The 2022 Heisman Trophy race has taken some twists already during the 2022 college football season and here are our top five contenders heading into Week 6.
It’s hard to believe we have already reached Week 6 of the college football season. Most teams will be halfway done with their seasons by Sunday.
That also means that the race for the 2022 Heisman Trophy is nearly at the midway point. So far, the top of the race has been pretty stagnant but some new names have started to emerge such as Hendon Hooker, following his 400-yard day against Florida.
Those are the kinds of games that stand out. Adrian Martinez has also been pushing to add his name to the list of 2022 Heisman Trophy contenders. Jalon Daniels from Kansas is another.
Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs also announced himself as a possible Heisman Trophy contender in the Tide’s win last week at Arkansas, which came without Bryce Young for a big chunk of the game.
The injury to Young, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, could have a huge impact on the race going forward. Nick Saban said sprained his AC Joint and it’s a week-to-week type of injury.
Young is still among our top five contenders but he’s fading fast and the newest name to check in on our top five list is Michigan’s Blake Corum and that’s where we begin with our latest ranking of the top five Heisman Trophy contenders for 2022.
5. Blake Corum, Michigan
I know running backs don’t usually win Heisman Trophy awards. Kenneth Walker did have a shot last season before Michigan State lost to Ohio State 56-7. That ended his Heisman candidacy.
But through six games, Blake Corum’s numbers are very similar. He’s got 611 rushing yards total and is averaging 6.6 yards per attempt. Corum also leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with 10.
His numbers woud be even better if Michigan didn’t play such a soft schedule. He didn’t reach 20 carries in a single game until Big Ten play. But he ran over Maryland for 243 yards and three scores, then followed it up with 133 yards and two TDs against Iowa, the No. 1 defense in the country which allowed just two yards per rush attempt prior to meeting Corum.
Corum is going to be the focal point of the Michigan offense and right now, the Wolverines look like they are going to be in playoff contention until the end.
If this team somehow repeats as Big Ten champs and beats Ohio State, Corum will be a big part of that and that would be enough to get him to New York and maybe more, depending on how the final numbers look.
He’s going to need nearly 2,000 total yards though and probably 20 touchdowns. It’s a high bar for running backs to win the Heisman Trophy and the numbers have to be eye-popping.
4. Bryce Young, Alabama
The Heisman Trophy winner from 2021 has been viewed as the favorite for most of the 2022 college football season but he hasn’t been as sharp.
Young looked like his old self against Vanderbilt throwing for 385 yards and four touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions against Louisana-Monroe and that caused us to drop him from the top spot.
Last week, Young was off to a solid start throwing for 173 yards and a touchdown before hurting his shoulder. However, he also threw an interception.
The interceptions aren’t that big of a deal, but if you look at Young’s numbers as a whole, they aren’t really Heisman Trophy worthy. He’s only had one 300-yard game. He set an Alabama record for total touchdowns against Utah State, but Young has work to do and this injury won’t help.
Young is a game-time decision for Texas A&M on Saturday and as far as his Heisman hopes are concerned, he can’t afford to miss too much time because his candidacy is already losing momentum.
3. Caleb Williams, USC
It’s pretty amazing what an elite quarterback can do for a college football team. With the addition of Caleb Williams, Lincoln Riley, and a number of other talented transfers, the Trojans are rolling towards the College Football Playoff.
Williams was pretty stellar again last week against Arizona State throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-25 win. He did have an interception but that was the first of the season.
The week prior, Williams only completed 44 percent of his passes in a narrow escape over Oregon State. He did find a way to lead a game-winning drive and that’s as important as big numbers, at least at times. You need a mix of both.
Williams doesn’t have anything that resembles a defining moment and that’s why he’s third right now because Hendon Hooker has just been a little better.
Caleb is 8th in the country in QBR and 23rd in yards, as well as 19th in touchdown passes. Those are also reasons why he’s a little lower.
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.
1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
Stroud has held the top spot for the past couple of weeks and there’s no reason to change it now despite a lackluster showing against Rutgers.
Ohio State won the game 49-10 but Stroud only threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He was also intercepted once. He did only throw 22 passes but that’s not an excuse for the lack of yardage. Stroud attempted 24 passes against Arkansas State and had over 350 yards.
Yet, he’s got another opportunity this week to put up some numbers as the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing to take on the Spartans.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be coming back soon too. Marvin Harrison Jr. is starting to take off and this offense is going to put up huge numbers. His Heisman Trophy candidacy is going to come down to beating Penn State and Michigan and reaching the Big Ten title game.
If that happens and the numbers stay where they have been (he’s second in QBR), he’s a strong bet to win the award in 2022.