Miami, Florida – One of the most chaotic weeks in college football has ended, shaking up the Top 25 and the Lemon City Live Heisman Watchlist Power Rankings. Fans witnessed half of the Top 10 teams fall: Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama, and Texas. The Miami Hurricanes almost joined them, surviving the Florida State Seminoles in double overtime. The last time the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs, and the Longhorns lost on the same day was in 2006. The last time three AP No. 1 teams had lost by October 17? 1990. Top-ranked Georgia lost to unranked Auburn 27-24, while eighth-ranked BYU edged No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in a controversial ending. In a playoff-hopeful battle, No. 4 Ohio State defeated No. 5 Indiana 19-15. Despite the win, the Buckeyes have lost quarterback Julian Sayin to injury.
No. 14 Tennessee downed No. 6 Alabama 26-10 in a battle between SEC rivals, effectively knocking Keelon Russell out of the power rankings after turning the ball over three times. Elsewhere, the Florida Gators bounced back from two straight losses to defeat No. 7 Texas 27-24, returning them to the Top 25. With so much changing, the Heisman race was no exception. In fact, not only is there a new face in the fray and a new No. 1, but this list also includes three wide receivers.
Malachi Toney
MALACHI TONEY MASTERCLASS!!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/E21QWcHp7t
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) October 18, 2026
Previous Ranking: 3
This was not an easy decision. Several players could’ve claimed this spot. Malachi Toney rose to the occasion several times Saturday, playing a huge part in UM’s thrilling victory over FSU. The sophomore sensation caught 11 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he threw a pass to Cooper Barkate for a successful two-point conversion. Toney has 50 receptions for 758 yards and eight touchdowns, with a home game against Pittsburgh next on the schedule.
Jeremiah Smith
JEREMIAH SMITH IS INEVITABLE ‼️@OhioStateFB converts on 4th down to extend their lead pic.twitter.com/XVjQFppOxg
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) October 17, 2026
Previous Ranking: 2
He came pretty close to first. Jeremiah Smith hauled in four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown in the win over Indiana. Despite the victory, Smith and the Buckeyes lost Julian Sayin to an arm injury sustained during the game. Coach Ryan Day stated that the star QB is out indefinitely. The huge blow to Ohio State puts their postseason hopes and Smith’s Heisman run to the test. Currently on bye week, he has 52 catches for 984 yards and 12 TDs.
Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss making it look too easy 😮💨 @OleMissFB pic.twitter.com/Ki34SlxVJJ
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 17, 2026
Previous Ranking: 5
Heading into Week 8, he’s the top quarterback. Trinidad Chambliss helped obliterate No. 13 Missouri 31-3. He threw for 241 yards, hitting the Tigers for 4 TDs, including one on the ground. Chambliss has 1,676 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four picks on the season. The No.7 Ole Miss Rebels will travel to face Archie Manning and No. 19 Texas in what should be a great SEC matchup. Manning remains the starter, but unless he stops the downward trend of his performances, this may not last much longer.
Darian Mensah
Darian Mensah throws his first INT of the season.
The Seminoles are giving the Hurricanes some trouble in South Beach 🍿 pic.twitter.com/irGhMWhxzP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2026
Previous Ranking: 1
This was disappointing. Sure, Darian Mensah managed to rack up 326 yards and three touchdowns on a bad night. However, that interception was ugly. Real ugly. The error was entirely unnecessary. It wasn’t just that. He refused to run when there was space or even an open lane to gain yards. Mensah also had moments of failing to read the field, missing wide-open guys. Miami’s QB 1 has 1,764 passing yards, 18 TDs, and an interception.
Jesse Legree
OH. MY. LEGREE. 🔥 @jlegree24
📺 @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/PRN7d47ziR
— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) October 3, 2026
Previous Ranking: NA
Well, well, well, what do we have here? We got ourselves a new member. Representing the Pac-12, true freshman Jesse Legree is the first player to reach 1,000 receiving yards this season. I never thought I’d have someone from Oregon State on here. It gets better: his teammate, quarterback Braden Atkinson, is officially on the outside looking in. Who knows, maybe we’ll have two Beavers in here. With 46 receptions for 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns, Legree is at Fresno State on Halloween.
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