2023 Heisman Candidates: Top Five
5. Kyle McCord, QB Ohio State
This is assuming CJ Stroud really does leave for the NFL Draft. If he’s around, put him No. 1 on the list.
McCord isn’t a rock-solid sure thing to start – Devin Brown could be 1A on the depth chart here – but all the main options are fantastic. Anyone under center for the loaded 2023 Buckeyes – with Marvin Harrison Jr. to throw to – will be in the Heisman mix from the moment the ball is kicked off against Indiana.
4. Cade Klubnik, QB Clemson
Deshaun couldn’t do it, and neither could Trevor or DJ. Klubnik might just be the quarterback that brings Clemson a Heisman in the Dabo Swinney era.
With Uiagalelei in the transfer portal, it’s Klubnik’s offense to run – he seemed ready yesterday. The superstar recruit and elite all-around athlete waited all year to do more for the inconsistent attack, and when needed against North Carolina in the ACC Championship he came through.
20-of-24 for 279 yards and a touchdown to go along with 30 rushing yards and a score in the win. Expect that to be the norm.
3. Drake Maye, QB North Carolina
Okay, so he couldn’t get the win in some of the biggest games, but the production was there and he looked the part against Notre Dame, Pitt, and Miami with the next-level passing skills and stats to be in the Heisman race late into November.
There was a thought he might leave North Carolina and be the star of one of the top teams with an open slot – Alabama (cough) – but he announced he’s sticking around. Get ready for another massive statistical season, but the numbers probably won’t keep up with …
2. Michael Penix Jr., QB Washington
Yeah, Caleb went to New York. So did CJ, and Max, and Stetson. Bryce or Will might go No. 1 overall in the draft, and Anthony is sure to go top 15, and none of those superstar quarterbacks came remotely close to matching what Penix Jr. did through the air.
He announced he’s coming back for another year, and over 4,000 yards of passing offense are along for the ride.
The former Indiana Hoosier took to the Kalen DeBoer offense right away and led the nation with 363 yards per game. Among those other top players listed, Caleb Williams was the closest averaging 314 yards per outing.
But he’ll once again have to battle for respect in the Pac-12 with …
1. Caleb Williams, QB USC
The voters tend to like Lincoln Riley-coached quarterbacks.
He looked like a potential star over the second half of the 2021 season at Oklahoma, and he obviously proved he was worthy of the Heisman when he moved to USC.
There might have been all-star talent around him, but he made it all go with a flair for the moment, coming up large when everyone was watching against UCLA and Notre Dame.
It would’ve been nice to have seen what he could’ve done if he hadn’t suffered a bad hamstring injury against Utah, but on one leg he threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns in the Pac-12 Championship loss.
The machine isn’t stopping. The pressure will be on to do even more, but he’s more than capable of handling it.
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