When LSU got the ball back Saturday night at Ole Miss, down 8 points with 6:07 remaining, Lane Kiffin made it very clear he wasn't aiming for two bites at the apple. The Tigers trailed 32-24 after the Rebels had scored and converted a bold 2-point conversion, so LSU had to have a plan not only in case it didn't score in response, but also if it scored and failed on the 2-point conversion. But it seemed Kiffin was preoccupied with something else entirely: He didn't want to give the ball back to Trinidad Chambliss. He decided the best plan was to eat up the rest of the clock, score with as little time remaining and simply hope they made the coin-flip 2-point conversion.
From a math standpoint, this was a tenuous decision. There was more than enough time left for two possessions, and LSU's defense had made stops on three of Ole Miss' last four drives. But it was easy to understand the sentiment: When it's important, Chambliss never really makes you feel like you have a chance.
Louisville had tied Ole Miss with 1:28 left in Week 1, and Chambliss almost effortlessly drove the Rebels into game-winning field goal range, just as he had when getting the ball back with 55 seconds left against Georgia in last year's College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Hell, he damn near beat Miami with only 18 seconds to work with in the semifinals. He has become the college version of the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes. So LSU ate up as much clock as possible before failing on fourth-and-goal from the Ole Miss 6 with less than a minute left.
Chambliss was indeed the difference-maker in Ole Miss' cathartic Saturday night revenge win. He threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three first downs and what turned out to be the winning 14-yard touchdown. LSU's defense landed some blows in the second half, pressuring him into an interception and a pair of sacks. But when the Rebels' 17-point lead had evaporated and it was time to go win the game -- without injured star running back Kewan Lacy, no less -- Chambliss did so. Amid a sea of great quarterback performances throughout the country, he was your Week 3 Heisman winner.
This season, Heisman is running its Heisman Hopefuls Fan Vote all season long, with a platform that provides statistics, EA Sports ratings and other information. In that vein, I am once again awarding the Heisman every week of the season and doling out weekly points, F1-style (in this case, 10 points for first place, 9 for second, and so on).
How will this Heisman race play out, and how different will the result be from the actual Heisman voting? We're going to find out.
This week's Heisman winner: Trinidad Chambliss
1. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Week 3 numbers: 33-for-48 passing for 363 yards, two TDs and an INT, plus 24 non-sack rushing yards and a score against LSU
With his second winning drive of the season, Chambliss moved past Miami's Darian Mensah as the Heisman betting favorite at DraftKings.
Granted, the September favorite almost never actually wins the award, and there could be countless twists and turns to come. But if Ole Miss makes another run to the CFP, Chambliss could finish with 4,000-plus passing yards and 30-plus TDs, and while he seems to be more selective about his rushing (not including three sacks, he has carried just 18 times for 92 yards this season), he's still more than capable of moving the chains when it counts. And with the Rebels' defense proving to be hit-or-miss early in the season, he'll be the reason Ole Miss makes another CFP run if it happens. Or as head coach Pete Golding put it, "As long as the ball is in 6's hands, we're good."
The rest of the top 10
2. Week 3 numbers: 23-for-30 passing for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus 67 non-sack rushing yards and a score against Florida State
It was indeed a great Saturday for big-time quarterback play, and Russell turned heads by passing another big test. After overcoming early mistakes to play well against Kentucky the week before, Russell was tasked with overcoming his defense's mistakes Saturday. Florida State scored touchdowns on its first four drives to turn the game into a track meet, but after settling for a couple of early field goals, Russell threw three touchdown passes in just 134 seconds to turn a 21-6 deficit into a 26-21 halftime lead. And then his 57-yard TD run late in the third quarter provided what ended up being the winning points in a 50-36 victory. Dynamite stuff.
3. Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia
Week 3 numbers: 10-for-17 passing for 190 yards and two touchdowns, plus 128 non-sack rushing yards and three scores against Virginia
Hawkins produced the best single-game Total QBR of the week as his Mountaineers scored a resounding upset of No. 25 Virginia. With Cam Cook grinding away between the tackles, Hawkins punished a wrong-footed defense for five completions of more than 20 yards, plus eight first-down runs, including gains of 21, 20, 17 and 15 yards. The score was tied at 21-21 in the third quarter, but Hawkins led three straight scoring drives to turn it into a comfortable win.
4. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Week 3 numbers: 21-for-28 for 227 yards, plus 152 non-sack rushing yards and two scores against Tulane
Johnson seemed to battle himself a bit last year, torn between being the excellent runner he is and the pro-style quarterback he wants to be. He found a hell of a balance Saturday, completing 75% of his passes but also breaking off runs of 66, 25 and 23 yards. K-State's offense started slowly but scored TDs on four of five drives to put the game away.
5. Martell Hughes, Arizona State
Week 3 numbers: 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 4 run stops against Kansas
The inaugural Union Jack Classic in London between Arizona State and Kansas was a strange one. ASU averaged only 3.5 yards per play and got outgained by 186 yards but prevailed because of a defense that forced three turnovers and rendered the Jayhawks 6-for-16 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth. Hughes was the anchor of the opportunistic performance, stuffing Micah Johnson on one of those fourth downs and living in the Kansas backfield.
