Heisman Trophy History and Simulation
The Heisman Trophy, first awarded in 1935, is the most prestigious individual award in college football. As the 2026 season approaches, the video game College Football 27 has offered a unique preview of potential Heisman winners by simulating the season 100 times. The results, published by USA TODAY Sports, show a wide-open race with 19 different players winning the award at least once. The simulation takes into account stats, team success, and highlight-reel moments to determine the winner.
Top Heisman Candidates in CFB 27
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was the most frequent winner, earning the Heisman in 19 simulations. He was followed by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (17 wins) and USC quarterback Jayden Maiava (13 wins). Other quarterbacks with multiple wins include Devon Dampier (Utah, 8), Sam Leavitt (Arizona State, 8), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M, 7), Byrum Brown (South Florida, 6), Kevin Jennings (SMU, 6), and Arch Manning (Texas, 3). The simulation also produced two-time winners: Miami wide receiver Cam Vaughn, Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy, and Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson.
The full list of Heisman winners in the simulation highlights the dominance of quarterbacks, with 16 of the 19 winners playing the position. The two wide receivers are Cam Vaughn (Miami) and Malcolm Simmons (Auburn), while the lone running back is Ahmad Hardy (Missouri). The complete list includes:
- Ahmad Hardy, Missouri, RB
- Arch Manning, Texas, QB
- Avery Johnson, Kansas State, QB
- Brad Jackson, Texas State, QB
- Byrum Brown, South Florida, QB
- Caden Veltkamp, Florida Atlantic, QB
- Cam Vaughn, Miami, WR
- Dante Moore, Oregon, QB
- Devon Dampier, Utah, QB
- DJ Lagway, Florida, QB
- Jayden Maiava, USC, QB
- John Mateer, Oklahoma, QB
- Kevin Jennings, SMU, QB
- Malcolm Simmons, Auburn, WR
- Marcel Reed, Texas A&M, QB
- Michael Van Buren Jr., LSU, QB
- Sam Leavitt, Arizona State, QB
- Tayven Jackson, Indiana, QB
- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss, QB
Simulation Accuracy and Real-World Heisman Updates
The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, was also featured in last year's edition of College Football 27, lending some credibility to the simulation's predictive power. According to the article, "Could the simulation end up being right? The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was one of the names that was in last year's game, possibly making good news for the several stars that ended up winning the honor in the video game in 2026."
In the real world, the Heisman Trust continues to evolve the award process. They recently partnered with Carnegie Mellon University's Sports Analytics Center to enhance fan voting and integrate advanced analytics into the Heisman Hopefuls platform, providing fans with a more informed and engaging experience. The Heisman Trophy has strong ties to American history, as noted on the Heisman.com page, celebrating its 92nd year in 2026.
With the 2026 college football season on the horizon, the CFB 27 Heisman race offers a thrilling look at the players who could be competing for the most famous trophy in sports.
