B/R's 2023 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Race Tightens After Week 8
The most enjoyable part of the Heisman Trophy race is how quickly the prevailing thoughts can shift.
College football is just a wonderfully endless stream of change.
One week ago, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. soared ahead as the clear favorite. But he struggled immensely in a close win against a bad Arizona State team, creating an opportunity for a loaded second-tier group of quarterbacks to get a little closer.
Michigan's J.J. McCarthy just shredded a rival, and LSU's Jayden Daniels is still the nation's most productive quarterback. Florida State's Jordan Travis and Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel continue to put up quality stats while, like McCarthy, leading undefeated teams.
Penix remains in the lead, but the Heisman race underwent plenty of shakeups over the weekend.
Tier 4: In the Danger Zone
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Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: An idle weekend gave UGA a chance to rest before a challenging final stretch. Saturday, the Dawgs play rival Florida in Jacksonville. Ranked teams Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee await in November. Beck has thrown for 306.7 yards per game, but he needs a "Heisman moment" or two against this higher level of competition.
Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame: Hartman padded his stats in early September and had a pretty uninspiring October. Given that Pitt, Clemson, Wake Forest and Stanford are no better than 4-3, Hartman's a fringe candidate at best—unless he absolutely tears up those defenses.
Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State: Similarly, McCord lacks the "wow" performance in a key game. He threw one touchdown both at Notre Dame and on Saturday against Penn State. McCord's candidacy would benefit from a loud showing at Wisconsin this weekend.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: It's tough to imagine Allar realistically will contend. Since he's totaled 16 touchdowns and has zero interceptions in 223 attempts, though, it's risky to straight-up dismiss him, too. The negatives are there—only 6.5 yards per throw and a bad showing in the loss to Ohio State—but what if Allar finishes hot, beats Michigan and (with help) wins the Big Ten? Don't expect it. I simply can't rule it, or him, out today.
Caleb Williams, QB, USC: Brutal month for Williams. Following the rout at Notre Dame, USC lost again to Utah. Williams passed for 256 yards and rushed for 27 with a touchdown in a decent, although not awesome, day. And the Trojans fell on a last-second field goal. While he's not eliminated, Williams faces an uphill climb to seriously rejoin the conversation.
Tier 3: Not Done Yet
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Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: The shocking loss to Virginia was an enormous setback. Maye threw for 347 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, but he only competed 50 percent of his passes and tossed a late interception. Anything short of a perfect finish for UNC, and Maye could be a tough sell on the Heisman front.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: Harrison carried the short-handed Buckeyes in their win over Penn State, snagging 11 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. While he's definitely not a front-runner here, Harrison has been the most important offensive player for an undefeated team. Historically, that matters. Name recognition does, too.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: Unfortunately for both Ewers and Texas, a shoulder injury has complicated his outlook. Ewers is not certain to play against BYU in Week 9, and an extended absence would definitely remove him from the Heisman race.
Tier 2: Top Chasers
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Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State: As the 'Noles keep winning, Travis continues to build a respectable resume. He passed for 268 yards and two scores, rushed for 62 and a touchdown and guided FSU to an important ACC victory over Duke. He's more of a low-end finalist candidate right now, but the Seminoles' unbeaten record is a plus. They travel to Wake Forest this weekend.
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: No issues opposite Army, which saw Daniels gather 285 yards and four touchdowns in the opening half of LSU's rout. The dual-threat quarterback has an idle weekend before the Tigers play at rival Alabama to open November.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: McCarthy saved his best for a lopsided rivalry. Michigan smoked Michigan State 49-0 behind 287 yards and four scores from McCarthy, who ranks second nationally in both completion rate (78.1) and yards per attempt (10.6). After an upcoming idle Saturday, the 8-0 Wolverines host Purdue.
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: In a clash with his former team UCF, Gabriel threw for 253 yards and three scores, including a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The victory kept OU unbeaten in advance of road games against Kansas and Oklahoma State.
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: Nix posted 297 yards and three scores in a win over Washington State. Next up: A trip to 13th-ranked Utah. While his stats are award-worthy numbers, a signature showing in a key game is imperative for Nix's candidacy. That could happen Saturday or later against USC or Oregon State. At the very least, however, the Ducks must win Saturday for Nix to stay around the front of the race.
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Tier 1: The Favorite
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Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Still the favorite, yes. But after that performance, he's certainly not at risk of running away anytime soon.
Penix tossed two interceptions and lost a fumble in a very unimpressive 15-7 win over Arizona State. Washington did not score an offensive touchdown. Three red-zone trips resulted in two field goals and one of his interceptions. He tallied a season-worst 6.5 yards per attempt.
What a difference one week makes.
Penix absolutely needs a bounce-back performance at Stanford this weekend. Otherwise, there will be a reasonable argument for someone else—likely McCarthy or Daniels—to open November as the front-runner.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
