College Football All-Week 1 Team: Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney Show Out
Week 1 of the college football season is in the books, and what a week it was.
From thrilling and controversial finishes to stunning upsets and incredible individual performances, the opening week delivered plenty of memorable moments.
A pair of Miami superstars delivered record-breaking performances while Jayden Maiava and Jeremiah Smith put their names right into the Heisman conversation.
With that, let’s dive into the top offensive performances from Week 1 of the CFB season.
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In his first start with the Hurricanes, Darian Mensah balled out. He finished Friday night’s win over Stanford with 401 passing yards and five touchdowns, becoming just the sixth quarterback since 2000 to complete at least 90% of his passes while throwing for 400-plus yards and five touchdowns in a game. After his dominant Week 1 performance, Mensah is now the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at +600. No player’s stock went up more than Mensah in Week 1.
In Week 1 against Miami Ohio, Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Heintschel completed 31 of 41 passes for 453 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, seven. Heintschel became just the 26th player in college football since 2000 to throw for at least 450 yards and seven touchdowns in a game, leading Pitt to a dominant 59-14 win and a dream start to the 2026 season. Heintschel introduced himself to the college football world on Saturday and immediately put his name on the map.
In Week 1 against Fresno State, Jayden Maiava completed 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, leading USC to a dominant 39-0 win. His 92% completion rate was the highest in USC history in a game with at least 25 pass attempts and the second-highest overall with at least 20 attempts, trailing only Matt Barkley’s 95% mark in 2012. Maiava’s performance also tied for the 10th-highest completion percentage in an FBS game with at least 25 attempts and 300 passing yards since 2000. The Trojans’ quarterback has put himself right into the Heisman race as his odds sit at +1750 to win the award.
Against Northern Illinois, Iowa running back Kamari Moulton rushed 11 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a ridiculous 16.64 yards per carry. The senior set an Iowa single-game record for yards per carry with at least 10 attempts, shattering Fred Russell’s previous mark of 12.14 in 2002. Moulton’s 16.64 yards per carry also ranks fifth among Big Ten players since 2000 with at least 10 carries in a game. His 183 rushing yards are tied for the 10th-most by an FBS player on 11 or fewer carries since 2000.
Jaylin Carter rushed 19 times for 183 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 9.63 yards per carry, while adding an 18-yard reception to finish with 201 total yards. Carter became just the fifth player in Tigers program history to rush for at least four touchdowns in a single game. Through the first two games of his sophomore season, Carter has already racked up 280 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries, averaging an impressive 8.24 yards per carry.
Against Tulane, Duke running back Nate Sheppard rushed 35 times for 227 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.49 yards per carry. His 227 rushing yards were the most by any FBS player in Week 1 of the 2026 season. After earning second-team All-ACC honors and rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season, Sheppard looks poised for another big year in the Blue Devils’ backfield.
On Friday night, Malachi Toney hauled in 12 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns against Stanford, setting Miami’s single-game receiving yards record. The historic performance continued Toney’s incredible start to his college career after he led the FBS with 109 receptions as a true freshman last season and set Miami’s single-season receiving yards record with 1,211, surpassing Charleston Rambo’s previous mark of 1,172 in 2021. Toney hit the Heisman pose three teams as his odds to win the award surged after Week 1 from +4000 to +1250.
In Ole Miss’ 41-38 win over No. 24 Louisville, senior wide receiver Deuce Alexander hauled in five catches for a career-high 159 yards and two touchdowns. Alexander caught two 62-yard touchdown passes in the third quarter, providing a major spark to the Ole Miss offense in the second half. His 31.8 yards per reception are tied for the third-highest single-game average in Ole Miss history among players with at least five catches. After his explosive Week 1 performance, Alexander looks poised for a massive season as Trinidad Chambliss’ No. 1 target.
Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s dominant win over Ball State, with all of his production coming in the first half. His 151 receiving yards were the second-most he’s recorded in a first half, trailing only the 161 he had against Oregon in the 2025 Rose Bowl. Smith now has 29 career receiving touchdowns, six more than any other college football player since 2024. He also recorded his 12th career 100-yard receiving game, passing Chris Olave for the second-most by an Ohio State player since 2000 and trailing only Marvin Harrison Jr. (15). Smith will have a real chance to break that mark in 2026 as he continues to show why he’s the best receiver in the country. Smith currently has the third-best odds to win the Heisman at +1000.
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