After the first few weeks of the season, Kamario Taylor looked like a potential Heisman Trophy winner. Then he got hurt, and he has missed Mississippi State's past two games. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell might have been a Heisman favorite, too, right up until a nightmare performance in a loss to Tennessee in Week 7. Ditto Georgia QB Gunner Stockton. Arch Manning was supposed to be a star, but instead, he has reverted to his first-half-of-2025 version.
Our perception of the 2026 season has had more twists and turns than the average Tennessee coaching search. In other words, finding the right 25 players to rank atop our midseason list of best performances was no easy task for ESPN's college football experts, including Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg and Paolo Uggetti.
The first-year starter Keelon Russell has helped Alabama rev up its downfield passing attack, averaging 13.5 yards per completion with three performances that netted a QBR of 96.2 or better. Russell has shown good mobility, rushing for a touchdown in five of seven games.
Kamario Taylor emerged as a genuine Heisman Trophy contender with his explosive start and 4-0 run through September with the Bulldogs. He is still the SEC leader in total offense at 321.8 yards per game, though a turf toe issue has sidelined him recently.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing