Caleb Williams, CJ Stroud Lead the Latest Heisman Trophy Rankings

Three weeks into the college football season, there are at least a dozen players that will challenge for a Heisman invite at the end of the year. Let’s look at the current leaders, along with a slew of honorable mentions.

1. Caleb Williams (USC)

You could have Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud here, but I’m going to give the slight edge to Trojan quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams has completed 74.4% of his pass attempts in 2022, scoring 10 total touchdowns and tallying 947 all-purpose yards.

Williams started his collegiate career by overtaking Spencer Rattler in 2021 at Oklahoma. He’s become much more of a precision passer this year, highlighted by a 10% increase in completion percentage, albeit through only three games. He, along with head coach Lincoln Riley, decided to leave Norman for Southern Cal.

Williams is leading one of the most explosive offensive attacks in college football, as the USC squad has surpassed the 40-point plateau in each of their first three games. Williams, with help from fellow transfer Jordan Addison, has a chance to win the conference in year one of the Lincoln Riley Era.

2. CJ Stroud (Ohio State)

Depending on who you asked, CJ Stroud entered 2022 as the favorite to hoist the Heisman trophy at the season’s end. Stroud and the Buckeye offense lost superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the opening week victory versus Notre Dame. While JSN returned the next week, he has yet to assist Stroud’s Heisman hopes.

Still, the signal-caller hasn’t missed a beat. He’s made a quick and lethal connection with Marvin Harrison Jr. and is showing more of a willingness to extend plays with his legs. They’ve even started targeting the tight end position more frequently in Columbus!

Stroud is in a great spot to run the table in the Big Ten en route to becoming the first Heisman trophy winner for Ohio State since Troy Smith won the award in 2006. During that season, Smith took his Buckeyes to the National Championship game; Stroud will be looking to mimic him on both counts.

3. Stetson Bennett (Georgia)

Surprised? I am too, to be honest. The Georgia Bulldogs, against all conventional logic, look to be even better than they were in 2021. Their National Championship team sent 15 players to the 2022 NFL Draft, and even though guys like Jalen Carter and Kelee Ringo returned on defense, the key reason for the Bulldog’s improvement is on the other side of the ball.

Stetson Bennett was oftentimes viewed as the weak link for Georgia. Bennett’s overall numbers looked great due to the constant blowouts that occurred last season. Nonetheless, he had troubling stretches with horrid accuracy, and even worse, Bennett looked like a quarterback with zero confidence.

Perhaps propelled by his strong play towards the end of the 2021 season, Bennett entered 2022 looking like a brand new man. He is now poised and confident. He’s completing passes at an elite clip (73.9%), scoring touchdowns (8), and tossing the pigskin all over the field for nearly 1000 yards through three games.

It may be bold, but if Georgia continues to steamroll their opponents and Bennett keeps up this improved play, don’t be surprised to see the Bulldog quarterback in New York for the Heisman ceremony.

4. Bryce Young (Alabama)

The reigning Heisman trophy winner hasn’t quite looked like the same guy from his award-winning campaign of 2021. While Young became the fourth Heisman in Alabama history, the team fell short of their ultimate goal of a National Championship.

Young set out to become the second back-to-back Heisman trophy winner ever, but the start has been underwhelming considering the standard that the Alabama quarterback set for himself last season. He performed well in week one against Utah State, but the following two games put a slight damper on his charge, despite his fourth quarter heroics against Texas.

Young’s numbers don’t reflect how poorly the Crimson Tide played against the Texas Longhorns. He didn’t get much help from his pass catchers, but he still missed open receivers, with a handful of throws too far behind or too far in front of them. The next week against Louisiana-Monroe he threw two interceptions, with one being an inexcusable prayer into double coverage.

When you are coming off of a Heisman win, you’re held to a higher expectation than everyone else in the running; it comes with the territory. Young still has plenty of time to get his name vaulted to the top, but as of today, he is behind a few names.

5. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders (Arkansas)

This fifth spot could be debated for days. I would be willing to hear an argument for any of the honorable mentions as the No. 5 entry on this list. Ultimately, I went with a deserving player that I haven’t heard mentioned much in Heisman talks.

Raheim “Rocket” Sanders is one of the best running backs in the entire country, and as good as KJ Jefferson has been, Sanders is the best player on the Razorback roster. He’s already compiled 557 yards from scrimmage in the team’s first three games and is responsible for four touchdowns in 2022.

It has become incredibly difficult for a running back to legitimately challenge for the Heisman trophy, but Sanders has as good of a chance as any if he can maintain this pace. The Razorbacks have one of the hardest schedules in the nation, so Sanders will surely be a mainstay on television this fall.

If you see Arkansas playing on the TV guide, do yourself a favor and tune in. You’re likely to see a Rocket flying all over the gridiron.

Honorable Mentions (Not in Order):

•Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State)

•Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma)

•KJ Jefferson (Arkansas)

•Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

•Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota)

•Blake Corum (Michigan)

•Will Levis (Kentucky)

•Jordan Addison (USC)

•Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)

•Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama)