Who are the early Heisman Trophy contenders?

It’s good to see Nix rebound at Oregon following his up-and-down tenure at Auburn. It seems to be the year of the quarterback in the Pac-12, and Nix is making the most of this new opportunity. After throwing a pair of interceptions and no touchdowns in Oregon’s season-opening loss to Georgia, he’s thrown for 1,353 yards with 12 TDs and a pick during the Ducks’ five-game winning streak. The Heisman won’t seriously be in Nix’s grasp, but he could end up being the most successful quarterback in his league.

Daniels’ Heisman candidacy, and possible season for that matter, are in flux after he injured his shoulder during Kansas’ recent loss to then-No. 17 TCU. Regardless, the junior has earned plenty of national love while leading the upstart Jayhawks to their 5-0 start. A versatile threat, Daniels has thrown for 1,072 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception and has been sacked just three times. He’s also rushed for 335 with five TDs.

When it comes to national leaders, first-year North Carolina starter Maye ranks in the top 10 for passing yards (2,283), touchdowns (24), and passer rating (184.8). He’s also run for 378 yards with three touchdowns and is a big reason the Tar Heels are 6-1. Now, the Heisman won’t be in the cards for Maye this season. But he’s a freshman when it comes to eligibility, so remember the name for the future when Maye could very well be a frontrunner.

Duggan has been doing it for a while at TCU — and quite well. However, this season, the Horned Frogs are 6-0, and more college football fans are taking notice of what’s going on in Fort Worth. Entering Week Seven, Duggan ranked among the national leaders with a 179.9 passer rating and 69.5 completion percentage. He’s also thrown for 1,591 yards with 16 touchdowns and one interception while gaining 261 and scoring four times on the ground.

Is there a physically tougher quarterback in the nation than Sanders? The guy’s motor never stops, almost to a fault. After throwing for 297 yards with a touchdown and running for 56 and two more scores during the Cowboys’ 41-31 win over Texas Tech on Oct. 8, he was icing down parts of his body. Sanders has thrown for 1,639 yards with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions, plus rushing for 309 with eight TDs, yet when it comes to national recognition seems to be undervalued. 

Martinez seemed to get a bad rap at Nebraska. Sure, maybe he tried to do too much to help Scott Frost win games, and some bad decisions were made. Yet, in just six games with Kansas State, Martinez proved he could lead a winning team. The Wildcats are 5-1 and believe they can win the Big 12. Martinez had thrown just four touchdowns but no interceptions and had rushed for 546 with nine TDs to prove his versatility is good enough to produce positive team results.

As good as Wake Forest has been the past couple of seasons, it is still an underrated program. That same can be said for Hartman, who, in his fifth season, has thrown for more than 10,000 yards and almost 90 touchdowns. In five games this season, Hartman has thrown for 1,442 yards with 16 TDs and just two interceptions. Yet, he is considered among the best quarterbacks in the nation, but not to the point of being a serious Heisman threat.

Talk about making the most of his carries. The Georgia Tech transfer carried the ball 88 times through the first seven games of the season for 635 yards. Translated into 7.2 yards per carry. Gibbs has been especially good over the last three games, first rushing for 206 yards on 18 carries at then-No. 20 Arkansas on Oct. 1. Then 154 on 21 rushes against Texas A&M, and 103 on 24 versus Tennessee. If Gibbs keeps it up, his Heisman appreciation should only grow stronger.

So, after seven games of the college football season, if we said Rogers leads the nation in completions (228), and also ranks among the national leaders in passing yards (2,324), completion percentage (71.3), and touchdowns (23, is it believable? Well, it should be, considering college football fans saw it coming. In 2021, Rogers threw for 4,739 yards with 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Bulldogs are 5-2, with decisive wins over Texas A&M and Arkansas. All with Rogers leading the way.

