The college football season is approaching alarmingly fast, and with that, I wanted to dive into some obvious, and not so obvious, Heisman Trophy hopefuls for the 2023 season. Some familiar faces will be seen, but I will try to take a shot at a few relatively speaking dark-horse candidates who could surprise some. First up is the top dog himself, Caleb Williams.
Also, let’s be clear: there are plenty of other studs that will be competing for the top award in college football, including Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jordan Travis, and plenty of others.
College Football Heisman Trophy Hopeful: Caleb Williams QB – USC
Let’s start with the absolute favorite in most college football fans’ eyes: USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Sooners recruit turned Trojan will be tough to beat out following an incredible run that saw him win the award in 2022. Through 14 games total last season, Williams had an absurd stat line, completing 66.6% of his passes, throwing for 4537 yards, and compiling 52 total touchdowns to 5 interceptions.
It’s easy to see why Williams won the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious award. While it’s tough to win the award twice or repeat, it has been done once by Ohio State star running back Archie Griffin. Williams may have the best shot of anyone doing so in quite some time.
Recently, Lamar Jackson may have had the best shot at it in 2017, though he finished 3rd to Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Stanford running back Bryce Love. If I were a betting man, I’d certainly take a shot at Williams, given the team and weapons he has around him and his comfortability in Lincoln Riley’s offense.
According to Chase Kiddy of BetMGM, Williams has +500 odds as of right now. I know earlier this year, his odds were as high as +350, but they have since dipped a bit, given the star power lurking behind him.
While it’s one of the rarest achievements in college football, and doing it back-to-back is nearly impossible, Williams has the tools to make it happen. It’s tough to bank on, but it wouldn’t be the worst bet you could make.
College Football Heisman Trophy Hopefuls – Audric Estime/Sam Hartman – Notre Dame
The Sam Hartman inclusion is for pretty obvious reasons, while Audric Estime is one of the more extreme dark horse picks I could think of that has a legitimate shot. Hartman is a bonafide star, or at least was in the slow-mesh offense at Wake Forest. Should his skills and talent translate to Notre Dame’s more conventional offense, he’ll be in the conversation all year.
For what it’s worth, Hartman looks like the real deal after attending the spring game at Notre Dame and watching as many practice clips as I could this offseason and preseason. His biggest obstacle will be his wide receiver room; he’ll need some stars to break out.
The Irish receiving corps has the talent and the personnel, but it remains to be seen who will take the next giant leap for the Irish at the position. Still, Hartman is in a great spot for Heisman contention if those connections grow.
Audric Estime is a guy who could be the type of workhorse running back that could take the team to new heights. His big-bruising yet surprisingly agile running style is the perfect compliment for his star quarterback. Should Estime be able to find some work in the passing game, he’ll take off to new heights.
Logan Diggs is an excellent running back but was, without question, on a different level in running the football than Audric—a tier or two below. Undoubtedly, Coach Parker will look for a true speedster out of the backfield to catch screens or passes in space.
That said, if Auric shows his ability to expand his game, he is the ultimate dark horse for the Heisman Trophy in the 2023 college football season.
I wouldn’t bet on it for what it’s worth, as the Irish have a stable of highly talented backs, but Estime will be their top guy with an excellent offensive line leading the way.
Running behind some of college football’s best in Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, the Heisman Trophy is well within reach for Audric Estime.
College Football Heisman Trophy Hopeful – Drake Maye QB – UNC
While Drake Maye might not have the highest of odds, according to oddsmakers for BetMGM, he may very well be the 2nd best quarterback prospect heading into next season. Currently sitting at +1800 and losing some top receiving talent, Maye is considered a relatively long shot.
He lost UNC’s top receiver, Josh Downs, to the NFL this past offseason but should still have some great connections made heading into the 2023 season. There has been some talk about Maye being a generational talent and him being the type of prospect a team would love to draft in the NFL; at 6’5″ and 220 pounds, it’s easy to see why.
Last season, Maye was a stud in the passing and running game. He accumulated 4321 passing yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 14 games last year and added 698 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He’s the type of talent at quarterback that oozes “star” in the NFL.
College Football Heisman Trophy Hopeful – Harold Perkins LB – LSU
LSU’s Harold Perkins is another extremely dark horse type of pick from me, but I wanted to touch on it, given the hype some defensive stars have been getting in recent years. Perkins was the No. 1 recruit at his position in the class of 2022 and didn’t disappoint as a true freshman.
During his lone season in college football, Perkins had an outrageous stat line for a true freshman. In all 14 games, including the bowl game, Perkins had 72 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, one interception, and four forced fumbles. This is while figuring out his true position and scheme as a freshman and playing fewer snaps than most upperclassmen.
Give Perkins an entire season with his freakish talent as the leader for the LSU defense, and he may vault himself into the conversation. We’ve seen it recently with Aidan Hutchinson and Will Anderson Jr.; leading your team on defense with ridiculous stats will include your name in college football’s Heisman Trophy consideration.
It may be another wild long shot by me, but I expect huge things this year from LSU’s Harold Perkins and wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the running.