Honorable Mention: Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma), Spencer Rattler (South Carolina)

10. Cameron Rising (Utah)

At the start of last season, I thought that Cam Rising with a full season under his belt would get the Utes to the playoffs. That didn’t happen, but Rising still balled out. He passed for 3,034 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He also utilized his legs rushing for 465 yards and 6 touchdowns. Rising’s toughness and instincts on the field is what sets him apart from other quarterbacks in the country and is poised for a big 2023.

9. Michael Pratt (Tulane)

While TCU was the surprise team of the year making the National Title, Tulane lit the world on fire. The Green Wave’s leader was Michael Pratt who has a big arm and great decision making as he only threw 5 interceptions. To go with his low turnover rate, Pratt passed for 3,010 yards and 27 touchdowns while also rushing for 478 yards and 10 touchdowns. His best game was against UCF for the AAC Title when he passed for 394 yards and 4 touchdowns. On the biggest stage, Pratt came up huge.

8. Jayden Daniels (LSU)

After dropping the first game of the season to Florida State, Jayden Daniels and the Tigers turned it up and finished 10-4. Daniels did an outstanding job not turning the ball over this season only throwing 3 interceptions this season. He passed for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns, but was remarkably efficient with his legs rushing for 885 yards and 11 scores. The SEC West is ripe for a hostile takeover and with Daniels being so dynamic at the helm of the Tigers offense, LSU could challenge Georgia for the SEC Title.

7. J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)

Michigan is known for having a tenacious run game and they had that this year with Blake Corum. The Wolverines also had a high-powered quarterback who played his best football when it really mattered. In the post season vs Purdue and TCU, J.J. McCarthy threw for 504 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions while also rushing for 66 yards and 1 touchdown. Having McCarthy back with Blake Corum in 2023 should make the Wolverines the BIG 10 favorite.

6. Bo Nix (Oregon)

As a true freshman at Auburn, Nix was on a rocket to the moon. Then, he regressed. But in his first season with the Ducks, Nix played at a high level. He threw for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions while also rushing for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns. In addition, Nix had a 165.7 passer rating and an 85.1 QBR. I’m excited for his duels in 2023 with Michael Penix Jr., Caleb Williams, and Cam Rising.

5. Jordan Travis (Florida State)

Entering his sixth season of college football, Travis is coming off his best career season as the Seminoles worked to turn around the program in 2022. He passed for 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions while also rushing for 417 yards and 7 scores. Travis showed off that while he is an older player, he plays with a raw style that’s pretty gutsy. That and his ability to improvise outside of the pocket makes him entertaining to watch and one of the best returning quarterbacks for 2023.

4. Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

One of the great surprises of 2022 was Michael Penix Jr. He gained college football fame when he dove for the pylon against Penn State when he was at Indiana and then re-emerged at Washington where he assaulted PAC-12 defenses. His 4,641 passing yards were second in the country and had him ahead of Heisman winner Caleb Williams. In addition, Penix passed for 31 touchdowns and rushed for 4 touchdowns. He’s a dynamic player that will be a Heisman dark horse and a really fun player to watch next season.

3. Sam Hartman (Notre Dame)

As a Notre Dame fan, I’m pretty fired up about Hartman coming to South Bend. After battling Paget-Schroetter syndrome, Hartman led the Demon Deacons to an 8-5 season. He threw for 3,701 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 12 picks while simultaneously rushing for 129 yards and 1 score. He’s the only player on this list who will be in a new uniform in 2023 and with Notre Dames schedule, he’ll have the opportunity to further prove himself vs Ohio State, Clemson, USC, and NC State.

2. Drake Maye (North Carolina)

Much like Penix, Maye was an entertaining surprise this season. He led the Tar Heels to a 9-5 season and even as North Carolina sputtered down the stretch, Maye still played at a high level. He threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. The Huntersville native rushed for 698 yards and 7 scores. If anyone is really going to challenge Williams for the Heisman trophy, it’s going to be Maye. He has a huge arm and will kill AAC defenses with his legs or through the air with his cannon of an arm.

1. Caleb Williams (USC)

What more needs to be said about Caleb Williams? He won the Heisman after passing for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. Williams also showcased his versatility by rushing for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns. There was no disputing that when the 2022 season concluded that he was the best quarterback in the nation. Many NFL scouts have remarked that had Williams been in this year’s draft, he’d be the consensus number one pick.