College football is back! Opening weekend always has some great matchups, with teams looking to defend their conference championships across the nation and, in Ann Arbor, one team looking to build on a national championship.
With all the expectations and hopes placed on teams, individuals are also looking to earn their placements in highlight packages. And, for some, the hope to be one of the few to earn votes for the Heisman Trophy is already on their minds.
Before the season even began, media outlets across the country had put together their watch lists for the Heisman. The betting odds on the most prestigious award in college sports also started moving as early as Aug. 29, when the first games were played.
It’s a long college football season, and plenty of games are still to be played. But some of the players who were already circled for Heisman watch started their resumes very well.
It’s hard to gauge the quality of a performance from a Heisman candidate in an early season game against sub-par competition, and there were a few ridiculous blowouts over the weekend. Quinn Ewers led Texas to a 52–0 win over Colorado State. Similarly, Jalen Milroe led Alabama to a 63–0 win over Western Kentucky. Both players came out of their respective games early.
One Heisman candidate who put up huge numbers before departing his game early was Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. The Rebels had a 52–0 lead at halftime against Furman. Dart completed 22 of 27 for 418 yards and six touchdowns before his day was over.
One of the betting favorites for the Heisman before the season started was Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and he did not disappoint in the box score even though the Ducks didn’t blow out Idaho to the level many expected. Gabriel threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns in a 24–14 win.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and his No. 1 ranked Bulldogs got off to a slow start, leading only 6–0 at halftime against Clemson in Atlanta. But they blew the doors off the building in the second half and stormed to a 34–3 win. Beck threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Cam Ward, who transferred to Miami Hurricanes from Washington State, led the Canes into an in-state rivalry game at the Swamp at Florida. The U handled their business with a dominant 41–17 win in which Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 33 yards, and it looked like the hype was well-deserved.
Shedeur Sanders had a huge night for Colorado on Thursday. He threw for an NCAA-best 445 yards in the Buffalos win, completing 26 of 34 passes and connecting for four touchdowns with one interception.
Sanders’s performance may have been overshadowed by all-everything receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, however. Hunter played nearly every snap on both sides of the ball in the game. Offensively, he caught seven balls for 132 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner. He was also credited with three solo tackles defensively.
Before the season, there were decent odds that Ohio State’s starting quarterback, Will Howard, would be in New York for the Heisman presentation in December. And he did well against Akron, leading the Buckeyes to a 52–6 win. But, like Sanders, his performance was not what grabbed people’s attention. Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith looked like the former No. 1 recruit in the nation, catching six balls for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
One name that might not have been on many national lists before his game on Saturday but likely is now is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. He piled up a national-best 267 yards on the ground and six (yes, six!) touchdowns on 20 carries in a dramatic 56–45 win. He also caught three passes for four yards in a stunning opening weekend performance.
The other brilliant individual standout performance from the first weekend of college football came late at night for folks on the East Coast. Arizona defeated New Mexico 61–39, and their leading receiver, Tetairoa McMillan, put on a show. McMillan had a nation-leading 304 receiving yards on 10 catches and found the end zone four times. McMillan is considered the top receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
