Heisman Trophy watch 2022: Top 5 candidates heading into Week 6

2. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

In terms of college football players who have had the biggest impact on their team, it’s hard to argue that anyone has been better than Hendon Hooker.

The Vols weren’t expected to be a top-10 team this season and they might get a rude awakening in the next few weeks as the schedule difficulty increases.

Yet, wins over Pittsburgh and Florida, who were each ranked at the time were impressive. Hooker totaled 461 yards against Florida, throwing for 349 and running for 112. He willed the Vols to victory, but if Florida loses a bunch of games, that performance isn’t going to matter as much.

Pittsburgh also lost an ugly upset to Georgia Tech. That’s why it takes time to see how things go. But with Hooker, that stuff won’t matter. If he shines against Georgia and Alabama and even leads Tennessee to win over them and say Kentucky, he’ll have a shot.

Especially if he keeps playing out of his mind.