The Heisman Trophy will be given to one of the four finalists (LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.) on Saturday night. While the order of the final four won’t be revealed until the ceremony, many other players across the nation were included on Heisman ballots from voters all over.
The players who finished between fifth and 10th in the voting were revealed on Friday night. Candidates like Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon came on strong late in the season, and Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis might have ended up in one of the four final chairs had he not been injured in the 11th game of the season.
Here’s how the voting committee weighted their successes this year after it was revealed which players came the closest to one of the coveted spots as a finalist.
With 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions on the year, Travis was the steady hand that guided Florida State to an undefeated record before he suffered a terrible leg injury against North Alabama. He threw for multiple touchdowns in seven of his 10 complete games this season, including four touchdowns in a stellar season-opening victory over LSU. He averaged 10 yards per attempt or more in three separate games, all against Power 5 opponents.
The Crimson Tide quarterback made his strongest case late in the season. After he was initially benched for a single game early in the season, he finished second in the SEC with 23 passing touchdowns. He scored 17 total touchdowns in his final five games, 10 with his arm and seven with his legs. He converted a miraculous fourth and goal from the 31-yard line for a road win over Auburn before he led the Tide to a SEC Championship victory over Georgia to cement his stellar season.
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The Doak Walker Award winner led the nation with 1,614 rushing yards this year despite only getting 19 combined carries in his first three games. He rushed for at least 120 yards in eight of his final 10 games, including 282 yards against West Virginia and 271 yards against Cincinnati in back-to-back games. He capped off his excellent regular season with five rushing touchdowns against BYU.
The Missouri running back finished third in the country with 1,499 rushing yards on the season, an FBS-high 124.9 yards per game on the ground. He ran for at least one touchdown in 10 of his 12 games and combined for 570 yards in his final three games to help lead the Tigers to a surprise 10-win season. Even in Missouri’s two losses, he had 226 yards and four touchdowns on just 35 carries.
Corum led the nation with 24 rushing touchdowns despite being just 15th in the nation in carries. He found the end zone multiple times in each of Michigan’s final five games, including his 88-yard, two-touchdown performance in a victory over Ohio State, and scored at least two touchdowns in nine games overall.
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One of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation this year, McCarthy averaged 9.2 yards per attempt and threw 19 touchdowns this season at the helm of the Wolverines passing offense. He only threw one interception against a Power 5 opponent this season, and 18 of his passing touchdowns came in Michigan’s first eight games.
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