Desmond Howard ranked Trinidad Chambliss first and Kamario Taylor second in a hypothetical Heisman Trophy vote Saturday on ESPN's College GameDay, but he is forgetting one elite QB: Miami's Darian Mensah.
The show, live from Knoxville before No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee, put five quarterbacks on a "most impressive QB" graphic: Tennessee's Faizon Brandon, West Virginia's Michael Hawkins Jr., Louisville's Lincoln Kienholz, Alabama's Keelon Russell and Texas A&M's Kamario Taylor.
"If there was a Heisman vote right now, Chambliss would be No. 1, [Kamario Taylor] would be No. 2." @DesmondHoward is all in on Mississippi State's QB 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3LTLHNoGVx
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 26, 2026
"If there was a Heisman vote right now, Chambliss would be No. 1, [Kamario Taylor] would be No. 2."Desmond Howard
Here is how each QB on the list has played so far this season.
Trinidad Chambliss, No. 4 Ole Miss
Chambliss is 77 of 110 passing for 924 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 64 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
He threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns in the opener against Louisville, then completed 33 passes for 363 yards with two throwing scores and a 14-yard go-ahead run in last week's 32-24 win over then-No. 7 LSU.
The Rebels are 3-0 and play at No. 21 Florida on Saturday.
Kamario Taylor, No. 24 Mississippi State
Taylor is 56 of 82 passing for 832 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception, plus 27 carries for 178 yards and another score.
He was 22 of 34 passing for 354 yards and four scores against Louisiana-Monroe, 16 of 22 for 227 yards and three scores at Minnesota, and 18 of 26 for 251 yards and four scores at South Carolina.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 and host No. 19 Missouri on Saturday night.
Darian Mensah, No. 6 Miami
Mensah has completed 71 of 79 passes (89.9%) for 873 yards and 11 touchdowns with no interceptions.
He was 27 of 30 passing for 401 yards and five touchdowns at Stanford, 14 of 15 for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Florida A&M, and 30 of 34 for 220 yards and three touchdowns at Wake Forest.
The Hurricanes are 3-0 and host Central Michigan on Saturday night.
Lincoln Kienholz, No. 16 Louisville
Kienholz is 48 of 73 passing for 816 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions on the year. He also has 153 rushing yards and four scores.
He threw for 307 yards in a 41-38 loss at Ole Miss, 332 yards against Villanova and 177 yards in last week's 41-31 win over SMU.
Louisville is 2-1 and hosts Wake Forest on Saturday.
Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia
Hawkins is 26 of 38 passing for 477 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions on the year. His main production comes on the ground, rushing for 322 yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Through the first three games of the season, Hawkins ran for 103, 96 and 123 yards.
Faizon Brandon, No. 14 Tennessee
Brandon, a freshman starting against No. 1 Texas on Saturday, is 41 of 64 for 552 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions on the season. He has 26 carries for 137 yards and three rushing scores.
He was 13 of 17 passing for 226 yards and five total TDs against Furman, 10 of 21 for 148 yards and two scores at Georgia Tech, and 18 of 26 for 178 yards and two total TDs against Kennesaw State.
Keelon Russell, No. 8 Alabama
Russell is 57 of 83 passing for 764 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, plus 24 carries for 133 yards and two rushing scores.
Alabama is 3-0 after beating East Carolina, Kentucky and Florida State, and Russell plays South Carolina next.
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