B/R's 2023 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Early Tiers for Week 2
The calendar has barely turned to September and Heisman Trophy campaigns are already in the works.
At halftime of the eventual win over TCU, Colorado coach Deion Sanders invoked the award when talking about two-way star Travis Hunter. After the dramatic upset, he mentioned that Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders should be front-runners for the trophy.
It's never too early.
Yes, it's only been one week—or two, in the cases of Caleb Williams and Sam Hartman. Because of the limited sample size, organizing players in tiers is a sensible way to look at the Heisman conversation.
These groups are subjective but balance actual performance with offseason predictions, which are still notable right now.
Tier 5: Long Shots
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KJ Jefferson, QB, Arkansas: Jefferson led the Razorbacks to a comfortable win over Western Carolina, throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He added a fourth score on the ground.
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia: The two-time All-American opened the season with a handful of receptions for 77 yards and scored a three-yard rushing touchdown. He would have to outshine his quarterback to win the award—not an easy thing in the Heisman realm—but he's worth a mention.
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss: After competing with Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders this offseason, Dart retained QB1 status for the opener. He scorched the Mercer defense for 334 yards and four touchdowns.
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss: Judkins rushed for 60 yards and two scores, while also catching two passes for 11 yards.
Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi, RB, Wisconsin: The new-look Wisconsin offense took a half to get settled, but the results looked familiar. Mellusi scampered for 157 yards, Allen rushed for 141 and both scored twice. Allen also caught seven passes for 25 yards.
Tier 4: Players to Monitor
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Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: As the Crimson Tide rolled Middle Tennessee, they unveiled Milroe as QB1. He threw for 194 yards, rushed for 48 and accounted for five touchdowns in the 56-7 win, which served as Alabama's tune-up game before hosting Texas in Week 2.
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Beck's starting debut had more struggles than anticipated, yet he finished with 306 total yards and two scores with a short-handed offense.
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: The major takeaway is LSU lost handily to Florida State, and that's not how Daniels wanted to open the campaign. Still, he passed for 347 yards and rushed for 64. Given that the Tigers recovered from an early loss in 2022, it's too early to ignore him.
Blake Corum, RB, Michigan: Understandably, the Wolverines limited Corum's workload in a lopsided game. He picked up 73 yards on 10 carries and added three catches in Michigan's 30-3 win over East Carolina.
Ohio State's Offense: Not a great opener for a talented group. As the Buckeyes meandered to a 23-3 win over Indiana, Kyle McCord passed for 239 yards and zero scores, TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 47 yards, Marvin Harrison Jr. caught two passes for 18 yards, and Emeka Egbuka had three receptions for 16 yards. Hey, at least Miyan Williams scored twice despite only rushing for 25 yards, right?
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: While the Sooners steamrolled Arkansas State 73-0, Gabriel had a terrific game. He hit 19-of-22 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns with a third score on the ground.
Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M: Weigman opened the season with a strong 236-yard, five-touchdown day against New Mexico. The competition level rises significantly with a trip to Miami in Week 2.
Tier 3: New Arrivals
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Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: Turns out the No. 1 overall prospect from the 2022 cycle is pretty special, huh? Hunter dazzled in his Colorado debut with 11 receptions for 119 yards, three tackles and an interception.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: Sanders distributed the ball in devastatingly efficient fashion, completing 38-of-47 passes for a CU-record 510 yards with four touchdowns in the 45-42 upset of TCU.
Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State: Realistically, it would be tough for Coleman to have a terrific year and catch quarterback Jordan Travis in the Heisman race. But we can't possibly ignore his debut of nine receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns against LSU.
DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Oregon State: Rounding out the four-man tier—all transfers, incidentally—is Uiagalelei, who left Clemson after two years as the starter. He looked outstanding in a new offense, throwing for 239 yards and totaling five touchdowns in a 42-17 triumph at San Jose State.
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Tier 2: Top Chasers
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J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: McCarthy had a near-perfect debut, completing 26-of-30 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. Another stat-padding opportunity awaits in Week 2 against UNLV.
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: The defense stole the show in UNC's victory over South Carolina. Maye finished the contest with 269 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame: Hartman followed up his four-touchdown debut with 208 total yards and three scores in a blowout of East Tennessee State. Notably, he only played in the first half. Notre Dame travels to North Carolina State this weekend.
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: On a day Oregon amassed 729 yards and 81 points, Nix threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns. The dynamic QB didn't log a single carry because, well, he didn't need to. His versatility should be on display when the Ducks head to Texas Tech in Week 2.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: Allar, the prized prospect in the 2022 class, thrived in his first career start. He passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns, leading Penn State to a 38-15 win over West Virginia.
Joe Milton III, QB, Tennessee: While the Vols rolled Virginia 49-13, Milton had a decent afternoon. He hit 21-of-30 passes for a relatively modest 201 yards but totaled four scores.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: The offense had a disappointing first half, but Ewers sparked the Longhorns after the break. He provided three of his four touchdowns in the third quarter alone, ending the 37-10 triumph with 260 passing yards. The showdown with Alabama is up next.
Tier 1: The Front-Runners
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Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State: As the Seminoles put together a statement win over LSU, Travis threw for 342 yards, rushed for 38 more and totaled five touchdowns. FSU hosts Southern Miss in Week 2.
Caleb Williams, QB, USC: The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has ripped apart a pair of overmatched defenses. After passing for 278 yards and four touchdowns against San Jose State, Williams had 319 yards and five scores opposite Nevada. The competition level rises on Saturday with USC taking on conference foe Stanford.
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: Boise State is a high-quality Mountain West team, and Penix sliced right through the Broncos. The sixth-year senior finished the 56-19 rout with 450 yards and five touchdowns.
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