The Favorites
USC QB Caleb Williams
There isn’t much to add to the conversation about Williams being the Heisman favorite. He won it last year after passing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns while also rushing for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns. The one thing working against Williams is that a Heisman trophy winner hasn’t repeated since Archie Griffin in 1974-1975. Maybe Williams will buck the trend.
North Carolina QB Drake Maye
It feels unfortunate, but Drake Maye is kind of living in the shadow of Caleb Williams. He’s a great quarterback, but when a figure like Williams is playing the same position as you and he’s doing it slightly better, you’ll get brushed aside. Last season, Maye passed for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns while rushing for 698 yards and 7 touchdowns. I predict that he’ll definitely be a finalist and could edge out Williams, preventing him from repeating.
Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
One of the most electric players in all of college last season was Michael Penix Jr. re-emerging at Washington. He flaunted his huge arm with the Huskies in 2022, passing for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns. Penix was also integral in Washington beating Oregon State, Oregon, and Texas. If he gets Washington to 10-2 or 11-1 and posts bigger numbers, there’s no doubt he’ll be a finalist and could win the award.
Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman
The Irish have a window to win a National Title this season after grabbing Sam Hartman from the transfer portal, who is one of the most polished and poised quarterbacks in all of college football. If Hartman can lead Notre Dame to wins over Ohio State, Clemson, and USC while also protecting the ball and posting big numbers then there’s no reason why he can’t win the Heisman. Last season, he threw for 3,701 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Don’t Count These Guys Out
Florida State QB Jordan Travis
One of college football’s great surprises this past season was Jordan Travis. He passed for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns while also rushing for 417 yards and 7 touchdowns. Against LSU, Travis passed for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns and vs Georgia Tech, he passed for 396 yards and 3 scores. With the way he continued to play better as the 2022 season progressed, he’s in for a massive 2023.
Oregon QB Bo Nix
With Bo Nix, he’s super hit or miss. If he can have ten or eleven games of hits, then he can be a Heisman finalist. But that hasn’t been his prerogative. He had great games last season, like when he threw for 5 touchdowns vs UCLA or 327 yards and 2 touchdowns against Oregon State. Nix, however, also had poor games in 2022 when he was picked off twice vs Georgia and threw for no touchdowns against Colorado. The potential’s there, but he needs to fully harness it.
Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
While there were a lot of great wideouts last year, none proved to be more elite than Marvin Harrison Jr. His route running is immaculate and if there’s a ball thrown anywhere in his general area, he’s coming down with it. In 2022, he caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. What benefits Harrison most is that he has Emeka Egbuka opposite of him, so teams aren’t able to double team Harrison.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers
First off, HORNS DOWN. Second, Quinn Ewers is a really good quarterback that has suppressed any idea of Arch Manning starting. Last season, he passed for 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, but where I do see an issue in Ewers winning the Heisman is that he didn’t really help the Longhorns against good teams. When Texas played Oklahoma State he passed for 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and vs TCU he threw for 171 yards and 1 interceptions.
Michigan RB Blake Corum
I argued tooth and nail that Blake Corum should have been a Heisman trophy finalist last year, but the cries fell on deaf ears. Corum is a true ground-and-pound back that is great after contact. In 2022, he rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns, but was essentially excluded as a Heisman finalist due to an injury at the end of the season. I predict that he’ll be back and better than ever, even if he is possibly splitting carries with Donovan Edwards.
Tennessee QB Joe Milton
I’m a big fan of Joe Milton. He has a massive arm and while we didn’t see a whole lot of him in 2022 due to Hendon Hookers success, when he played, he was lights out. Against Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Milton threw for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tennessee has a good returning roster that could work well for Milton’s success and potential Heisman campaign.
So, You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance?
Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins
There’s been much discourse this offseason over which running back is the nation’s best. Personally, I lean towards Corum, but Quinshon Judkins is a stud. Last season for the Rebels, Judkins rushed for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns. Not only could Judkins win the Heisman this season, but he’s the key to Ole Miss’ potential 2023 success. If he plays well, it usually means Ole Miss wins.
Penn State QB Drew Allar
Drew Allar is stepping in this season as QB1 at Penn State. It won’t be easy to fill Sean Clifford’s shoes, but Allar is an electric player with a solid arm and good decision making from what we saw of him in high school and the little bit from last year. I don’t think it’s Drew Allar’s time this year, but college football is a weird landscape. Anyone could breakout at anytime.
Georgia QB Carson Beck
With the loss of Stetson Bennett, who led Georgia to two National Championships, Carson Beck has big shoes to fill. When it comes to the SEC though, I do feel like an SEC player gets a little leg up because the conference is viewed as much more. Beck could have a good season and find himself in the Heisman race. Last season, he saw time in six games and passed for 310 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson
While I do view Corum and Judkins as the top dogs at running back, TreVeyon Henderson is still a very good player. Henderson unfortunately had his season cut short in 2022 due to injuries, but still rushed for 571 yards and 6 touchdowns. With CJ Stroud being gone and a new quarterback stepping in, Ohio State could rely on the run game a bit more. This would open up more opportunities for Henderson.
Georgia TE Brock Bowers
When it comes to the tight end position in college football, there’s a drastic drop off between TE1 and TE2. Bowers was Stetson Bennett’s top target last season as he caught 63 passes for 942 yards and 7 touchdowns. On the biggest stages too, Bowers shows up. In the National Championship vs TCU, he reeled in 7 passes for 152 yards and 1 touchdown. A tight end hasn’t won the Heisman since 1949, but Bowers could snap the dry spell.
Florida State OLB Jared Verse
Last season we saw an outside linebacker be a finalist for the Heisman with Will Anderson Jr. Anderson was on another level from other defensive players and if Jared Verse wants to be in New York at the end of the season then he’ll need to elevate his play even more. Last season, the Albany transfer recorded 9 sacks, 47 tackles, and 1 fumble recovery. It’s rare for a defensive player to be a Heisman finalist, let alone win the award, but Verse has the potential to with his pass rush ability.
