Week 1 of the college football season doesn’t decide the Heisman Trophy. But it does something just as intoxicating: it reshapes the map. Leaders stumble, dark horses emerge, and the spotlight shifts, leaving us wondering whose name will be called in December.
This is the beauty of the Heisman race. It’s fluid, volatile, alive. One Saturday in September can spark a campaign or smother it. The Heisman isn’t won in Week 1, but it can be lost.
After a chaotic opening weekend, here’s where the Heisman Heat Index stands. Five players in the chase for college football’s most hallowed prize
1. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Game 1: LSU 17, Clemson 10
Stats: 28/38, 230 yards, 1 TD
Garrett Nussmeier’s numbers don’t leap off the page. But anyone who watched LSU’s hard-fought win over Clemson knows why he sits at the top of the Week 1 Heisman Heat Index.
Composure. Precision. Leadership.
Nussmeier didn’t blink when the game turned ugly. Against one of college football’s best defenses, he played with the calm of a surgeon, dissecting Clemson’s secondary with 28 completions and controlling the tempo from start to finish. It was a game where mistakes were fatal, and Nussmeier refused to make them.
In a Heisman race often fueled by flash, Nussmeier’s Week 1 was about foundation. He has the poise to carry LSU through the SEC gauntlet, and the spotlight to keep the voters watching.
2. Thomas Castellanos, QB, Florida State
Game 1: Florida State 31, Alabama 17
Stats: 9/14, 152 yards, 1 TD | 16 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD
Thomas Castellanos didn’t just beat Alabama. He electrified the sport.
In one of the weekend’s biggest shockwaves, Florida State knocked down the mighty Crimson Tide, with Castellanos being the spark. With each scramble, each burst past would-be tacklers, the Seminoles’ quarterback looked like the kind of player who can drag a team from hopeful to contender.
He didn’t throw much, but when he did, he made it count. And on the ground, his 78 yards and touchdown showed that the Heisman isn’t just about arm talent, it’s about game-breaking ability.
If Florida State keeps winning, Castellanos could become the heartbeat of the most surprising Heisman campaign in years.
3. LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
Game 1: South Carolina 24, Virginia Tech 11
Stats: 12/19, 209 yards, 1 TD | 25 rushing yards, 1 TD
Shane Beamer has been waiting for this moment: a quarterback who can change the game. Against Virginia Tech, LaNorris Sellers delivered.
Sellers threw with accuracy, confidence, and vision. His 209 passing yards came on just 19 attempts, and when he needed to extend plays, his legs carried him. He scored through the air, he scored on the ground, and he set the tone for South Carolina’s season.
What makes Sellers’ case compelling is the narrative. The SEC has been chasing redemption, hungry to reclaim its throne after two years without a national championship. If South Carolina is to shock the world, it will be because Sellers turns potential into stardom. Week 1 was a promising first step.
4. Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Game 1: Ohio State 14, Texas 7
Stats: 17/30, 117 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
The Manning name is heavy, and in Week 1, Arch Manning carried it like a burden. Against the reigning national champions, Ohio State, the Texas quarterback looked uncomfortable. He threw off-balance, forced throws into coverage, and missed on plays that could have turned the tide.
Still, he showed flashes. The late touchdown drive reminded fans why his ceiling remains sky-high. Manning’s final numbers were modest, but they came against the best defense in the nation.
The Heisman race is not about perfection every week. It’s about moments, redemption, and storylines. Arch Manning has the tools, the pedigree, and the opportunity to climb back into the heart of this race. His Week 2 matchup against San Jose State is a chance to right the ship and remind the country that the Heisman isn’t handed out after one game.
5. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Game 1: Ohio State 14, Texas 7
Stats: 6 receptions, 43 yards
Sometimes greatness is measured not in dominance, but in resilience.
Jeremiah Smith, the most feared receiver in college football, was frustrated against Texas. He dropped passes, drew double teams, and found himself hand-fighting with physical corners all game long. His six catches went nowhere, his big plays erased by sticky coverage.
And yet, Smith remains in the top five because one game cannot erase who he is: a 6’3”, 215-pound matchup nightmare who dominated as a true freshman. The Heisman requires a “moment,” and Smith will have plenty of chances to author his own.
This wasn’t his night. But the story of his season is just beginning.
The Heisman race never sleeps
What makes the Heisman Heat Index so intoxicating is its volatility. Garrett Nussmeier is on top today. Thomas Castellanos is a rising star. LaNorris Sellers has the SEC buzzing. Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith stumbled, but they’re too talented to fade away.
By Week 3, everything could change. That’s college football. That’s the chase. That’s why we watch.
The Heisman is not won in Week 1. But already, the flames are rising.
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