The Heisman Hopefuls Podcast

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SMU's all-time leader in touchdowns and passing yardage, dynamic quarterback Kevin Jennings, joins the podcast to talk about his journey from high school state champion to underrated recruit to hometown hero. Don't miss the King of Dallas as he holds court and talks Heisman. He's followed by UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho, a former Sooner who has transformed into one of the nation's best at his position for the undefeated Bruins. Listen as he discusses the finer points of his position, why his position coach calls him "Sammy Soup" and why he might have a future in the Professional Bowlers Association.

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

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It's a very special episode this week as we turn our focus to the unsung heroes of the gridiron, the special teams units.  First up is UAB place kicker and Lou Groza Award candidate Jonah Delange, who educates us on the finer points of field goal kicking as well as the mental challenges that go along with it. Next is James Madison wide receiver/return specialist Michael Scott, who talks about his massive 303-yard all-purpose game against Wagner and why former West Virginia great Tavon Austin is his return game inspiration. We close with Army long snapper Owen Walter, the first long snapper in school history to be named team captain.  So settle in and get ready to learn all about kicks, returns and snaps!

Support the show

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

It's a packed pod this week!  We lead off with stud Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, fresh off a huge win over LSU, who reflects on his remarkable path from Division II afterthought to Heisman hopeful. Next, it's the electrifying Jadan Baugh, the Florida running back leading the Gators back to national prominence. Then, the premier safety in the country so far this season, Kingston Lopa of Cal, who leads the nation with five interceptions already. We close out with Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com, who shares his thoughts on the upcoming Florida-Ole Miss tilt in The Swamp and the Big Ten's slow start.

Support the show

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker joins the pod after leading his team to a huge upset of No. 6 Oregon. Find out how he went from a backup high school quarterback to walk on quarterback to one of the best players in college football. Next up is Duke running back Nate Sheppard, who leads the nation in rushing after two weeks. His versatility and toughness make him an intriguing player to watch as the season develops. We close out with the Director of Sports Analytics at Carnegie-Mellon University, Ron Yurko, who recently partnered with the Heisman to develop the Heisman Hopefuls platform.

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

Anchors aweigh, there's a new star Navy quarterback, Braxton Woodson, and he's fresh off a 200-yard rushing outing in week one.  He joins this week's pod to talk about his development as a triple option QB and life at the Naval Academy.  He's followed by Heisman CEO Jeff Price, who shares his vision for the Heisman, highlighted by the new Heisman Hopefuls platform and the exciting Heisman fan vote.  We wrap up with ESPN ACC analyst Max Browne who helps us recap week one in college football.

Support the show

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

It's big man versus big man on the latest Heisman Hopefuls Podcast, as Houston Cougars preseason All-American guard Shadre Hurst and Minnesota preseason All-American defensive end Anthony Smith discuss the ins and outs and the ups and downs of the battle to win the line of scrimmage. As good as these guys are on the field, they are even more interesting off of it!  We also check in with the offensive star of Week 0, Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula, whose sparkling Cavalier debut conjured up shades of Tim Tebow. The senior completed 9 of 11 for 155 yards and 2 TDs, and churned out 110 yards rushing in a 34-8 victory over NC State. 

Support the show

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to episode 2 of the Heisman Hopefuls Podcast! Notre Dame QB CJ Carr joins Chris Huston to talk about a big season ahead for the Fighting Irish. Then, UCLA running back Wayne Knight explains his decision to follow Bob Chesney from James Madison to Los Angeles. Next, Toledo DE Andrew Zock speaks on the jump from FCS Mercer to the MAC.  Finally, Chris and ESPN's Bill Connelly break down what changes we can expect to see in college football in 2026.

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Heisman Hopefuls Podcast! Join Chris Huston as he explores the history of Heisman Campaigns. Ole Miss Assistant AD Kyle Campbell joins the show to talk Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, and SMU assistant AD Clark Williams joins to talk Kevin Jennings.

Support the show

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

Last December, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza pulled off a twelve-yard touchdown with a national title on the line — and he looked calm. That calm became the question of the offseason: why him? What separates the athlete who rises in that moment from the thousands of talented athletes who don't?

This finale is the answer, drawn from every interview we ran this offseason. Olympic gold medalists Joey Cheek, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Quincy Watts. Coaches Curt Cignetti and Lincoln Riley. Sports neurologist Dr. Stephanie Alessi-LaRosa and The Performance Cortex author Zach Schonbrun. Elise Devlin of The Athletic, who has interviewed hundreds of elite performers about their mental habits. Monte Burke on Pete Carroll. Max Browne, once the top quarterback recruit in America, on what the old model cost him. And Davis Wilson, seventeen years old and already running a reset routine on the mound.

The answer is not one thing. It is a stack of things: the hardware you are born with, the software built through mileage, the daily choice of excellence over comfort, and a trained mind. Above all of it sits luck, which nobody controls, and joy, which turns out to be fundamental rather than a reward.

Talent is natural. Separating that talent from the rest requires building.

Support the show

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.

Send us Fan Mail

The Heisman Trophy Podcast's off-season search for the origins of elite athleticism continues with Quincy Watts, who won two gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and now directs the track and field program at USC.

Watts grew up in Detroit, a basketball player who happened to be fast. He traces the spark to the 1984 Olympics, when he watched Carl Lewis win four golds, pointed at the television, and told his father he would win one too. The road there was not straight. He resisted the 400 meters — "the pain business," he calls it — long enough to try out for USC football, and he lost three early seasons to hamstring injuries before deciding, his senior year, to choose excellence over comfort every single day.

He won that gold in an Olympic-record 43.50, then added a second in the 4×400 relay. Host Chris Huston walks him through the final itself: the meditation in the staging area, the moment time seemed to slow on the backstretch, and finding his father in the stands at the line.

Watts also talks coaching — reading the difference between a Michael Norman and a Rai Benjamin, "two Ferraris built different" — and gives a blunt answer to the question at the heart of the series: what separates an elite athlete from a merely very good one.

Support the show

The Heisman Hopefules Podcast streams every Thursday during the college football season and is hosted by Chris Huston. The pod is available on all streaming networks, including Spotify and Apple Music, and full videos of the show are available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok and Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for feedback and inquiries.