6. Wayne Knight, UCLA
Week 3 numbers: 18 carries for 177 yards and 2 TDs, plus 23 receiving yards against Purdue
UCLA has a brilliant trio of backs in Knight, Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas, but Knight is the unquestioned leader. The Bruins rushed for 369 yards in Saturday's 52-38 win over Purdue, and Knight was responsible for nearly half of that, plus three receptions, by himself. A batch of James Madison transfers contributed heavily to Indiana's incredible turnaround in 2024-25, and now another group, led by Knight, is turning UCLA around as well.
7. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Week 3 numbers: 31-for-34 passing for 325 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 33 non-sack rushing yards and a score against Northern Illinois
When Fifita is in rhythm, the ball never hits the ground. He completed more than 90% of his passes for the second time Saturday night, and he has gone over 70% in 14 of his 37 career starts. The Wildcats' offense is hyperefficient at times, and despite the Week 2 loss to BYU, they aren't out of the Big 12 race just yet.
8. Kendrick Raphael, SMU
Week 3 numbers: 24 carries for 197 yards and 3 TDs, plus 11 receiving yards against Louisville
SMU's 41-31 loss to Louisville was damaging to the Mustangs' ACC title hopes, but don't blame Raphael. The Cal and NC State transfer -- a true ACC lifer -- posted a career high in rushing yards and gave SMU the lead on three separate occasions before two late Louisville TDs turned the tide.
9. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
Week 3 numbers: 18-for-26 passing for 251 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT, plus 47 non-sack rushing yards against South Carolina
Like Russell, Taylor passed a test of adversity in MSU's SEC opener. He threw an interception on his first pass, and MSU spotted the host Gamecocks a 16-0 lead, but a 30-yard touchdown pass to Sanfrisco Magee opened the floodgates. The Bulldogs went on a 41-7 run and prevailed 41-34, and Taylor earned a third straight spot on this list.
10. Aiden Flora, Iowa State
Week 3 numbers: 12 carries for 194 yards and 2 TDs, plus a 66-yard punt return score and 10 receiving yards against Bowling Green
A rare holdover from the previous roster, Flora had only 15 career carries heading into this season, but he's adding "dangerous running back" to a skill set that already included "dynamite return man." In addition to his 66- and 21-yard punt returns, he added touchdown runs of 61 and 42 yards (plus a 38-yarder for fun). ISU thumped Bowling Green as expected, but Flora's star turn was still worth noting.
Honorable mention:
• Braden Atkinson, Oregon State (22-for-30 passing for 333 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus a rushing TD against Montana).
• Jadan Baugh, Florida (26 carries for 162 yards and 3 TDs against Auburn).
• CJ Carr, Notre Dame (18-for-24 passing for 234 yards, plus a rushing TD against Michigan State).
• Kolbe Fields, Louisiana Tech (8 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 run stops, a sack and a forced fumble against Baylor).
• Micah Gilbert, Notre Dame (eight catches for 170 yards against Michigan State).
• Javion Kinnard, San Diego State (33 carries for 181 yards and a TD, plus 70 receiving yards against James Madison).
• Sammy Omosigho, UCLA (10 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against Purdue).
• Nate Sheppard, Duke (23 carries for 154 rushing yards and 2 TDs, plus a receiving TD against Stanford).
• Gunner Stockton, Georgia (10-for-13 passing for 147 yards and 1 touchdown, plus 122 non-sack rushing yards against Arkansas).
• Jayden Woods, Florida (6 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks against Auburn).
Point totals and current odds
Through three weeks, here are your points leaders. Players who are also in the top 10 in DraftKings' current Heisman odds are in bold.
1. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State (15 points)
2. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (15 points)
3. Nate Sheppard, Duke (13 points)
4T. Malachi Toney, Miami (10 points)
4T. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State (10 points)
6T. Devon Dampier, Utah (9 points)
6T. Mason Heintschel, Pitt (9 points)
6T. Keelon Russell, Alabama (9 points)
9T. Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia (8 points)
9T. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (8 points)
Because of his three appearances on this list, Taylor gets the tiebreaker edge and retains the top spot in the points race. But Chambliss has made two appearances, and combined with his 2025 brilliance, he rightfully holds the edge in the betting odds at +290. But Mensah, who completed 35 straight passes (mostly short) over Weeks 2 and 3, is still within range at +370, and again, September favorites aren't usually December favorites.
Any number of players, from Smith (+1050) to the rising Taylor (+1,150) to Week 1 standout Toney (+1,300) to, of course, Arch Manning (+1,400) could turn the tide soon. Chambliss is going to be hard to surpass, though.
Gordie Lockbaum of the week: Dante Reno, Yale
Our weekly hat tip to a smaller-school standout, named after the Holy Cross two-way legend who finished in the Heisman top five twice in the 1980s.
The Ivy league finally began its season Saturday, and Reno made an immediate statement. The son of former Yale head coach Tony Reno, he transferred to Yale from South Carolina last season and led the Bulldogs to their first FCS playoff win in their first try. And his first start of 2026, against Holy Cross -- Gordie Lockbaum's alma mater! -- was quite a statement. He threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jaxton Santiago five minutes into the game, and after a second-quarter funk, he threw for four more scores in the second half. He finished the day 30-for-43 for 454 yards. Two receivers (Santiago and Lucius Anderson) each topped 150 receiving yards, and Yale prevailed 38-28, potentially unearthing a new level of upside in the process.
