Injuries have played a direct and indirect role in the Heisman Trophy race heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. 

Miami receiver Malachi Toney suffered an ankle injury last week that likely will keep him out the rest of the regular season. That also impacted quarterback Darian Mensah’s chances to win the award, who played well in Miami’s 31-24 loss to Notre Dame in Week 10.

Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, the mid-season frontrunner, is now catching passes from backup quarterback Luke Fahey, who replaced injured starter Juilan Sayin. The Buckeyes have suffered two straight losses. 

Toney, Mensah and Smith have been the top three candidates for most of the season. That has opened the door for a new leader – Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is the slight betting favorite according to bet365.com‘s latest odds ahead of Mensah and Smith. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier and Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker also are in the mix.

MORE: Is Ohio State out of the running for a CFP bid?

Heisman Trophy odds 

A look at the latest Heisman Trophy odds, according to bet365.com.               

Top Heisman Trophy contenders 

CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame

Stats: 2,168 yards, 67.6%, 21 TDs, 1 INT 

Pros: Carr has a real opportunity to be the first Heisman winner at Notre Dame since Tim Brown in 1987. He led the Irish to a signature victory with 319 yards, three TDs and no interceptions against Miami in Week 10, and he’s now the front-runner in the betting odds. Carr has played efficient football all season and he could also lead Notre Dame back to the College Football Playoff in his second year as a starter. He’s the key player on an offense that averages 39.3 points per game. 

Cons: Carr had 261 passing yards and no TDs in the 28-24 loss to BYU on Oct. 17, and his numbers aren’t as prolific as the other quarterback candidates vying for the award. Notre Dame also will not be playing on conference championship weekend, which means he will have to put up numbers in the final three games against Boston College, SMU and Syracuse. 

MORE: College Football Playoff forecast ahead of Week 11

Darian Mensah, QB,  Miami 

Stats: 2,694 passing yards, 76.8%, 28 TDs, 2 INTs 

Pros: Mensah leads the FBS with a 191.2 passer rating, and he is at the controls of an offense that leads the FBS with 45.0 points per game. Mensah finished 24 of 43 for 269 yards, three TDs and one interception in the 31-24 loss at Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Hurricanes are still in position to win the ACC championship without receiver Malachi Toney, who is out with a high-ankle sprain. If Mensah pushes Miami to that victory and the stats hold up, he could get enough votes to win the award. 

Cons: There are a few issues. Toney, who had 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 TDs, is viewed as Miami’s most valuable player. Carr, another Heisman candidate, led the Irish to the head-to-head victory. It boxes Mensah in, perhaps unfairly given the production. This is a case where the quarterback would have to potentially wait until the CFP to get another shot at Notre Dame. Then again, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson lost a head-to-head duel with Clemson’s Deshaun Watson but still won the award in 2016. 

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

Stats: 69 catches, 1,200 yards, 17.4 ypc., 14 TDs 

Pros: Smith remains the most dominant player in college football, and the head-to-head debate with Miami receiver Malachi Toney ended when the Hurricanes’ receiver suffered an ankle injury last week. In two games with backup quarterback Luke Fahey, Smith has 17 catches on 23 targets – a 73.9 catch percentage – for 216 yards and two TDs. There was some stat-padding at the end of the Oregon game, but Smith should be able to put up enough numbers against Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan in the final three weeks. 

Cons: The Buckeyes need help to reach the Big Ten championship game, which means Smith might not have a chance to be in the College Football Playoff. Does that matter? Three of the last four winners – USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Colorado’s Travis Hunter – did not play in the playoff in the season they won the award. Smith easily could be the default winner if no quarterback rises above the rest.

Devon Dampier, QB, Utah 

Stats: 2,053 passing yards, 68%, 20 TDs, 7 INTs 

Pros: Dampier deserves more hype than he is getting. He also has 480 rushing yards and seven TDs. He’s also played well in the Utes’ two most important games. Dampier had 204 passing yards, 150 rushing yards and four total TDs against Houston on Oct. 24, and he added 177 passing yards, 89 rushing yards, a spectacular 29-yard catch and four total TDs in the “Holy War” against BYU. If the Utes finish unbeaten and win the Big 12, Dampier could be that November riser that takes the award. 

Cons: Dampier ranks 23rd in the FBS in total offense at 281.4 yards per game – which is a touch behind Alabama’s Keelon Russell at 282.1 yards per game. Dampier is in position to be a Heisman finalist. Quarterback Alex Smith was the Utes’ last Heisman finalist when he finished fourth in 2004. If Dampier wants to make a late push, Utah will need to be perfect and he will have to increase the rushing yards.

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Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State

Stats: 2,962 passing yards, 66.7%, 29 TDs, 8 INTs 

Pros: Mestemaker has eight straight 300-yard games heading into a Week 11 matchup against No. 15 Texas Tech, and he’s moved up to No. 2 in the FBS in passing yards after leading the country in that category last season. It presents an interesting case given his rise from fifth-string walk-on to college star, and the Cowboys still have some hope in the Big 12 race. Mestemaker’s best game, when he had 307 passing yards, 109 rushing yards and four total TDs in a 39-31 upset against Oregon on Sept. 12, is one of the year’s top performances. 

Cons: The Cowboys also have losses to Tulsa and Iowa State. The Week 1 performance against the Golden Hurricane was a dud, but Mestemaker did have 323 passing yards and five TDs in the 51-49 loss to the Cyclones. While Mestemaker’s stats are prolific, it might be hard to finish better than a finalist if Oklahoma State isn’t in the Big 12 championship game. 

MORE: Mestemaker leads NFL Draft QB rankings

Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia 

Stats: 1,857 passing yards, 70.9%, 20 TDs, 4 INTs 

Pros: Stockton is the best candidate out of the SEC with three weeks left in the regular season. He leads the SEC in TD passes and passer rating (180.4), and the Bulldogs are in position to win a third straight SEC championship. All that could make Stockton, who also has 233 rushing yards and two rushing TDs, a sleeper candidate given the Bulldogs have three victories against ranked teams with Missouri and South Carolina still on the regular-season schedule. Stockton also has the benefit of a SEC Championship Game, which is the largest stage of any candidate remaining. 

Cons: Is Stockton the best QB in the SEC? He did lead Georgia to head-to-head victories against Ole Miss, which features quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and Alabama, which features Russell. Stockton, however, does not have a 300-yard passing game and his highest single-game total of 272 yards was in a 27-24 loss to Auburn where the quarterback threw two interceptions and had a critical fumble in the final minutes. Stockton likely would max out as a finalist at this point. 

When is the Heisman Trophy Ceremony?

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 13, 2025, one week after the conference championship games. The ceremony will be televised at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.