By Will Helms
Each week, we come to you with some updates on a few risers and fallers in the CFB Heisman race. As the season goes on, we’ll be able to whittle it down to a few true contenders, but for now, the race is wide open. Listed next to each name are their current odds (the best I could find) just in case you’ve seen enough to add a bet or two on one of them.
Stock Up
Caleb Williams, QB- USC (+320)
I was not super high on Williams coming into the season as I thought he’d take some time to acclimate to a new environment. However, he’s come out firing through two weeks. The thing that is really helping Williams right now is how bad the Trojans were without him a season ago.
If the Trojans challenge for a national championship, Williams will get a ton of credit (Perhaps even more than he actually deserves). Lincoln Riley brought in a host of transfers, but in terms of Heisman hype, it’s all going to go to the quarterback.
USC has a tough test this week on the road at Oregon State (Not that anyone will actually see the game) and should the Trojans come out victorious, I’d expect Williams’ odds to shrink just a bit.
JJ McCarthy, QB- Michigan (+3000)
If you have followed Michigan football at all over the last three years, you’ve probably known that McCarthy is the more talented of the two quarterbacks. However, McCarthy hadn’t really been given a full chance to showcase that talent.
Jim Harbaugh announced before the season that Cade McNamara would start the first game and McCarthy would start against Hawaii. While it became apparent when McCarthy came into the first game against Colorado State relatively early that he would be the starter going forward, he solidified that with a superb outing against Hawaii.
McCarthy was announced the starter this week against Connecticut (Seriously, Michigan, what’s the deal with this schedule) and he should make the most of it. Like Williams, McCarthy could do a lot for his Heisman chances simply by playing well and leading the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff. With the way the rest of the perceived second tier (Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Clemson, etc.) is playing, Michigan has a great shot.
CJ Stroud, QB- Ohio State (+260)
While my main takeaway from this game is that Ohio State may have a new WR1, Stroud played exceptionally well too. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba out, Marvin Harrison Jr. stepped in as Stroud’s top target in a 45-12 blowout win over Arkansas State.
Stroud put up big numbers, completing 16 of 24 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns (three to Harrison) and the sportsbooks reflected it, putting him back ahead of Bryce Young in the process.
While Stroud will have to play that way against better teams than Arkansas State, the huge game represented a nice bounce back after a modest Notre Dame outing.
Stock Down
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida (+3500)
What a difference a week makes. Seven short days after carving up a strong Utah defense, Richardson looked lost against Kentucky, getting outdueled by fellow draft hopeful Will Levis. Richardson struggled to read overages and threw a couple of costly interceptions as Kentucky beat Florida in consecutive seasons for the first time since the mid-70s.
It was a return to reality for Richardson, the toolsy quarterback with limited reps. From a draft perspective, I actually love his chances of being the first overall pick (Or at least the first quarterback off the board) but his chances at the Heisman seem much slimmer than they were just one short week ago.
Stetson Bennett IV, QB, Georgia (+1400)
Whether we like to admit it or not, the Heisman is typically reserved for players that the media loved before the season.
That doesn’t describe Bennett, the National Championship-winning quarterback that many in the media believed was carried by his defense and skill players. But when Bennett started the year with a huge game against Oregon, the narrative immediately switched; Bennett became a popular pick among casual bettors and moved up.
Bennett’s inclusion is not as much a shot at him as it is a reflection of how much he has to do to win it this year. He’s going to have to throw for multiple touchdowns almost every game and when presented with an opportunity against Samford, he had a good but not great day.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas (+4000)
Robinson, like a few of the other guys on this list, was a long shot to begin with. Like Will Anderson or Jalen Carter, Robinson’s draft stock is sky-high, but that’s not quite the same as winning the Heisman. Part of what hurt him this week is that when Texas came so close to pulling off a major upset, the Longhorns fell short. For Robinson to win the award, he’d have to lead the Longhorns to a massive season.
That’s not impossible, but it’s also a bit more difficult now. Not only that, but his numbers this year have been modest as Quinn Ewers has taken over at quarterback and the Longhorns have become more pass-happy.
Robinson is a great player whom we should admire, but he’s just not going to win the Heisman, at least at this rate.
