Preseason Heisman Trophy Watch 2026 spotlights the quarterbacks, the elite receiver, and a few long-shot risers

The Heisman Trophy race is beginning again, and the early conversation for 2026 starts with the same harsh reality that defines the award: voters tend to reward quarterbacks and high-volume playmakers from teams that stay nationally prominent. In its preseason Heisman Trophy watch, Yahoo Sports presented a top 12 set of players it believes are most likely to dominate the race, describing the year as one of the most intriguing Heisman frames in a long time.

The preview’s central theme is the collection of quarterbacks it expects to carry the national-championship momentum. Yahoo Sports also characterizes the field as featuring “future NFL quarterbacks” and emphasizes that this group is coming from teams positioned for the kind of high-visibility seasons that keep a Heisman candidate in the conversation week after week.

At the same time, the preseason outlook is not purely quarterback-only. Yahoo Sports points to “an all-time great wide receiver” as part of its forecast, suggesting that the 2026 race includes a receiving profile capable of matching the statistical and highlight production typically required to pry attention away from report-callers.

The list also includes players Yahoo Sports views as “hopefuls” with a credible path to surprise. That matters because Heisman races often hinge on movement, not just preseason reputation, and the preseason top 12 is built around the idea that a few candidates could leap if their seasons break the right way.

One piece of visual context in the Yahoo Sports presentation features Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, shown during the Ducks’ spring game in late April 2026 at Autzen Stadium. That choice underscores the broader point the preseason watch is making: candidates are usually the offensive engines at programs with major national exposure, where voters can measure both production and impact.

Even with a preseason top 12, the Heisman race remains noisy for months. The award has historically been shaped by late-season narrative, marquee performances against top opponents, and the extent to which a player’s team story stays alive into the most consequential weeks of the season.

What to watch next is whether the quarterbacks Yahoo Sports highlights can convert offseason expectations into consistent, nationally televised production, and whether the preseason’s receiver and surprise candidates can do the difficult work of forcing voters to widen their Heisman lens beyond the position that typically gets the final vote. Until the season unfolds, this preseason watch should be treated as a roadmap for the race’s early angles, not a forecast that the final ballots will follow exactly.