The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the likeliest programs to have College Football's Heisman Trophy winner for the 2026 season. First and foremost, because there hasn't been a non-WR/QB winner in over a decade, Julian Sayin is coming off a Heisman finalist season, and Jeremiah Smith is the most hyped-up player in the sport.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford noted that every winner since Bryce Young was also a transfer, which particularly bodes well for Sayin. He also put the Oregon Ducks, with former UCLA transfer QB Dante Moore, the Indiana Hoosiers, with TCU Horned Frogs transfer QB Josh Hoover, the Miami Hurricanes, with Duke Blue Devils transfer QB Darian Mensah, and the LSU Tigers, with Arizona State Sun Devils transfer QB Sam Leavitt, in the same category that sees the state of the game as "good news."
"The last four Heisman winners have been transfers. Sign of the times, right? Fernando Mendoza (Indiana, 2025), Travis Hunter (Colorado, 2024), Jayden Daniels (LSU, 2023) and Caleb Williams (USC, 2022) all struck gold at different programs from where they originally signed, which is great news for the quarterbacks at Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Miami and LSU, should history repeat itself. Three of those elites added new signal callers this offseason, while returning starters Julian Sayin and Dante Moore for the Buckeyes and Ducks, respectively, were once transfers themselves," Crawford wrote.
Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith have obvious Heisman narratives in 2026
2026 is set up to be a major one for Sayin and/or Smith's Heisman narrative. For one, the Buckeyes face perhaps the most daunting schedule in the entire country, with perhaps the toughest non-conference game against the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Meanwhile, their showdowns against the Iowa Hawkeyes, USC Trojans, Oregon, Indiana, and TTUN represent the most projected preseason top-25 opponents on the schedule any team will face this fall.
Beyond that, Arthur Smith's system could be built for Smith to thrive, but of course, Sayin can win the award by having many of his game-winning throws go to Chris Henry Jr. or the rest of the receiving corps, which have failed to generate much hype this spring beyond those two and feel-good story Brock Boyd.
There are many reasons why voters would have an Ohio State player at the top of mind this December when the decision is cast. It's been exactly two decades since Troy Smith won the award, marking the longest period since the QB's win that a Buckeye has won it. Smith ended a 19-year drought, while Archie Griffin broke an 18-year drought with his win in 1973.
The Ohio State University has practically everything in the NIL era, including a national championship and inarguably the most successful alumni base in the NFL over the last half-decade. The only thing missing is a Heisman winner. Only Miami (last won in 1992) has a longer drought than the Buckeyes when it comes to Heisman winners.
It may be time for the Scarlet and Gray to bring home some solid bronze with a 24-karat gold plate this December in Midtown Manhattan.
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