These 5 players are the top Heisman Trophy candidates

Michigan RB Blake Corum has been arguably the best running back in college football this season, and that’s saying a lot. The sport is loaded at the position this year, but none has been as important to their team as the junior RB in Ann Arbor.

Corum is fifth in the nation with 1,078 rushing yards, and second in the country with 15 total touchdowns. And the main reason he isn’t leading both categories is he had a combined 34 rushing attempts through the team’s first three games. Since then, when Michigan has needed him more, he’s delivered. Corum has rushed for 243, 133, 124, 166, and 177 yards in the Wolverines’ last five games, is the heart and soul of their offense, and is a big reason they’re ranked No. 5 in the first CFP rankings.

Alabama junior QB Bryce Young dropping a spot on these rankings has less to do with him, and more to do with what the guys ahead of him are accomplishing. Young has been as good as advertised this season as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

Young, who missed a game-and-a-half due to injury, has thrown for 1,906 yards, 18 touchdowns to just three interceptions, leading the Crimson Tide to a 7-1 record, and the No. 6 spot in the initial CFP rankings. Alabama has a huge matchup at No. 10 LSU this weekend, which gives the signal-caller the opportunity to rise in the rankings with a Heisman-like performance, as he looks to become the second player in history to win multiple Heismans.

USC’s sophomore QB Caleb Williams jumped two spots in these rankings this week, as he’s been arguably the best player in college football over his last two games. In USC’s Week 7 loss at Utah, Williams threw for 381 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions, and had another 57 yards on the ground. And in the Trojan’s win over Arizona this past week, the signal-caller threw for 411 yards, another five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. His passer ratings in those two games? 175 against Utah, and 182.3 against Arizona.

That is an absurd two weeks for the Oklahoma transfer, who seems to be getting more and more comfortable in the Lincoln Riley offense every week. USC’s next two games are at home against teams with a combined 4-12 record, so that should give Williams plenty more opportunities to rack up big numbers ahead of the No. 9 Trojans’ crucial Nov. 19 matchup at No. 12 UCLA.

CJ Stroud led these rankings last time, but he takes a backseat to a guy who has been playing out of his mind over the past few weeks. Stroud, however, has been no slouch. In Ohio State’s last two games, Stroud threw for a combined 640 passing yards, five touchdowns, and one interception, and led the Buckeyes to the No. 2 spot in the CFP rankings.

Stroud is tied with UNC QB Drake Maye (who would be an honorable mention on this list) with a league-high 29 touchdown passes, and is a big reason the Buckeyes are second in the nation in scoring (48.9 points per game). If he continues to play at this incredibly high level, the team’s final game of the regular season against No. 5 Michigan could go a long way in the Heisman race and the CFP rankings.

Tennessee sixth-year senior Hendon Hooker has been arguably the best story in college football this season. The QB has exploded in his second year with the Volunteers, and has them firmly in the mix for their first-ever CFP appearance. Hooker has thrown for 2,338 yards and 21 touchdowns, and rushed for another 338 yards and four scores, leading the No. 1 ranked scoring offense (49.4 points per game). The Vols’ signal-caller has also thrown only one pick this season, which is tied with three other quarterbacks (including USC’s Williams) for the fewest in the nation.

If Hooker wins the Heisman — he’s currently the betting favorite, according to BetMGM — he would become the first Volunteer in the school’s history to take home the award. He would also become the second oldest player ever to win the award at 24 years, 332 days old, only trailing Florida State’s QB Chris Weinke, who was 28 years and 131 days old when he secured it in 2000. And it just so happens, Weinke was Tennessee’s quarterbacks coach up until 2020, the year before Hooker transferred over.