Arch Manning? Dante Moore? CJ Carr? Someone else?
Who’s taking home the coveted Heisman Trophy this season?
Article continues below this ad
Texas State head coach GJ Kinne walks the sideline during the game against Nicholls State at Texas State University on Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson (8) runs the ball in for a touchdown during the game against Nicholls State at Texas State University on Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas State Bobcats quarterback Brad Jackson practices during their Spring Showcase at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, April 25, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain (18) makes a tackle in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Aug. 30, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Aug. 30, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) celebrates with head coach Mike Elko after win against South Carolina on Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian puts his “Horns Up” while entering the stadium ahead of the Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry match-up between the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 28, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs into the end zone for a score against Texas A&M Aggies during the second half of an NCAA college football game in the Lone Star Showdown in Austin, Texas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to pass the ball against Texas A&M Aggies defense of an NCAA college football game in the Lone Star Showdown in Austin, Texas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
SMU football quarterback Kevin Jennings holds up a T-shirt that is part of the school’s Heisman Trophy campaign in Dallas, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
LM Otero/Associated Press
Texas Tech University System Board of Regents Chairman Cody Campbell pictured before the Big 12 Championship football game against BYU at AT&T Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington.
Elias Valverde II/Dallas Morning News
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA football game against Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Dallas.
Smiley N. Pool/Dallas Morning News
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (left) and Texas quarterback Arch Manning seen in a collage.
Getty Images
There’s no shortage of star talent heading into the 2026 college football season. The Texas Longhorns figure to have a couple options with Manning, the star quarterback, Cam Coleman, the star wide receiver transfer and Colin Simons, a sack artist who could be the rare defensive Heisman finalist.
But there are also Oregon’s QB (Moore); Notre Dame’s QB (Carr) and plenty others are assumed to be possibilities for the Heisman ceremony this winter in New York City.
FULL UT SCHEDULE: What to know about each game
Article continues below this ad
FULL UT ROSTER:Every player on the 2026 roster
More important than that hardware is the national championship trophy, awarded to the winner of the College Football Playoff. Who will take home that crown after Indiana won last season? The Longhorns figure to have a say as should Notre Dame, Ohio State and Georgia, each of which has been ranked in top five of the major polls.
These debate have reached four award-winning sports columnists from prominent Texas news outlets — the American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio News-Express and Dallas Morning News. Here, writers predict the Heisman finalists as well as the CFP title-game matchup:
Find all 12 questions and answers from our columnists in this Sunday’s newspaper and online later in the week. These questions were asked as part of our college football preview section, scheduled to run in print Aug. 23. The special section includes stories from the four news outlets listed above and covers several Texas universities.
Article continues below this ad
Name your Heisman winner and two finalists.
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle:Give me Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr, who has weapons, experience after a solid Year 1 and maybe the nation’s best offensive line for protection. Two other finalists will be Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News:The last four trophies have gone to a player who’d transferred at least once, and eight of the last 10 have gone to quarterbacks. So let’s go with Oregon’s Moore, the original UCLA signee who fits the bill, followed by LSU’s Sam Leavitt and Penn State’s Rocco Becht.
Cedric Golden, Austin American-Statesman: The Heisman goes to Manning. Finalists are Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Moore.
Article continues below this ad
Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning-News:None of the usual quarterback suspects do anything to separate themselves from the rest, and Jeremiah Smith, the best player in the nation last year, gets his overdue reward. Moore and Trinidad Chambliss finish Nos. 2-3. Confession: This feels a little like Kirk not voting for Vince Young back in the day. Fortunately I can still change my mind if results so dictate. In Kirk’s nightmares, VY is forever waving at him from the corner of a Rose Bowl end zone.
MORE 2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW CONTENT
Article continues below this ad
What will be the national title matchup and who wins?
Bohls: Sorry, SEC. Notre Dame will beat Oregon. These are two of the most experienced and CFP-ready ball clubs with veteran quarterbacks and experience on both sides of the ball. The Irish, however, may have the best defense in college football and the friendliest schedule with only daunting games against BYU, Miami and maybe SMU and are fueled by last season’s omission from the post-season tournament.
Finger: Oregon over Notre Dame. That would give the Big Ten four championships in a row, won by four different members, and it would be the fourth consecutive year the SEC falls short of the title game. Greg Sankey will use this as further evidence the league deserves more bids.
Article continues below this ad
Golden: Oregon over Georgia. Ducks coach Dan Lanning has had a couple of dubious playoff moments, but he has the ingredients needed to break through in Year 5: a potent offense with a dynamic quarterback in Moore, a strong schedule that includes a pair of recent national champions in Michigan and Ohio State, and the experience of having been here before. The Big Ten will grab its fourth consecutive title trophy.
Sherrington: After losing to Texas in Austin, Ohio State wins Round 2 to the end the CFP. Or Round 4, if you count the semifinals from a couple of years ago and last year’s game in Columbus. Remarkable that two such storied programs have only played each other five times. As the nation’s richest programs in the Big Bucks Era, they’ll be seeing a lot of each other from here on out.