2022 Heisman Candidates: Early Top Ten Prediction, Watch List

2022 Heisman Candidates: Who are the top candidates to watch out for next year?

5. DE Will Anderson, Jr. Alabama

Fine, to everyone who yelled at me for not putting the nation’s best pass rusher on my Heisman ballot – technically, I did, but I changed the 2 and 3 spots several times before settling on CJ Stroud and Aidan Hutchinson – you won’t have any problem with your guy getting enough national recognition in 2022. 

It’s asking way too much to repeat – or better – the 15.5-sack, 91-tackle, 31.5 tackle-for-loss season, but Chase Young improved at Ohio State in 2019 when he supposedly couldn’t get any better.

Anderson might actually win it if he does that again.

4. QB DJ Uiagalelei, Jr. Clemson

Ohhhhhhhhh, no. It’s not time to assume that the guy with all this talent is just going to be nine-touchdown/nine-interception bad again.

And ohhhhhhhhh, no. You’re not going see any accepted invites here to the national Clemson pity party after all the changes and lost coaches.

You think Clemson is just going to go to stay mediocre? (Which, by the way, mediocre might mean the 2021 team only wins ten games.)

You think that program is going to roll into 2022 without a wee bit of fire and a whole lot of changes?

This might be way wrong, and Uiagalelei might just not have it – there are other options in the Clemson quarterback mix – but let’s take the chance that the guy who hit Notre Dame for 439 yards and two touchdowns in 2020 shows up in 2022.

3. QB Caleb Williams, Soph. Oklahoma

Honesty time. I really, really, really wanted to put Williams on my Heisman ballot, but couldn’t do it – especially with the options I had to leave off.

When he was on his game – like in the Texas Tech win, or in the second halves against Kansas and Texas, or on the final drive against Oklahoma State – he was as good as any player in the 2021 college football season.

Putting him in this spot is splitting the call. If he stays at Oklahoma, he’s in the top five. If he follows Lincoln Riley to USC, he’s No. 1

2. QB Bryce Young, Jr. Alabama

Here’s going to be his problem. He could go 2019 Joe Burrow and throw 60 touchdown passes next year for an unbeaten Alabama team that beats everyone by 50, and there will still be a misguided chunk of the Heisman electorate that won’t want to make him a two-time Heisman winner – just because.

Okay, if he throws 60 touchdowns and Alabama destroys everyone, he’s winning it again. However, as we’ve seen with players who seem like they should be sure-thing repeat winners if all goes well – Tebow, Manziel, Bradford, Leinart – it doesn’t happen.

It doesn’t mean it can’t, but Young’s No. 2 only because it would take something historic to join Archie Griffin.

1. QB CJ Stroud, Soph. Ohio State

Ever since Troy Smith won in 2006 – by the way, put Smith’s Heisman season in 2021 and he’d be 57th in the nation in passing – Ohio State quarterbacks have been close, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump and win the thing.

Justin Fields, Dwayne Haskins, Braxton Miller, JT Barrett – there’s been a lot of talent, and a few finalists.

Assuming there’s a bit of a Bama Heisman-fatigue thing happening, Stroud should be the early odds-on favorite to win.

Ohio State will still be great.

he program will keep churning through NFL-caliber receivers, and Stroud – who would’ve made the 2021 Heisman race very interesting if the Buckeyes beat Michigan and went on to win the Big Ten Championship – should go bananas again after hitting 71% of his throws for 3,862 yards and 38 touchdowns with five picks.

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