New Heisman platform gives first vote to fans

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  Bill ConnellyAug 17, 2026, 10:30 AM ET

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  Bill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. He covers college football, soccer and tennis. He has been at ESPN since 2019.

The new team at Heisman has launched Heisman Hopefuls -- a data, storytelling and fan voting platform aimed at expanding the conversation about the award given to the most outstanding player in college football.

The platform will feature official player data and regularly updated EA Sports College Football player ratings, and it will allow fans to place the first official vote for the Heisman Trophy.

"We surveyed college football fans, and they told us clearly that they want more data on more players and more ways to engage with the Heisman Trophy throughout the season," Heisman CEO Jeff Price said.

Central to the new initiative is a Heisman Hopefuls website complete with player data and a voting page. While some positions will always have richer data -- and the efforts for this season, at least, will be limited to more basic player statistics instead of advanced analytics -- the combination of statistics and player ratings is intended to encourage voters to consider players of all positions.

"Every player who steps onto the field this fall begins the season as a Heisman Hopeful with the chance to earn the award on the field of play," Price said. "This platform, working hand in hand with the schools, helps us shine a light on those players and bring their stories forward all season long."

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez won last year's fan vote, with Nebraska's Emmett Johnson finishing second and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, the overall vote winner, finishing third.

This time around, voters can vote daily, with the weights of the votes shifting throughout the season.

"We're creating a methodology to dynamically weight fan votes based on data observed throughout the season," said Ron Yurko, the director of the Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center, which is assisting Heisman with the process along with Next League, Yangaroo and CLC. "While fans will be allowed to vote each day throughout the season, CMSAC's data-driven approach will guide how much weight to give votes each week."

The winner of the fan vote will be unveiled live on ESPN on the weekend of conference championship games. The players ranking first, second and third will be logged as the first official Heisman ballot.

"Heisman Hopefuls gives every program exciting new ways to spotlight their athletes and engage their fans all season long," Price said.