By: William Smythe

Frankly, this might shape up to be one of the worst Heisman races in recent memory. I’m speaking in terms of the talent level, not the competitiveness of the race itself. We’ve been fortunate enough to witness Heisman winners without a single blemish on their resumes – Lamar, Burrow and Kyler seemed to put together a masterclass every single weekend – and perhaps an unrealistic expectation now lies with college football’s most coveted award. Devonta Smith notwithstanding, it’s a quarterback’s world.

USC’s Caleb Williams looks to have squandered his chance to repeat, while a pack of above-average quarterbacks will fight and claw for the Heisman in the next few months. What I haven’t seen, however, is a bonafide “Heisman Moment” from any of these candidates below…well, one makes a slight case.

1. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

Penix’s resurgence out West is truly something to behold considering his awful injury history. The former Hoosier tore his ACL in both 2018 and 2020, suffered a joint injury in 2019 and then developed a shoulder issue in 2021. Last season was the lefty gunslinger’s first true healthy year, and he thrived. Now the frontrunner in the Heisman race, Penix is staring down a gauntlet of a Pac-12 schedule after struggling in an ugly, 15-7 win over a 1-6 Arizona State.

I feel as if I’ve been relatively negative thus far. Anyways, Penix is currently first in the nation in passing yards and is currently spearheading the fifth-ranked team in the nation, having already knocked off no. 9 Oregon on a last-second field goal miss from the Ducks. His wide receiving corps is second to none but maybe Ohio State, with Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan (still easing into things) all serious NFL prospects.

Penix holds the title of (perhaps) boasting a Heisman moment after his 302-yard, 4 TD performance against Oregon. A four-game stretch @ USC, vs. Utah, @ Oregon State and vs. Washington State in the Apple Cup will determine Penix’s candidacy once and for all. He deserves the first spot here, but not by much.

2. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

I definitely did not expect Daniels to find himself in the Heisman mix. The ex-Arizona State, dual-threat quarterback has put up some gaudy stats in his second year in Baton Rouge, and the sole case against his Heisman candidacy is the Tigers’ 5-2 record. Second in passing yards behind Penix, Daniels has tossed for five more touchdowns (25) while rushing for 521 yards and adding 5 TDs on the ground. He has a 414-yard, 4 TD performance against then-no. 20 Ole Miss to boot (albeit a loss) and absolutely shredded an ascending Missouri team with 389 total yards and four TDs in a 49-39 win on the road.

If LSU defeated Florida State or Ole Miss, Daniels would be #1 on this list. He has several opportunities to make his case even stronger – @ Alabama and vs. Florida in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party – but he can’t afford any more slip-ups. A three or four-loss Heisman winner is non-existent.

3. Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma

Another candidate for a Heisman moment, Gabriel led the surging Sooners to an upset win in the Red River Rivalry over then-no. 3 Texas. Another transfer (from UCF), Gabriel went for 398 total yards and 2 TDs against the ‘Horns as Oklahoma continues its incredible turnaround following a 6-7 finish to last season – Brent Venables’ first at the helm. There’s no bad game on Gabriel’s resume thus far, but is he doing enough?

A wide-open schedule featuring five unranked opponents bodes well for the Sooners and Gabriel’s candidacy. The Sooners almost slipped up against UCF this past week, winning 31-29 in a back-and-forth affair, so it’s probable that Venables’ crew doesn’t overlook the inferior opponents ahead. A road date against Oklahoma State in Bedlam is one to circle on the calendar, despite the Pokes’ woes this season.

Gabriel may need to stat pad in the next couple of weeks if he wants a shot at the Heisman. An undefeated, playoff bound Oklahoma would certainly propel him to the top of the list considering that Daniels (and in my opinion, Penix) won’t make it there, with the only real competition perhaps Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or Florida State’s Jordan Travis – if the committee values a CFP appearance as a major factor.

4. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State

Travis lags far behind the top-two in terms of production, yet his team continues to win. The highly-touted senior has finally orchestrated Florida State’s revival on the national stage, as the Seminoles hold the fourth spot in the AP Poll and have defeated two top-25 teams thus far: Duke and LSU (and Clemson-ish). Travis is consistent, not exceptional. I seriously doubt that he will take home the Heisman considering the Seminoles’ light schedule the rest of the way…he’ll need big outings against Miami and Florida to creep up the power rankings.

The benefit of a Keon Coleman-Johnny Wilson wideout duo is apparent, but Travis has proven he can get it done on the ground as well – he’s combined for 100 yards rushing and 2 TDs in the Seminoles’ two ranked wins. Perhaps there are still some injury concerns surrounding Florida State’s leader, but his production hasn’t necessarily dipped.

He’s still in the mix.

5. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

This is not a sexy pick by any means. In fact, McCarthy being here is a testament to the weak pool of Heisman candidates at this point in the season. Surprisingly, the two arguable favorites – USC’s Caleb Williams and UNC’s Drake Maye – have thrown their chances out the window following brutal performances against Notre Dame and Utah (for Williams) and Virginia, respectively. McCarthy is your typical game manager for a powerhouse B10 program that loves to rely on the run.

It’s pretty hard to overlook McCarthy’s worst game of the year – a 143 yard, 2 TD/2 INT performance against lowly Bowling Green. The Wolverines won comfortably, 31-6, yet on the shoulders of a classic Blake Corum showcase. What McCarthy does, however, is manage the pace of the game extremely well, knowing that his passing role is often secondary to the rushing attack of Corum and Donovan Edwards. He has a tendency to make big plays – especially considering his connection with WR Roman Wilson – but there’s nothing too Heisman-y about McCarthy.

Everything’s up in the air, so who knows. McCarthy could stealthily put together a few 200+, 3 TD games and find his way to New York.