The Heisman trophy is given out each year to the top player in college football. Here is my list of who is atop this race for the award. 

Honorable Mentions 

• Caleb Williams

Williams has been one of the two best quarterbacks in the Pac-12 so far this season. He played well in USC’s loss against Utah as he threw for five passing touchdowns, but not going undefeated will hurt his chances at the trophy. 

• Will Anderson Jr

The best defensive player in the country already has five sacks, 29 tackles and a pick-six but struggled mightily against Tennessee in Alabama’s loss. With how hard it is for defensive players to win the award, his chances are next to none at this moment. 

• Drake Maye

The anticipated savior of North Carolina Football has the team sitting at a 6-1 record and in *a – CH prime position to win their side of the ACC. 

• Bo Nix

Aside from the loss to Georgia, Nix has looked fantastic for the Ducks. As each week goes by, he is more comfortable airing the ball out and his stats will reflect that at the end of the season.

5. Bryce Young 

The reigning winner of the Heisman trophy is putting up a comparable season to his winning year. Two things knock him down: first off, missing a week due to injury will do nothing but hurt his overall stats and secondly, he just lost the biggest game of the year thus far to Tennessee. 

Regardless, he didn’t play terribly in that game and has tallied 1,657 yards and 16 touchdowns in the games he has played this season.

He will need a couple of big games coming up and will certainly need to win out to even sniff an invite to the ceremony at the end of the season. 

4. Dorian Thompson-Robinson

The only Pac-12 player in the top five has the UCLA Bruins playing fantastic football. He holds two-ranked wins, both being in the top 15 and is leading his team to the only undefeated record left in the conference. 

Thompson-Robinson has completed 74.8% of his passes for 1,510 yards and 15 touchdowns with only two interceptions. His performances have been good for a QB rating of over 180, quite an impressive start. 

He has added 144 yards and two scores on the ground, which do nothing less than help his case in the race. It has been the best season of his collegiate career and his position on this list reflects that. 

3. Blake Corum

The only non-QB in the top five is the short-king himself in Corum. Corum is the lead-back of an electric Michigan Wolverine two-headed monster of a backfield and has been putting up consecutive stellar weeks. 

Against one of the best and most potent rush defenses in the then No. 10 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, Corum averaged 5.9 yards per carry en route to 166 yards and two touchdowns. 

On the season, he already has 901 yards on 6.2 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Sharing the backfield will hurt his chances, but maintaining nation-leading touchdown numbers will keep him in the picture. 

2. Hendon Hooker

Hooker has led the Tennessee Volunteers to a fantastic bounce-back year as they sit undefeated and have a win at home against the then No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide. It was the biggest win in program history in recent memory and Hooker played outstanding as he threw for five touchdowns. 

He has completed exactly 70% of his passes for 1,817 yards and 15 touchdowns. While being the closest in contention, he does not come close to the guy at No. 1 on the list.

1. CJ Stroud 

Stroud is the apparent head of the table and controls his fate in the Heisman race. Ohio State is the best team in the country as they hold a 6-0 record.

Stroud already has 1,737 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and is on pace to have a season that either rivals or surpasses Joe Burrow’s Heisman campaign. 

His touchdown pace is unheard of and he could break records and even secure a unanimous decision if he can maintain his production and win every game from here on out with the Buckeyes. The team and Stroud have some tough conference matchups, but he looks like the best player in college football.