Malachi Toney's injury will have a major impact on the college football season, from the College Football Playoff picture to the Heisman Trophy race. The Miami star receiver was considered a lock for New York, and his absence opens the door for other contenders.
In a twist of fate, the Heisman candidate who benefits most from Toney's absence might be his Miami teammate, quarterback Darian Mensah. The electric duo was expected to split votes, but now Mensah could make a push for the award while Toney is out, starting Saturday night against No. 11 Notre Dame. On the other side, Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr can assert himself against Mensah and push into the top tier of favorites.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah Smith, the clear frontrunner until Julian Sayin's injury, now has a wide-open path to college football's greatest individual honor, even with a true freshman quarterback.
Mensah vs. Carr becomes critical
The stakes of Saturday night's showdown in South Bend were already sky-high, but they have become stratospheric for the quarterbacks. Mensah is right there with Smith as one of the two clear favorites, but a road win against a national championship contender without his top wide receiver would bolster his case. Miami's remaining schedule suggests they may want to etch Mensah's name into the award conversation early.
Carr has been holding steady behind the top tier, and this game is his chance to make a move. Notre Dame's schedule hasn't forced Carr to post huge numbers, and the loss to BYU hurt his stock. However, Carr has been efficient with 8.3 yards per attempt and 18 touchdowns to one interception. The Hurricanes' secondary showed vulnerability when North Carolina's Billy Edwards Jr. exploded for 341 yards, giving Carr an opportunity to exploit similar holes.
Smith's path widens again
With quarterback Julian Sayin out indefinitely with a throwing arm injury, Smith's Heisman chances took a hit. Freshman Luke Fahey's limitations were clear against a USC defense that has underwhelmed. Smith put up a decent stat line but was held in check until USC softened its coverage with a two-score lead. Now Smith is back as the favorite to win the Heisman, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. If Ohio State continues to target Smith heavily, he should accumulate numbers, starting this weekend in a top-25 matchup against Oregon. The Buckeyes must avoid one or two more losses down the stretch to keep Smith's hopes alive.
SEC quarterbacks lurk
Prior to Toney's injury, the SEC lacked obvious Heisman candidates. Trinidad Chambliss and Sam Leavitt remain long shots, but the door has cracked open. Chambliss didn't capitalize against Texas but can redeem himself this weekend when No. 2 Georgia visits Oxford for a primetime matchup. A strong performance against Kirby Smart's defense could propel him to New York.
The more intriguing SEC signal-caller is Leavitt, a high-profile transfer from Arizona State. After early-season turnovers, Leavitt has elevated his game without critical mistakes over recent weeks. With LSU entering its most critical stretch, Leavitt's Heisman stock could rise significantly by Thanksgiving.
