The Favorites
Alabama QB Bryce Young
Young is the returning Heisman winner and is undoubtedly the favorite to win the award again. Last season, in a very loaded SEC, the sophomore threw for 4,827 yards and 47 touchdowns. I don’t think he’ll be slowing down at all and could burst through the 5,000 yard, 50 touchdown threshold. While I don’t have him as my 2022 Heisman winner, Young is a stud.
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
Stroud is my favorite to win the Heisman. He has the nations best wideout returning and a top five running back in TreVeyon Henderson. Stroud has a massive arm and is very elusive. Last season he passed for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns with a 71.9% completion rate. While Bruce Young will be a tough foe in the Heisman race, Stroud can solidify himself as the top dog is he leads Ohio State back to the College Football Playoffs.
USC QB Caleb Williams
I’m not a huge fan of Caleb Williams, but I do respect his play and acknowledge that he’s one of the three best quarterbacks in all of college football. By transferring to USC, he has better weapons than he would have had at Oklahoma. This includes transfer wideout Jordan Addison who won the Biletnikoff last season. He’s set up to succeed in a weak conference with great weapons. I wouldn’t be shocked if he won the award and it feels like a lock that he’ll be a finalist.
Alabama OLB Will Anderson
Seeing a defensive player win the Heisman is like spotting Bigfoot: very rare. Occasionally, you will see defensive players as finalists for the award like last season (Aidan Hutchinson). If any defender has a legit shot at the award in 2022, it’s Will Anderson. He tallied 17.5 sacks last season with over 100 tackles as a hybrid linebacker/defensive end. He’s fast, strong, and anchors the nations’ best team.
Don’t Count These Guys Out
Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
It’s very tough for a wide receiver to win the Heisman because typically when a receiver has an insane season, the guy throwing the ball to him has an equally crazy year. In the case of Smith-Njigba, his quarterback is one of the best. Stroud was a finalist last year and I think will win the award this season. With that being said, I could see Smith-Njigba being a finalist for the award because he will be Stroud’s top option. I mean, he was his number one target last year even with Olave, Wilson, and Ruckert on the roster.
Texas RB Bijan Robinson
He’s strong, fast, and the nations best running back by a country mile. In 2021, he rushed for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns with 295 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. With Quinn Ewer coming in, Robinson’s productivity will go up in the pass game and he’ll stay consistent in the run game per usual. No running back can hold Robinsons jock, and he’s one of the top offensive prospects in all of college football.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson
While there is a big gap between Robinson and Henderson, I wouldn’t count Henderson out of the Heisman equation. He’s got great quickness and breakout speed with sneaky power. He’ll be big threat out of the backfield as well this season as teams are going to focus on stopping Smith-Njigba. With 1,248 rushing yards last season in a pass-first offense, his productivity can only go up.
Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman
Clemson may be the ACC favorites, but I think Wake Forest is going to be very strong with Sam Hartman returning. Hartman passed for 4,228 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2021 and a weaker defensive conference, I expect Hartman to grow his previous stats. He’s an intelligent player with sneaky mobility that could work in his favor on the stat sheet. If he leads the Demon Deacons to the ACC title game, his name will circulate in the Heisman world.
So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance?
Texas QB Quinn Ewers
Ewers could light the college football world on fire. Or he could lead Texas to another 5-7 season. I’m really not sure. He’s a tough player to analyze because he hasn’t thrown a pass at the collegiate level, but I think that with Bijan Robinson in the backfield and Isaiah Neyor and Xavier Worthy out wide, he’s set up to succeed.
Kentucky QB Will Levis
Will Levis is one of the nations most underrated quarterbacks. Through the air, he flaunts a strong arm and good accuracy as he passed for 2,826 yards and 24 touchdowns in his first season with the Wildcats. On his feet, Levis won’t just juke you or slide. He’ll run through you, past you, and over the top of you. He rushed for 9 scores and 376 yards in 2021 and makes defenses struggle in their game plan. Say Levis gets the Wildcats to 8 or 9 wins in the SEC, then I wouldn’t be stunned to see him be in contention for the Heisman trophy.
Oregon LB Noah Sewell
When I mentioned Will Anderson, I wrote that defensive players winning the Heisman is a rarity. Sewell is a long shot, but is the nations best returning inside linebacker. Last season, he posted 114 tackles, 5 pass breakups, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception. I only expect his numbers to go up in 2022 and make him one of the nations best players.
USC WR Jordan Addison
Like I mentioned with Smith-Njigba, it’s rare to see a receiver win the Heisman because for them to have a good season, their quarterback has to have a good season. Last season, Addison took home the Biletnikoff Award with 1,593 receiving yards and 17 scores. While it’ll be tough for him to be a finalist, I would not count Addison out. He’s a shifty pass catcher that runs clean routes and is pairing up with Caleb Williams this season at USC.
Michigan RB Blake Corum
When you look at the field of running backs, Bijan is the clear number one and I think Henderson is the two. After that, it’s a pretty open field. That’s where Blake Corum steps in. He’s returning to Michigan after rushing for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, but what works in his favor the best is that the Wolverines have the nations’ top offensive line. With quarterback not being Michigan’s strong suit, I think we’ll see them pound the rock giving Corum more chances for big plays.
