Jeremiah Smith Emerges as Heisman Favorite Following Post-Week 4 Odds Shift

Week 4 around college football arguably brought us the most earth-shanking 2026 Heisman Trophy odds change to date. Receivers don't win the award very often, but Ohio State superstar wideout Jeremiah Smith is your new +245 favorite at DraftKings after an epic performance Saturday in a blowout of Illinois in the Buckeyes' Big Ten opener.  Bet on college football at DraftKings, where new users get $150 when they spend $5+:

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss took over as the Heisman favorite at +310 following a huge Week 3 game in the victory in the Lane Kiffin Bowl against LSU . While Chambliss played well this past Saturday, most of his teammates didn't as the Rebs were trucked at then-No. 21 Florida , 52-28. Chambliss didn't have injured star running back Kewan Lacy so was pretty much a one-man show, throwing for 298 yards with a TD and pick while rushing for two scores. His odds rose to +1150, and he's now the fourth favorite.

The Gators rushed for a whopping 302 yards on Ole Miss coach Pete Golding's supposedly stingy defense. Jadan Baugh carried 29 times for 142 yards and three scores. I watched that entire game, and Baugh just bulldozing guys left and right like an old Earl Campbell or John Riggins would was really fun to watch. Baugh was generally off the board Week 1 and around +6000 entering Week 4 but is now +1200.

Miami's Darian Mensah was the favorite post-Week 2 but then lost that edge to Chambliss post-Week 3. Mensah had another spectacular game in the Hurricanes' 52-3 win over Central Michigan on Saturday, completing 23 of 27 for 338 yards and three scores. The Duke transfer incredibly only has 12 incompletions in 106 pass attempts and has thrown for 1,211 yards, 14 touchdowns and zero picks. And he's not even playing full games yet.

Mensah moved from +370 entering Week 4 to now the +400 second favorite behind Smith, who is from Miami Gardens and was one the Hurricanes let get away recruiting-wise. Can you imagine Mensah, Smith and Malachi Toney (+1750 for Heisman) on the 2026 Canes?

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The junior Smith torched the Illini on Saturday for 12 catches, 217 yards and four scores. In doing so, he joined Terry Glenn as only the second Buckeye in history with at least 200 receiving yards and four touchdowns in a game. Smith was the first Big Ten player overall to do it in 11 years.

Smith already owns the school record for receiving yards at 2,898; he needs 10 receptions to break Emeka Egbuka's school record of 205 total catches; is two scores away from breaking Chris Olave's (2018-21) school all-time receiving TD mark; and six TD grabs away from breaking Braylon Edwards ' (2001-04) Big Ten record set, with Michigan . Smith catapulted from +1050 for the Heisman to +245, with that implied probability going from about 8.7% to 29%.

He finished sixth in the 2025 Heisman voting and his 2026 preseason Heisman odds of +1400 were the second-shortest for a non-quarterback since 2013. The last pure receiver to win it was Alabama's DeVonta Smith in 2020, while the last pure WR finalist was Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. when he finished fourth in 2023 – as a quick aside, I thought he would be such a great NFL player but has mega-disappointed thus far. Of course, Colorado 's Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman while playing at receiver and defensive back and is mostly a corner as a pro these days.

One other big mover post-Week 4 was Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor after the sophomore led the Bulldogs to 4-0 with a comeback win over No. 19 Missouri on Saturday. He threw for 360 yards and three scores and improved from +1100 on the Heisman odds to +480. Believe it or not, no Mississippi State player has been a Heisman finalist.

Probably the best-known Bulldogs player this century was current Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, and he finished eighth in the 2014 Heisman voting. Taylor's odds were as high as +15000 when the season kicked off, if not off the board at some books. He could get another massive boost this week by leading a home upset of No. 7 Alabama on Saturday.

That's the game of the week along, with Smith's Buckeyes at No. 14 Iowa off the Hawkeyes' shocking final-play win Sunday at Michigan. Thanks to that, ESPN's College GameDay is returning to Iowa City this weekend for the first time in 20 years. The Hawkeyes don't have a legit Heisman contender, as they usually win with ball-control and defense. Iowa always is tough to throw against, especially, and is among the national leaders in allowing just 152.0 yards through the air per game. So maybe Smith's favored stay is short.

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My current value Heisman pick: Notre Dame QB CJ Carr at +1100. I believe the Fighting Irish have the best chance of any team in the country to finish the regular season unbeaten, with the two toughest tests at BYU and vs. Miami. If they do run the table, it will be hard to keep a Fighting Irish player off the Heisman podium with how long it has been since a Notre Dame player won -- WR Tim Brown in 1987.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/2026-heisman-trophy-odds-update-post-week-4-ton-of-movement-led-by-new-favorite-jeremiah-smith-of-ohio-state/)._