Breaking down top contenders for 2023 Heisman Trophy

Dec 10, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams poses for photos during a press conference in the Astor Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York, NY, after winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

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Michael Penix Jr.

It’s amazing what a transfer can do. Sometimes, a player needs to find the right coach and the right system and Michael Penix Jr. did that at Washington.

He threw for over 4,500 yards this season as Washington posted a 10-2 record. If USC had beaten Utah and clinched a playoff berth, the Huskies would be headed to the Rose Bowl.

Everyone wants to talk about USC and how quickly the Trojans turned things around after a 4-win season but Washington was pretty bad in 2021 too. Remember losing to Montana?

Jimmy Lake was fired and it seemed like it was going to take to rebuild what Chris Petersen had constructed. Turns out, an elite quarterback will go a long way.

Penix Jr. finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting this time around and just missed being a finalist. If he played at a different school, he probably would have been among the top 4 and he should have been over Stetson Bennett.

Team success matters and the bottom line is that if Penix played at USC, Georgia, or Alabama, he might be holding the Heisman Trophy right now. Yet, there is still time, and next season, people should be more aware of what he can do.

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