Big Ten Heisman Hopes: Can Iowa’s Kinnick Legacy Spark Another Trophy Run?
The Big Ten is riding high after three straight national championships, and now the conference is setting its sights on a rare back-to-back Heisman Trophy win. For Iowa fans, the quest carries special meaning: the last time the Big Ten pulled off consecutive Heisman victories, it started with Hawkeye legend Nile Kinnick in 1939.
Speaking at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, Commissioner Tony Petitti made the conference’s dominance clear. “In addition to winning three consecutive titles, the Big Ten has dominated the first two seasons of the expanded College Football Playoff,” Petitti said. “Seven Big Ten teams have combined for the nation’s-best 11 wins, more than double the next closest league.”
Who are the top Heisman contenders from the Big Ten?
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, four of the top eight betting favorites for the 2026 Heisman Trophy play for Big Ten schools. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore leads the pack at +1000 odds, followed by Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (+1200), Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover (+1300), and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (+1400).
Smith, a unanimous All-American who finished sixth in last year’s voting, is the highest-ranked non-quarterback in the race. He caught 87 passes for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Many analysts believe he is the best player in college football and a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Can a wide receiver win the Heisman?
Smith’s position makes his path to the trophy difficult. Since 2000, only five non-quarterbacks have won the Heisman, and just two of them were wide receivers. “I always felt it was a quarterback award unless you have a crazy season,” Smith told reporters. “I don’t really know the criteria of what they look at. Is it the best stats? Is it the best player? I don’t really know. But we’ll see this year.”
What would a second straight Big Ten Heisman mean?
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza broke an 18-year drought for the Big Ten last season, becoming the first conference winner since Ohio State’s Troy Smith in 2006. A second consecutive Heisman would be a historic achievement. The Big Ten has only produced back-to-back winners three times in the award’s 91-year history: 1939-41 (Kinnick, Michigan’s Tom Harmon, Minnesota’s Bruce Smith), 1954-55 (Wisconsin’s Alan Ameche, Ohio State’s Howard Cassady), and 1974-75 (Ohio State’s Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner).
Former Indiana and LSU coach Gerry DiNardo, now a Big Ten Network analyst, said the narrative would shift if a Big Ten player wins again. “If a Big Ten player wins it again this year, there are going to be people saying, ‘We’ve won three championships in a row and two Heisman Trophies.’ So I think people will tag that onto it and make the narrative there.”
How does this affect Iowa and the Midwest?
For Iowa fans, the Heisman race is a reminder of the state’s proud football tradition. Kinnick’s legacy remains a touchstone for the program, and any Big Ten success reflects well on the conference’s overall strength. The Big Ten’s rise in NFL Draft production — now second behind the SEC after absorbing Pac-12 programs — also means more opportunities for Midwest players to showcase their talent on the national stage.
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck summed up the conference’s momentum: “Having big-time players on the stages that they are right now is so healthy for them and the conference. The Big Ten is in the best spot it’s ever been.”
Whether it’s a quarterback or a wide receiver, the Big Ten has a real shot at keeping the Heisman Trophy in the Midwest for another year. For Iowa, that’s a legacy worth celebrating.