Top Darkhorse Heisman Candidates

Everyone knows that players like Arch Manning and Julian Sayin will be preseason favorites for next season’s Heisman Trophy. However, that doesn’t mean that they’ll still be at the top of the list when the season hits November. Just like the 2025 winner, Fernando Mendoza, came out of nowhere, here is an under-the-radar name to watch from each P4 conference.

Big Ten

Demond Williams Jr. (Washington)

The skinny: Williams gained plenty of offseason attention for planning to enter the transfer portal after signing a big NIL deal with the Huskies but then did a 360 and stayed with Washington. While that raised some questions regarding how the team would welcome him back, it doesn’t change the fact that he possesses a great deal of talent.

Williams passed for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 69.5% of his attempts in 2025. He also showcased his athletic abilities by rushing for 611 yards and six touchdowns. The Huskies will have plenty of high-profile games in 2026 for Williams to showcase his skills nationally. This includes home games against Penn State, Indiana and Iowa and trips to USC and Oregon. Washington will have to navigate this gauntlet successfully in order for Williams to have a legitimate Heisman shot, but if it does, his name will be in contention.

SEC

Austin Mack (Alabama)

The skinny: This one is a longshot for a couple of reasons, one of them being that Mack isn’t even the guaranteed starter as of right now. If he is able to fend off Keelon Russell, Mack will immediately become a national player to watch as Alabama’s starting quarterback.

At 6-foot-6, 235-pounds, has has only attempted 35 passes in his collegiate career, but completed 75% of them while throwing two touchdowns. Mack also looked the part against Indiana in the playoffs, which could be a sign of things to come in 2026. There won’t be any lack of high profile games for Alabama or Mack, which will get plenty of eyes on him throughout the season.