B/R's 2023 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Showtime in Week 4

Among the many factors that influence the Heisman Trophy race every season, the signature moment is a heralded piece.

Sure, a player might have awesome stats. But if he struggled—or even played just OK—in key games, the resume may not be very compelling. If his team dropped a few of those games, that's an issue, too.

That leads us nicely to Week 4.

My football-loving and award-chasing friends, this is the kind of Saturday that shapes a season. The slate includes six matchups of Top 25 teams, along with Florida State's trip to Clemson.

Nobody is going to win the Heisman this weekend, but several players can take a valuable step forward in the race.

The tiers are organized based on a subjective blend of historical factors—including total production, key moments and team success—and individual performance to date.

Tier 4: In the Conversation

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Kyle McCord

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Beck has tallied 292.3 total offensive yards per game and helped No. 1 Georgia hit 3-0. However, the junior's touchdown numbers (three passing, one rushing) certainly need to rise quickly if he's going to legitimately compete for a Heisman.

Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami: Heading into Week 4, the Hurricanes rank fourth nationally in yards per play. That's largely a credit to Van Dyke, who's notched 11.0 yards per throw. Altogether, he's thrown for 822 yards and accounted for nine touchdowns during Miami's 3-0 start—which includes a five-score display in the upset of Texas A&M.

Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: Reputation is basically what's carrying Maye right now. He tossed two touchdowns and two interceptions against both South Carolina and Minnesota with an unimpressive day opposite Appalachian State in between. Still, the Tar Heels are 3-0.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: After a disappointing two-catch day at Indiana, Harrison has scorched two overmatched defenses. He went for 160 yards and two touchdowns when the Buckeyes meandered past Youngstown State, and Harrison caught five passes for 126 yards and a score against Western Kentucky last weekend.

Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State: Not coincidentally, McCord has settled in nicely. He passed for 258 yards and three touchdowns against YSU and 318 and three, respectively, against WKU. The competition level skyrockets in Week 4, though, as the Bucks travel to ninth-ranked Notre Dame.

DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Oregon State: Same goes for Uiagalelei and Oregon State, which cruised to 3-0 in nonconference play. Uiagalelei collected 668 total yards and 10 scores along the way. This weekend, the Beavers head to Washington State for a clash of Top 25 unbeatens.

Tier 3: In the Hunt

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Blake Corum

Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: What could've been a tricky game at Mississippi State turned into a blowout. Daniels threw for 361 yards and two scores, adding 64 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. LSU hosts Arkansas this weekend.

Blake Corum, RB, Michigan: Corum surpassed the century mark for the first time in 2023, running for 101 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-6 win over Bowling Green. Michigan is ready to kick off Big Ten action as Rutgers comes to Ann Arbor in Week 4.

Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame: Given that he collected 1,055 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns last season, Estime isn't exactly a breakout player, yet he's put up 576 yards and five scores in four games. The third-year back has a great opportunity to become a prominent name if he excels against Ohio State on Saturday, although sharing an offense with Sam Hartman complicates Estime's candidacy.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: Gabriel's outstanding start continued with a near-perfect day at Tulsa. He completed 28 of 31 passes for 421 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in a 66-17 win. Oklahoma heads to Cincinnati for its Big 12 opener this Saturday.

Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: Allar assembled a nice two-game stretch opposite West Virginia and Delaware. Illinois, though, brought a "welcome to college football" moment for the first-year starter. Allar finished a modest 16-of-33 for 206 yards without a score. The bright side is Penn State won, but he'll need bigger performances in key games—another one at Iowa comes next—to remain a Heisman option.

Tier 2: Top Chasers

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Bo Nix

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: Highlighted by a clutch game-tying drive, Sanders helped CU avoid an upset at the hands of Colorado State. He threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns with an interception in the double-overtime win. Sanders has racked up gaudy numbers each week, and a pair of Top 10 showdowns—Oregon and USC—are next.

Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State: Travis has slid slightly from front-runner status. Over the last two weeks, he's passed for a combined 387 yards and four scores. The challenge is Penix and Williams are doing that on a weekly basis. Florida State heads to Clemson this weekend.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: Well, that wasn't an awesome game. McCarthy hardly made a mistake in Michigan's first two games, but he tossed three interceptions in only 13 attempts last week. Fortunately, it was Bowling Green, and Michigan won easily. His precision needs to return with the schedule now entirely focused on Big Ten matchups.

Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame: From a statistical perspective—1,061 yards and 13 scores with zero turnovers, plus two rushing touchdowns—Hartman could be a front-runner. However, the Irish have played Navy, Tennessee State, NC State and Central Michigan. Prove it against Top 25 competition, right? Within the next four weeks, Notre Dame takes on Ohio State (sixth), Duke (18th) and USC (fifth).

Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: Colorado has yielded 30.3 points per game, which is 105th nationally. Oregon, meanwhile, ranks second in the country with 58.0 points per game. Nix, who's averaged 317.7 offensive yards with eight scores and zero giveaways, will probably tear up the box score. But will CU or Oregon leave with the victory?

Tier 1: The Front-Runners

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Quinn Ewers

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: Not the greatest showing from Texas, huh? Wyoming had the Longhorns in a 10-10 deadlock entering the fourth quarter before Ewers accounted for two of his three scores. He's still a front-runner after a masterful night in Texas' upset win at Alabama, but Ewers is definitely behind Penix and Williams right now.

Caleb Williams, QB, USC: Williams and the 3-0 Trojans had an idle Saturday in Week 3. USC travels to Arizona State and Colorado over the next two weekends.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: What a start for Penix, who's topped 400 yards in all three victories. The left-hander has racked up 1,332 yards with 12 touchdowns and one interception, leading Washington into conference action as a powerful offense.