The offseason is a fun time for hype and excitement to build in the sports world, but once Fall rolls around, there is nothing fans want more than football back on television.
Excitement is especially high for Ohio State Buckeyes fans who enter each season with plenty of confidence and hype for the year ahead. After an early exit in the 2025 College Football Playoff, expectations are high for the team to return as a top contender.
A major reason for this confidence is the constant star power on the team’s depth chart. Year in and year out, the Buckeyes routinely hold some of the top players at numerous positions. This year, QB Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith headline the team’s efforts for the 2026 campaign.
Team accolades take priority, of course, but with the star power in Columbus, it’s hard not to consider which names could end up in The Appel Room this December to be honored as the 2026 Heisman Trophy Winner.
Joined by other popular names around college football, let’s dive into how the latest trade markets view Sayin and Smith’s chances of taking home the hardware this season.
Current 2026 Heisman odds
PlayerYes ChanceYes CostNo CostDarian Mensah12%12¢91¢CJ Carr9%9¢92¢Arch Manning8%8¢93¢Dante Moore8%8¢93¢Jeremiah Smith8%8¢93¢Trinidad Chambliss6%6¢97¢Jayden Maiava5%5¢98¢Julian Sayin5%5¢96¢Keelon Russell5%5¢97¢Byrum Brown4%4¢99¢
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah leads the way as the betting favorite with the season fully underway this weekend. Nine quarterbacks are in the top ten, with Jeremiah Smith as the only non-QB on the list.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza won the trophy last season, the eighth non-quarterback to win the award in the last 10 seasons. Smith and Sayin received the most Heisman votes of returning college football players.
As usual, the theme of this preseason favorites list is quarterback. Players such as Darian Mensah, C.J. Carr, and Arch Manning return as exciting starting quarterbacks with lofty expectations for the 2026 season. Sayin is the seventh-highest passer in the latest trade markets.
With the leading candidate at 12%, there is plenty of variance in opinions on which player will hoist the Heisman Trophy this December. Now is a great time to trade and stake your claim on a player because, as the season progresses, the markets will be less lucrative.
Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith 2026 Heisman odds
PlayerPolymarket Yes ChancePolymarket Yes / No CostKalshi Yes ChanceKalshi Yes / No CostJeremiah Smith8%8¢/ 93¢7%7¢/ 94¢Julian Sayin5%5¢/ 96¢7%7¢ / 94¢
Polymarket traders give the Buckeyes wideout the best chance of winning the Heisman at 8%, while Kalshi traders have his chances at 7% for the better value. The opposite is true for Sayin, as Kalshi gives the passer a 7% chance of winning the trophy, while Polymarket offers him a 5% chance.
Sayin’s appeal comes from the array of weapons at his disposal. While the third-year quarterback may not wow with natural traits, he is incredibly efficient at capitalizing on the surrounding talent, which translates into high-level production.
Smith is undoubtedly one of the top players in college football and has already posted two seasons of over 1,200 yards receiving through his freshman and sophomore seasons.
With Carnell Tate heading off to the NFL, there are plenty of vacated targets in this Buckeyes’ offense. While players such as Chris Henry Jr. could step in and produce, we could also see Smith take another step forward into Devonta Smith territory.
The biggest concern with Smith is that the Buckeyes tend to dominate or control games rather than run up the score, which can result in him turning in quiet weeks when the usual Heisman winner tends to dominate the box score week to week.
Those looking to back Bo Jackson as a dark horse Heisman winner can also trade for him at 1¢ per share.
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