The Heisman Trophy has been dominated by quarterbacks overall, but wide receiver DeVonta Smith was able to win the award in 2020 and two-way star Travis Hunter won it in 2024. A non-quarterback can win the award even if they are long shots. Here are the non-quarterbacks who can compete for the 2026 Heisman Trophy.
Note: Odds found here.
Smith was a five-star recruit in the class of 2024, who signed with Ohio State out of Florida. As a freshman, he caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns while leading the team to a national championship. Last season, he had 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. He helped Ohio State make the CFP last year and now will try to get back to winning a trophy.
He has already gained plenty of recognition for his play and is arguably the best player in the sport. He’ll have Julian Sayin at quarterback again, but this year with experience under his belt. Smith should put up some good numbers again and will have some big games to earn the respect of voters. The Buckeyes play Texas, Indiana, USC, Oregon and Michigan in matchups that should generate some buzz.
Toney was a three-star recruit in the class of 2025 who stayed in the state of Florida to play for Miami. In his first season with the Hurricanes, he led the team to a national championship appearance with 109 catches for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns. More will be expected as he heads into his second year with the program.
Miami has made an upgrade at quarterback by getting Darian Mensah to transfer in from Duke. That should open things up for Toney to be more productive, especially if Mario Cristobal can get the offensive line to gel together to give Mensah more time. The Hurricanes have a good enough roster to win games and should have a few big games to give Toney a chance to impress the voters. Miami plays Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame this season. While it isn’t the hardest schedule, Toney will have a few games to help his case, all while giving the Hurricanes a chance to win a lot of games.
Coleman was a five-star recruit who signed with Auburn to stay in-state. In 2024, he hauled in 37 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns. He upped his production in 2025 to 56 receptions for 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Coleman didn’t find a ton of team success at Auburn and transferred to Texas for this season.
With the Longhorns, Coleman will be catching from Arch Manning, who really proved himself down the stretch of last year. Coleman is very talented to earn a lot of targets, but will likely avoid a ton of double teams, as there are other talented skill players on the roster. He can produce a lot, Texas is projected to be good and the schedule gives him a chance to be seen a lot on tv. Texas plays Ohio State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida, Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M. Coleman will have to play well and also somehow get some more credit than Manning, but he can at least compete for the Heisman this year if all goes well.
Lacy was a four-star recruit who signed with Missouri out of Texas in 2024. He didn’t play much at Missouri, then transferred to Ole Miss for the 2025 season. With the Rebels, he rushed for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns. His play helped the Rebels make the CFP semifinals last season.
It will be hard for Lacy to win the award, as he had great statistics and team success last season and he didn’t finish in the top 10 for Heisman voting. This season, he has the capability to put up similar stats and team success, which will be necessary for him to get more votes. Ole Miss plays Louisville, LSU, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma, which will give Lacy a chance to prove himself to voters. The odds are long, but if voters learn from last season, he may finish higher than last season.
Hardy was a three-star recruit in the class of 2024 who signed with ULM. He rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Warhawks. Hardy transferred to Missouri for the 2025 season. He upped his production to 1,649 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns with Missouri, which was impressive given the jump in competition.
This offseason, Hardy suffered a gunshot wound and there is no timetable for his return. He seems dedicated to getting back to the field, but check his injury status before placing any wagers or getting expectations up. If Hardy is back, it would be a good story and if he can refind his form, he can put up big numbers again. Missouri will need to win a lot of games to give him the team success necessary to win the award, but he will have some big games to prove himself. The Tigers play Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma. Hardy would have to play well in these games and also have the team pick up some wins to win the award.
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