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Heisman, Biletnikoff and more: Six projected college football award winners for 2026
Carr and Smith headline AP’s preseason picks after each posted elite 2025 numbers and enter 2026 with stronger support around them.
- College football's biggest stars enter the 2026 season with opportunities to secure prestigious individual awards, with Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith headlining early projections.
- After throwing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025, Carr is a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, completing 66.6% of his passes across 12 starts.
- With 163 catches for 2,558 receiving yards, Smith targets the Biletnikoff Award, recording 27 receiving touchdowns and averaging 14.3 yards per catch since 2024.
- Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy enters 2026 as a Doak Walker Award contender after rushing for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, averaging 5.1 yards on 306 carries.
- Defensive standouts including Oregon offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore join Texas pass rusher Colin Simmons on watchlists, with Simmons having led the Southeastern Conference with 12 sacks in 2025.
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17 Articles
17 Articles
Associated Press News+16 Reposted by 16 other sources
Heisman, Biletnikoff and more: Six projected college football award winners for 2026
College football’s biggest stars enter 2026 with a chance to take home some of the sport’s most prestigious individual awards.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources17
Leaning Left9Leaning Right0Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Left
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources lean Left
53% Left
L 53%
C 47%
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