College Football 2026 Midseason Awards

With seven weeks in the books, college football has reached the halfway point of the 2026 season. Although there’s still a long way to go this year, the ‘26 campaign has already produced several unexpected twists and turns.

Preseason national title favorites Texas and Oregon rank among the biggest disappointments, while Ohio State’s season hangs in the balance after an injury to quarterback Julian Sayin. Receiver Jeremiah Smith wins the midseason Heisman award, but Sayin’s potential return and the play of backups Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair loom large over the junior’s candidacy. UCLA, Kentucky and Oregon State also rank among the big winners from the first half of the year.

With the first half of the season completed, it’s time to look back and hand out hardware and pick some of the top players and coaches so far in ‘26. Athlon Sports has selected midseason award winners for a handful of categories, including the Heisman, offensive and defensive player of the year, along with a coach on the rise, and the must-see game of the second half.

Athlon Sports’ writers Luke Easterling, Steven Lassan, Tyler Schuster and Kyle Wood make their selections:

College Football 2026 Midseason Awards

Midseason Heisman Winner

Luke Easterling: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Steven Lassan: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Tyler Schuster: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Kyle Wood: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

Midseason Offensive Player of the Year

Luke Easterling: Jesse Legree, WR, Oregon State
Steven Lassan: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Tyler Schuster: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Kyle Wood: Jesse Legree, WR, Oregon State

Midseason Defensive Player of the Year

Luke Easterling: Colin Simmons, DL, Texas
Steven Lassan: Colin Simmons, DL, Texas
Tyler Schuster: Colin Simmons, DL, Texas
Kyle Wood: Colin Simmons, DL, Texas

Midseason Coach of the Year

Luke Easterling: Bob Chesney, UCLA
Steven Lassan: Bob Chesney, UCLA
Tyler Schuster: Bob Chesney, UCLA
Kyle Wood: Morgan Scalley, Utah

Coach on the Hottest Seat

Luke Easterling: Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Steven Lassan: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Tyler Schuster: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Kyle Wood: Mike Norvell, Florida State

Midseason Freshman of the Year

Luke Easterling: Jesse Legree, WR, Oregon State
Steven Lassan: Jesse Legree, WR, Oregon State
Tyler Schuster: Jesse Legree, WR, Oregon State
Kyle Wood: Jesse Legree, WR, Oregon State

Best Game of the First Half

Luke Easterling: Ole Miss over LSU
Steven Lassan: Georgia over Alabama
Tyler Schuster: BYU over Notre Dame
Kyle Wood: Ole Miss over LSU

Must-See Game of the Second Half

Luke Easterling: Miami at Notre Dame
Steven Lassan: Miami at Notre Dame
Tyler Schuster: Georgia at Ole Miss
Kyle Wood: BYU at Utah

Coach on the Rise

Luke Easterling: Will Stein, Kentucky
Steven Lassan: Jason Eck, New Mexico
Tyler Schuster: JaMarcus Shephard, Oregon State
Kyle Wood: Jake Dickert, Wake Forest

Best First-Year Coach

Luke Easterling: Bob Chesney, UCLA/Will Stein, Kentucky
Steven Lassan: Bob Chesney, UCLA
Tyler Schuster: Bob Chesney, UCLA
Kyle Wood: Will Stein, Kentucky

Coordinator on the Rise

Luke Easterling: Mitch Dahlen, Offensive Coordinator, Oregon State
Steven Lassan: Buster Faulkner, Offensive Coordinator, Florida
Tyler Schuster: Kevin McGiven, Offensive Coordinator, Utah
Kyle Wood: Mitch Dahlen, Offensive Coordinator, Oregon State

Team to Watch in the Second Half of Season

Luke Easterling: Wake Forest
Steven Lassan: USC
Tyler Schuster: Iowa
Kyle Wood: Iowa

Biggest Surprise

Luke Easterling: UCLA/Kentucky/Northwestern
Steven Lassan: Kentucky
Tyler Schuster: Oregon State
Kyle Wood: Oregon State

Biggest Disappointment

Luke Easterling: Texas A&M
Steven Lassan: Oregon
Tyler Schuster: Texas
Kyle Wood: Texas