Who’s in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy? The top candidates, what they need to do, and who still has a realistic shot.
Heisman Watch: Top Candidates After Week 11
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Week 11 Roundup
Rankings AP | Coaches | CFN 1-130 Rankings
Week 12 Early Line Predictions | Heisman Race
College Football Playoff Chase, Who’s Alive?
Bowl Projections | Week 11 Scoreboard, Predictions
Big Game Reactions: Baylor, Mich, Ole Miss, more
Coach Hot Seat Top 10 | Bowl Bubble: Who’s In, Out
Now that the season appears to be the Georgia Invitational, the nation desperately needs the Heisman Trophy campaigns to get rolling – and it’s really, really not.
No one has captivated a nation. No player has been able to rise up and grab the best individual award and all of sports and make it his.
But the chances are coming.
It’s Heisman time.
It’s the middle of November and the race is wide open, so it’s going to come down to who shows up with the biggest performances in the biggest games with everyone watching.
It’s the ultimate sports beauty contest, and here are the main stars still in the mix, where they stand, and what they need to do to win the thing.
Player of Week 11
(outside of the main guys on this list)
QB Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Will the young quarterback burn more playing time to take away his chance at redshirting? That was the one question everyone wanted to ask, when the real focus was this …
Kansas just hung 57 on Texas and won a Big 12 game on the road.
Unlike past years when Kansas would come up with a shocking win, this one seemed to signify the start of something under first year head coach Lance Leipold. Daniels had a whole lot to do with that, completing 21-of-30 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns – with a game-winning two-point conversion throw – and running 11 times for 45 yards and a score.
5 Other Players On The Heisman Watch List
At the very least, these five will receive a whole lot of votes and are still in the mix to be a finalist. In alphabetical order …
QB Matt Corral, Notre Dame
DT Jordan Davis, Georgia
QB Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
5. QB Kenny Pickett, Pitt
The numbers continue to be fantastic. He might not be cranking out Joe Burrow stats from 2019 or Kyle Trask numbers of last year, but he’s not terribly far off with 32 touchdown passes, just four picks, and with 300 yards or more in seven of his last eight games.
Why Kenny Pickett Will Win the Heisman: He’s got a nice mix of stats and buzz. The foundation has been set, and the numbers will only get more impressive over the next few weeks. He should get his shot to show off in the ACC Championship, but …
Why Kenny Pickett Won’t Win the Heisman: There just aren’t enough big games left. Virginia and at Syracuse won’t receive a whole lot of national attention, and once again, the ACC Championship will likely get swallowed up by the other conference championships.
4. QB Caleb Williams, Oklahoma
He had a rough day at the office in the 27-14 loss to Baylor, but no one has more Heisman-like moments this season. From the fourth down run against Texas to turn the year around, to the heady plays to save the say against Kansas, to the phenomenal performance against Texas Tech with six passing scores, he packed a whole lot into a half a season.
Why Caleb Williams Will Win the Heisman: No one will catch Coastal Carolina’s out-for-the-year injured star Grayson McCall in quarterback rating, but Williams is still No. 2 in the country. It’s not just about the numbers – he has Iowa State and Oklahoma State up next. If he rocks in those two games and takes OU to the Big 12 Championship, he’ll be back in the mix, but …
Why Caleb Williams Won’t Win the Heisman: 10-of-19, 146 yards, no touchdowns, two picks, one rushing score. That was his day in the loss to Baylor. It wasn’t all his fault, but he couldn’t move the offense and was eventually lifted for Spencer Rattler.
Heisman Watch 2021: Top 3 Candidates After Week 11
3. QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State
He’s putting up astronomical numbers just when the team needed him to kick it all in. He might not be consistent enough, but he’s thrown for over 300 yards per game with ease, the two interceptions against Nebraska were the only ones given away since the first three weeks of the season, and he’s the leader of a rising team that’s rolling to a likely College Football Playoff berth.
Why CJ Stroud Will Win the Heisman: The world is about see him do what he does in the biggest games of the season. Roll up big performances against Michigan State and Michigan, and take down whatever comes from the West in the Big Ten Championship, and he’ll be in New York as the main man for what might be the No. 1 offense in America.
Why CJ Stroud Won’t Win the Heisman: Does he have a true Heisman moment, or does all the talent around him help make everything look great? He might have a Mac Jones problem – amazing player, but the supporting cast has several members who can be in this Heisman watch mix, too.
2. RB Kenneth Walker, Michigan State
He’s the nation’s leading rusher averaging 147 yards per game – a whopping 11 yards more per game than No. 2 man Sean Tucker of Syracuse – and he did it as the prime cog in the Michigan State system.
The Spartans got outplayed by Michigan – the College Football Playoff committee at least thinks so – but they still won because of 197 yards and five touchdowns from their running back. Everyone was watching, that was his Heisman moment, and now it’s really on.
Why Kenneth Walker Will Win the Heisman: It might come down to this week. If he rips up Ohio State and does to that defense what he did against Michigan, he’s in New York City as a finalist. If he’s great against the Buckeyes and Penn State, and then gets a shot to do even more in the Big Ten Championship, the Heisman is his.
Why Kenneth Walker Won’t Win the Heisman: Even if he gets through Ohio State and Penn State, there could be a brick wall of a hard stop if he has to deal with a historically great Wisconsin run defense in the Big Ten Championship. Before that, if he doesn’t lead the way to a win against the Buckeyes, he’s a finalist, and that’s probably it.
1. QB Bryce Young, Alabama
One game. Everything else has has done so far has been good enough, but it’s all going to come down to the SEC Championship against Georgia.
First, though, he and the Tide can’t lose to Arkansas or Auburn – the SEC Championship has to mean something, assuming Bama takes care of business and he gets there. If he does, and if he’s able to rise up and beat the amazing Georgia defense with a good performance – Heisman over.
Why Bryce Young Will Win the Heisman: 70% passing, over 3,000 yards, 33 touchdowns, three interceptions. He doesn’t have the same level of receiving corps Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa enjoyed, but he’s still doing what Bama quarterbacks are supposed to do, but …
Why Bryce Young Won’t Win the Heisman: Is there a signature Heisman moment, or is this just because he happens to be the Alabama quarterback? It’s not like he’s been any better than Jones, or Tagovailoa, or in a different way, Jalen Hurts, and they didn’t win the Heisman.
Also, if he’s not awesome against Georgia – and who has been this year? – it’s not going to happen.
Week 11 Roundup
Rankings AP | Coaches | CFN 1-130 Rankings
Week 12 Early Line Predictions | Heisman Race
College Football Playoff Chase, Who’s Alive?
Bowl Projections | Week 11 Scoreboard, Predictions
Big Game Reactions: Baylor, Mich, Ole Miss, more
Coach Hot Seat Top 10 | Bowl Bubble: Who’s In, Out
