Heisman rankings: Elite QBs get company with Baugh, Smith

The first month of the college football season is in the books, and the Heisman rankings have seen plenty of movement.

Much of the preseason hype centered on Notre Dame's C.J. Carr and Texas' Arch Manning, but neither is in our top five after four games, despite both starting undefeated.

Here's our list as the calendar flips to October.

5. Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State

The most surprising name on this list is Taylor, given he had +15000 odds to win the Heisman in the preseason. However, the Mississippi State quarterback has arguably been the story of the season thus far, lighting up the scoreboard every time he's taken the field. The 19-year-old has looked nothing like a first-year starter, as shown by an outrageous 14-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Taylor has college football's curiosity, but he'll officially have everyone's attention if he keeps this pace up with Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas next on the schedule.

4. Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

Chambliss might be the most polished player in college football, which makes sense considering he's five years older than Taylor. Though Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. aren't at Ole Miss anymore, Chambliss is still reaching new heights. He was electrifying in wins over Louisville and Kiffin's LSU, making up for Kewan Lacy's injury in a big way. If the Rebels want to make another playoff run, Chambliss will have to be in hero mode all season. So far, he looks more than up to the task.

3. Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida

The Heisman has largely become a quarterback award, but an elite season by a running back can still earn recognition on rare occasions. Baugh's 600 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns certainly qualify for that distinction. His numbers through four games are essentially unheard of, blowing previous Heisman running backs since 2000 out of the water.

• Derrick Henry (2015): 422 rushing yards, 6 TDs
• Mark Ingram (2009): 347 rushing yards, 4 TDs
• Reggie Bush (2005): 491 rushing yards, 6 TDs

Florida's offense looks unstoppable right now, but it faces five of the SEC's top-eight rushing defenses in its next five games. If Baugh somehow doubles his numbers and finishes with 22 touchdowns after that stretch, he'll be better than No. 3 on this Heisman list.

2. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

Winning the Heisman as a receiver is borderline impossible. Only four wide receivers have ever done it, though three of them also returned kicks, while the other played both sides of the ball. The fact that Smith is so high on this list - and the current betting favorite - despite not doing either of those things, tells you just how dominant he's been. The Ohio State star has arguably been the best offensive college player since he walked on campus three years ago, and he's still somehow hitting a new level this season. His 600 receiving yards and seven touchdowns through four games are significantly higher than DeVonta Smith's stats at this point in his 2020 Heisman-winning season.

1. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami

If you have more touchdown passes than incompletions when the calendar hits October, then you have only one spot in these rankings - the very top. According to CBS Sports, Mensah is the only FBS quarterback in 30 years to achieve that feat through the first four games of a season. His 88.7% completion rate is also the highest through four contests of any quarterback in college football history. So he's the runaway Heisman winner, right? Well, let's address the elephant in the room: Miami's schedule ranks 108th of 138 teams in the country so far.

While Mensah has been brilliant this season, throwing at least three touchdowns in every game, he needed 34 attempts to pass for only 220 yards in his toughest outing against Wake Forest. With four contests left on his schedule against top-30 defensive units, Mensah will have to be at his best to keep up his ridiculous pace.