up the odds and has moved into the top-3 favorites with +1000 odds on FanDuel. The only two players ahead of Mensah are Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr (+750) and Texas quarterback Arch Manning (+850). Ohio State's Julian Sayin and Oregon's Dante Moore are tied for fourth-best odds at +1200.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (+1500) is the highest odds of a position player and Malachi Toney remains a solid sleeper pick at +3500.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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— On3 (@On3) July 30, 2026
Miami QB Darian Mensah takes home the hardware🙌 pic.twitter.com/01af7Puq6d
Darian Mensah and CJ Carr could be set up for Heisman showdown
I know we aren't supposed to talk about the Notre Dame game yet because November 7 is a long way from now. But you can't ignore that two of the top three Heisman favorites will be playing each other in primetime, in what's expected to be a clash between two top-5 teams.
If the Hurricanes and Irish take care of business as many expect, there's no reason not to believe that the winning quarterback of this game will gain frontrunner status for college football's most prestigious individual honor.
Besides being a phenomenal talent that led the Power 4 in passing yards last season (3,973) and threw 34 touchdowns with just six interceptions, Mensah is also surrounded by the best offensive skill talent in the country.
"Within this offense, I don't have to do much. I have great running backs, great receivers, great tight ends, everyone on the field are all expectational players. I think this year just going to let the game come to me and take it as it goes," Mensah said last month.
Mensah's odds of winning the Heisman have increased regularly. He was at +1500 when he committed to Miami out of the transfer portal in January and the odds moved to +1300 during the spring. But as we head into the season, the buzz around Mensah has reached its peak. A lot of the college football media are seeing what Miami players and coaches have been saying all season — Mensah is a special talent.
Miami's win total odds remain consistent at 10.5, which is tied with Oregon and Georgia for the second-most in college football. Notre Dame has the highest projection at 11.5 wins. The Hurricanes remain runaway favorites to win the ACC at -150, well ahead of Louisville and SMU, which are both at +750.
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