B/R's 2023 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Top Players to Watch in Week 1
For the second straight year, the Heisman Trophy discussions begins with the historic question: Can he do it again?
Last season, Alabama's Bryce Young had a chance at a repeat Heisman win. That chase for history will be a primary storyline around USC signal-caller Caleb Williams during the 2023 campaign.
As always, though, there's a deep field of contenders.
Bleacher Report will break down the Heisman race on a weekly basis throughout the regular season. That update will arrive on Tuesdays and include game reviews and previews, along with historical context.
The list of Heisman hopefuls will narrow quickly. To start the season, however, we're casting a wide net of players whom you should know.
Tier 4: The Long Shots
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Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia: After totaling 14 touchdowns as a true freshman, Bowers caught 63 passes for 942 yards, rushed for 109 yards and scored 10 times in 2022. He's a special talent but needs to raise that production—which is already very good!—for a shot at the Heisman.
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: From a statistical perspective, he's a strong contender. Gabriel had a pair of 3,500-yard, 29-touchdown seasons at UCF and totaled 3,483 yards with 31 scores in an injury-shortened 2022 campaign. The concern is OU, which went 6-7 last year, might not reach the team success threshold for a typical Heisman winner.
Cam Rising, QB, Utah: Not only do the Utes have a brutal schedule—including games at Baylor, Oregon State, USC and Washington, for starters—but Rising is returning from an ACL injury. Even if he's available in Week 1, Rising probably won't be running often in the early part of the season.
Alabama's QB: Nick Saban has earned the benefit of the doubt, as evidenced by the widespread belief that Alabama will compete for a College Football Playoff trip in 2023. We also can't be sure whether Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson or Tyler Buchner will be the Crimson Tide's quarterback. Whoever starts will have a chance to win the Heisman, but that decision is still a big question mark.
Texas A&M's QB: We'll know by mid-October if Conner Weigman or Max Johnson belong in the discussion. Texas A&M travels to Miami in Week 2, then begins a decisive four-week SEC stretch of Auburn, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee on Sept. 23.
More to Know: Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson, Clemson RB Will Shipley, Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins, Penn State RB Nick Singleton, South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler, Wisconsin QB Tanner Mordecai and RB Braelon Allen
Tier 3: Breakout Candidates
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Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: As a true freshman, Allar logged a fair number of snaps and threw 60 passes in 10 appearances. This year, he takes over a Penn State offense that is built to run effectively but needs a stronger passing game to compete with Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten.
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Beck is the replacement for two-time national champion Stetson Bennett. No pressure! Luckily, Georgia's offense has Brock Bowers, underrated receiver Ladd McConkey and Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett. That's a strong trio of key targets, and a veteran offensive line should be a strength in front of Beck, too.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson: Dabo Swinney turned to Klubnik for a comeback win against Syracuse and rolled with the freshman in the ACC Championship Game and the Orange Bowl. Klubnik is a dynamic player who must be a more effective passer in 2023, though the arrival of coordinator Garrett Riley from TCU should be a positive influence.
Joe Milton, QB, Tennessee: In all likelihood, Milton is poised to put up impressive numbers. He threw for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns with zero interceptions in 82 attempts last year. Can the new-look Volunteers win 10 games to keep him in the Heisman race?
Ohio State's QB: To this point, head coach Ryan Day hasn't announced the team's starter. Maybe it's Kyle McCord, maybe it's Devin Brown. Either way, an elite supporting cast surrounding the Buckeyes' new QB1 will give him a path to contention.
Tier 2: Stars on Top Contenders
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Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: If you pegged Ewers as a breakout candidate, that's fair. Semantics aside, the former No. 1 overall prospect has a stacked pass-catching corps and leads the preseason Big 12 favorite. That's a Heisman-worthy combination.
Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame: Hartman opened his ND tenure with a four-touchdown showing opposite Navy. The greatest tests will happen against Ohio State (Sept. 23), USC (Oct. 14) and Clemson (Nov. 4).
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: A late-season skid bumped Maye from the Heisman picture last year, but he ended the campaign with totals of 5,019 yards and 45 touchdowns. But if the Tar Heels manage to reach 10-win territory, Maye's production will presumably be that of a strong candidate.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, and Blake Corum, RB, Michigan: Which player ends up as Michigan's star? That arguably belonged to Corum before his injury in 2022, but how much will Donovan Edwards' workload cut into Corum's numbers? Regardless, the Wolverines have a pair of standout options with McCarthy and Corum.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: Emeka Egbuka deserves a mention, but Harrison is the Buckeyes' featured guy. He's a coveted NFL prospect who caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns last year.
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: The upcoming campaign is both an encore and finale for Nix, who accounted for 4,139 yards and 44 touchdowns in 2022. The longtime college starter—first at Auburn, now at Oregon—is entering his last year of eligibility, but he's aiming to improve on a career-best season under new offensive coordinator Will Stein.
Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State: Travis ascended from an afterthought to a terrific player last season. He threw for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns to five interceptions and added 417 yards and seven scores on the ground. Travis even caught a touchdown, too. Florida State's hope of a championship surge is largely dependent on Travis' effectiveness.
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Tier 1: The Favorites
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Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: The catalyst of LSU's run to an SEC West crown in 2022, Daniels is an outstanding playmaker. He threw for 2,913 yards and rushed for 885 yards—most among all quarterbacks in the FBS—and accounted for 29 total touchdowns with only three interceptions last season.
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: Penix paced the country with 357.0 passing yards per game last season. The former Indiana starter had 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns to eight picks in his first season at Washington. Also of note, 1,000-yard receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan both return alongside Penix in 2023.
Caleb Williams, QB, USC: The eighth Heisman winner in program history, Williams ended his USC debut with 4,919 yards and 52 touchdowns to five interceptions. He's attempting to join former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin (1974 and 1975) as the only players to win the award multiple times.
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