The nation’s leading rusher, entering Week 8, with 1,059 yards. He’s also averaging 151.3 rushing yards for the upstart Illini, who are one of the biggest surprises of the 2022 season. Brown is making it look easy and has not registered less than 108 yards in any of his first seven games. When it comes to Heisman consideration, the buzz is getting louder around Brown. Whether he’s a serious contender remains to be seen, but he’s on a strong path.

Another popular preseason Heisman pick, Robinson might not currently be a frontrunner, but he does rank among the national leaders with 780 rushing yards. He’s averaged 130.4 rushing yards and 6.1 per carry over his last five games entering Week Eight. Robinson has also scored eight touchdowns on the ground this season. With Texas playing well and perhaps still having a good shot at reaching the Big 12 Championship Game, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finished among the top-five Heisman vote-getters when all is said and done.

Bennett’s numbers are far from gaudy (seven touchdowns, one interception, 2,033 passing yards, five rushing TDs), but he is the quarterback of the current No. 1 team in the nation and reigning national champion. So, he’s in the Heisman conversion. Bennett might fit in the category of the dreaded game manager, but when it results in consistent winning and, perhaps, another national title, then his value to this squad goes well beyond statistics.

One of the more notable surprises to the 2022 season is UCLA’s 6-0 start. A big reason for that is the veteran Thompson-Robinson, who leads the Pac-12 in passer rating (180.6) and might be the best college quarterback in Los Angeles. But that’s another story. What we do know is that he has the Bruins surging and is personally thriving while throwing for 1,510 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions through six games. It’s finally time Thompson-Robinson, in his fifth season, is getting the attention he deserves.

We knew Williams would have an impact when he followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC. Yet, Williams just seems totally comfortable and confident out west. He’s thrown for 1,971 yards with 19 touchdowns and an interception while also running for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Despite losing at Utah, the Trojans still might be the team to beat in the Pac-12 — as long as Williams continues to stay healthy and lead the charge. 

Obviously, the current storyline surrounding Young at the moment is his health. A shoulder injury kept him out of Alabama’s close win over Texas A&M on Oct. 8, but he was back in full force at Tennessee. Even at less than 100 percent, Young (1,657 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, three interceptions) can play at an elite level. At the moment, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner is in the conversation to repeat, but how long that remains the case will be seen.

What a difference a year makes. In 2021, there was a question of whether Uiagalelei was the right man to lead the Tigers’ offense. He threw just nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season, but through seven games in 2022, Uiagalelei has 17 TDs, while being picked off just twice while totaling 1,665 yards through the air. Perhaps most important, Uiagalelei, who has also rushed for 337 yards and four scores, is confident in his own ability to lead a Clemson group that is a national title contender once again.

This list is obviously heavily dominated by quarterbacks, but Corum is a serious Heisman hopeful. He ranks among the country’s leaders with 901 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns, and averaging 128.7 yards per game. Whether running inside the tackles or on the perimeter, Corum is a threat to reach the end zone on just about every carry. If any of the elite quarterbacks in the running for the Heisman stumble, or their teams do the same, then Corum has a shot, especially if Michigan keeps rolling.

Talk about a stock continuing to rise. Hooker is growing into the “It” guy on the college football scene for 2022. A major reason the 6-0 Volunteers are ranked in the top five of The Associated Press Top 25, Hooker has thrown for 1,817 yards with 15 touchdowns and one interception thus far in 2022. He’s also rushed for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Five of those passing TDs and 385 yards came during Tennessee’s impressive massive 52-49 win over Alabama on Oct. 15.

According to DraftKings, Stroud is the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. That’s not really a surprise. Stroud and Bryce Young topped preseason Heisman lists throughout the country, and he enters Week Eight tied for the national lead with 24 passing touchdowns and leading with a 15.0 touchdown percentage and 207.6 passer rating. In addition, he ranks among the country’s best in completion percentage (70.6) and yards (1,737). With six TD passes during Ohio State’s 49-20 win at Michigan State on Oct. 8, Stroud moved up to second on the school’s all-time passing touchdown list with 68.