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Everything was lined up for Trinidad Chambliss to have a moment on Saturday. Here was a revenge game against the coach who brought the Division II quarterback to Ole Miss in the first place and fought for him to be able to stay in college another year but left for LSU, anyway.
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So when Lane Kiffin led the Tigers into Oxford for a top-10 matchup, the Rebels looked to Chambliss to lead them. His team got out to a hefty halftime lead. And when that advantage evaporated, it was Chambliss who raced into the end zone — past his former head coach — to put Ole Miss on top for good.
Chambliss enjoyed many impressive moments in the Rebels’ triumph over LSU. Were any of them Heisman moments? It’s still too early to say. But if he does become the first Rebels player to win the award, he’s already assembled quite the highlight reel.
Las Vegas likes Chambliss’ chances. After three weeks, he is the new betting favorite at multiple sportsbooks to take home the award. Despite the change, it’s still a tight race. Miami’s Darian Mensah has been exceptional, albeit against lesser competition. And Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor announced his arrival with back-to-back big games. There are still a few wide receivers in the mix, but most of the frontrunners at the moment are signal-callers.
- Poll of the Day: Biggest College Football Game This Weekend?
Week 3 was pivotal for the Heisman hierarchy, and this coming Saturday could shake up the order once again. There are six games matching two top-25 teams this week, and several of those feature top contenders for the award.
Here’s how Athlon sees the Heisman Trophy race heading into Week 4.
Heisman Trophy Watch: Ranking the Top Contenders After Week 3
1. Trinidad Chambliss — QB, Ole Miss (Last Week: 3)
Week 3 Stats (32-24 W vs. No. 7 LSU): 33-for-48, 363 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 9 carries, 2 yards, 1 TD
Season Stats: 77-for-110 (70%), 924 yards (8.4 YPA), 7 TD, 2 INT; 21 carries, 64 yards (3.0 YPC), 2 TD
Chambliss was otherworldly against LSU. And with running back Kewan Lacy sidelined for much of the second half, he had to be. Chambliss spread the ball around to nine different receivers. Even in a game in which Ole Miss never trailed, he had to air the ball out 48 times. Chambliss answered the call by throwing for 363 yards, his most since he moving up to the FBS.
Chambliss is an elite passer and a dangerous runner. Even though he’s not running as often as he did in 2025, he reminded everyone what a threat he is with his legs when he took off for the decisive touchdown.
TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS DOES IT ON HIS OWN pic.twitter.com/w8Xl5mwt40
— wok (@wokdior) September 20, 2026
Afterward, Kiffin called Chambliss the “best player in college football.” It’s difficult to disagree with that statement. The Rebels have lost just two games since he took over as the starter last September — one to eventual SEC champion Georgia and another to national championship runner-up Miami. Both games were decided by one possession.
- Related: Why Trinidad Chambliss Can Be the No. 1 Overall Pick in the 2027 NFL Draft
Beating LSU might have felt like the Super Bowl — or at least bigger than the Egg Bowl — but the Rebels still have a tough road ahead. Five top-25 opponents remain, including this Saturday at No. 21 Florida. Every game in the SEC is pivotal. And with No. 4 Ole Miss determined to return to the College Football Playoff and Chambliss angling for Heisman consideration, that’s doubly so. But Chambliss acknowledged, to borrow the parlance of the Southeastern Conference, that this one Just Means More.
“This one meant a lot more than other games,” Chambliss said. “I wanted this one bad.”
2. Darian Mensah — QB, Miami (Last Week: 1)
Week 3 Stats (33-20 W at Wake Forest): 30-for-34, 220 yards, 3 TD; 2 carries, 5 yards
Season Stats: 71-for-79 (89.9%), 873 yards (11.1 YPA), 11 TD; 5 carries, 31 yards (6.2 YPC)
Anyone waiting for No. 6 Miami and Mensah to face a true test will have to keep holding their breath. There’s no arguing that the Hurricanes have an incredibly easy path to the ACC Championship Game. Chambliss and Ole Miss have already played — and beaten — two top-25 teams with five more to go. Miami has just one ranked opponent remaining (although Duke and Virginia Tech are trending toward the top 25). It’s also true that the Hurricanes have been one of the best offenses in the country so far this season. And Mensah is at the heart of that.
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You can only beat the teams in front of you, and that’s what Miami has done. It’s incredible that this stat is still true this far into the season, but Mensah has recorded more touchdown passes (11) than incompletions (eight) after tossing three more scores in last week’s win at Wake Forest. Mensah is completing passes almost at the same rate as Steph Curry makes free throws while averaging better than 11 yards per attempt.
The ‘Canes lead the country in total offense and rank third in points per game. Expect more fireworks this week against Central Michigan.
3. Kamario Taylor — QB, Mississippi State (Last Week: NR)
Week 3 Stats (41-34 W at South Carolina): 18-for-26, 251 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 8 carries, 33 yards
Season Stats: 56-for-82 (68.3%), 832 yards (10.1 YPA), 11 TD, 1 INT; 27 carries, 178 yards (6.6 YPC), 1 TD
Super Kamario is an apt nickname for Taylor. The Bulldogs are never out of a game with him at quarterback, as he showed this past Saturday at South Carolina. Mississippi State trailed 16-0 in the second quarter. Taylor chipped away at the deficit, tossing three touchdown passes of 20-plus yards before the Bulldogs began to build a lead of their own. By midway through the fourth quarter, that double-digit deficit had turned into a three-possession advantage. And at the end of the game, Mississippi State had picked up its second consecutive road win over a Power 4 opponent.
This throw by Kamario 🎯
Lebby’s reaction 🔥 @HailStateFBpic.twitter.com/M1mZCGIDUy
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 21, 2026
The No. 24 Bulldogs cracked the AP poll for the first time since 2022. Though they started 4-0 last season and then faded, this hot start seems sustainable with Taylor. The Mississippi native is a special talent who offers a rare combination of explosiveness and efficiency with a healthy dose of highlights. Now that Taylor and Mississippi State have the nation’s attention, the next few weeks will show what they’re really made of when No. 19 Missouri and No. 8 Alabama come to town.
4. Malachi Toney — WR, Miami (Last Week: 4)
Week 3 Stats (33-20 W at Wake Forest): 12 receptions, 114 yards, 1 TD
Season Stats: 28 receptions, 444 yards (15.9 YPR), 5 TD
Malachi Toney’s gaudy stat lines are starting to become normalized — much like Mensah’s. But do not take what the wide receiver is doing for granted. Toney has been roughly twice as productive per game this season as he was during his record-setting freshman campaign. He didn’t crack 400 yards until the sixth game last season and didn’t catch his fifth touchdown until his 10th. He’s already hit both milestones in just three games in which Miami was in control.
Toney took a small step back against Wake Forest in the explosive play department, as he averaged fewer than 10 yards per catch for the first time this season. But he’s still tied for the second-most 20-yard receptions with eight. He also extended his touchdown streak to five games, dating to the CFP semifinal. Toney is the only wide receiver in the country who ranks in the top five in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches.
5. Arch Manning — QB, Texas (Last Week: 2)
Week 3 Stats (30-6 W vs. UTSA): 16-for-32, 161 yards, 2 TD; 10 carries, 53 yards
Season Stats: 59-for-96 (61.5%), 661 yards (6.9 YPA), 7 TD, 2 INT; 21 carries, 83 yards (4.0 YPC)
In Saturday’s game against UTSA, Arch Manning didn’t build on the epic Ohio State win from the week before. Instead, he followed up his biggest win as a starter with his worst performance of the season. The game was never really in doubt, so not much stock should be put into Manning’s struggles. However, his 50% completion rate is concerning considering how closely it resembles the start of last season when a poor performance against UTEP foreshadowed future struggles.
Top-ranked Texas will need Manning at his best against No. 14 Tennessee this week when it hits the road for the first time. The Longhorns went 4-3 away from Austin last season, including two overtime wins. Being the quarterback of the No. 1 team in the nation counts for something, and so does owning the best win of any team so far this season. But Manning slid this week relative to Chambliss and Taylor because he did not stand out in a ho-hum win. With seven of Texas’ final nine games slated against top-25 teams, Manning must stand out for the Longhorns to make it through. If he does, he’ll find himself among the favorites when the season ends.
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Don’t Forget About
- Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
- CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
- Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
- Jayden Maiava, QB, USC
- Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana
- Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia
Sleepers to Watch
- Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
- Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU
- Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
- Rocco Becht, QB, Penn State
- Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
- Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Louisville
Related: 2026 Bowl Projections After Week 3: Ole Miss, Louisville on the Rise
Related: Ranking All 138 College Football Teams After Week 3
Related: Chase Daniel Talks Border War, Big Ten vs. SEC Rivalry
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This story was originally published September 23, 2026 at 1:20 PM.