Heisman Watch 2022: Leading contenders, current odds and top moments
The Heisman race has shaken up after all the Week 10 madness.
With losses bumping quarterbacks Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) and Bryce Young (Alabama) down, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has reclaimed the top spot as the Heisman Trophy favorite.
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye ascended two spots following another stellar performance where he had 367 total yards. After tossing two touchdown passes on Saturday, he now leads the nation with 31 on the season. USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Michigan running back Blake Corum remain steady in the race after another consistent display of dominance.
Let’s get to this week’s Heisman standings, top Heisman moments of the week and what to watch for in this weekend’s action.
Voting methodology: Eleven voters ranked their top five candidates, with five points for a first-place vote down to one point for a fifth-place vote.
Week 10 notables: Although Stroud threw for just 76 yards in Ohio State’s 21-7 victory over Northwestern, he impressed the most on the ground. Stroud ran for 79 yards on six carries, with his longest being a 44-yard carry in the fourth quarter that ultimately set up the Buckeyes for their second touchdown of the afternoon. After back-to-back road tests, Stroud and the Buckeyes will return home to face the Indiana Hoosiers.
Heisman odds: +140
Total points: 38 (first-place votes: 1)
Week 10 notables: Hooker has impressed throughout the season, downing five ranked opponents until his matchup against the reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs on the road. In the 27-13 loss to Georgia, he threw for 195 yards and one interception on Saturday against one of the toughest defenses in the FBS. He also contributed on the ground with 18 carries for 17 yards. Although not an ideal outing for the Heisman hopeful, Hooker’s two interceptions on the season have him tied for seventh in the FBS and his 89.1 QBR puts him at fifth in the nation. Hooker and the Volunteers will return to Knoxville against the Missouri Tigers.
Heisman odds: +300
Total points: 15 (first-place votes: 0)
Week 10 notables: Maye keeps winning, and thus, he keeps rising. He threw for 293 yards and tossed two touchdowns in the Tar Heels’ victory over Virginia. Those two passing touchdowns lifted his season total to 31, which leads the nation. Did you think that was it for Maye? He also had a big night on the ground with 16 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown, with his longest run being a 26-yard dash in the first quarter. He has now taken the Tar Heels to an 8-1 record and lifted them to five consecutive wins.
Heisman odds: +1400
Total points: 13 (first-place votes: 0)
Week 10 notables: Caleb Williams is a star in L.A. who keeps on shining. Against Cal, he racked up 398 total yards — 360 through the air and 38 on the ground — and four touchdowns. Williams has 28 touchdowns on the season, ranking him third in the nation, and with just one interception, he is tied for first. Williams will look to continue his momentum on Friday when the No. 9 Trojans face the 1-8 Colorado Buffaloes at home.
Heisman odds: +900
Total points: 12 (first-place votes: 0)
Week 10 notables: Corum continues to be an immense contribution to Michigan’s dominant offense. In Michigan’s 52-17 rout over Rutgers, Corum ran for 109 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns. With 16 touchdowns on the season, Corum is tied with Pitt‘s Israel Abanikanda for the most in the nation. Corum will look to help Michigan’s offense keep rolling on Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Heisman odds: +750
Others receiving votes (total points in parentheses): Bryce Young, Alabama (11), Bo Nix, Oregon (10), Stetson Bennett, Georgia (5), Bijan Robinson, Texas (1)
The case for C.J. Stroud: Even when Stroud has something of a down game — which he did against Northwestern Saturday — he is able to impact the game and propel the Buckeyes to a win.
Despite not throwing for a touchdown, completing only 38.5% of his passes, and throwing for only 76 yards in windy Evanston this past weekend, Stroud did what he could on the ground and had his best game with his legs. The junior quarterback ran the ball six times for 79 yards, including a 44-yard breakaway. Given the conditions, it was exactly what Ohio State needed to skirt the upset and move on to the next opponent as well as keep his Heisman run going.
Stroud’s top target coming into the year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, has had only five total receptions all season because of injuries, and yet Stroud has simply moved on to the next men up — in this case, sophomores Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. — and churned out 2,435 passing yards alongside 29 touchdowns, only four interceptions, and a 67.9% completion rate. His QBR of 91.1 this season is just below his 91.6 mark of last season, and there has been no real drop-off for a player that was a Heisman finalist last season. — Paolo Uggetti
The case for Bryce Young: Alabama has two losses and therefore is in the unusual position of having to sit back and watch the SEC and College Football Playoff races unfold. But that should not mean an automatic elimination from the Heisman for quarterback Bryce Young.
You could easily make the argument that the two losses do not fall on his shoulders. Young threw for 455 yards and two touchdowns in the 52-49 loss to Tennessee — including driving Alabama for what could have been the go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds left — only for Will Reichard to miss the 50-yard attempt. He also helped send the game against LSU into overtime and got the Tide to score first before the Tigers matched the touchdown and won it on a 2-point conversion.
Earlier in the year, he saved a loss against Texas when he drove the team down the field with 1:29 left for the game-winning field goal. Needless to say, the defending Heisman champion has not forgotten how to play quarterback, nor has he had a lack of dazzling plays. So forget about the two losses and look at his body of work — 2,234 yards passing, 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions. — Andrea Adelson
1. C.J. Stroud proved that he could do as much damage with his legs as he could with his arm.
C.J. Stroud keeps it on the option and gets down to the Northwestern 5-yard line. A couple plays later, Miyan Williams goes up the middle for a touchdown.
2. With no one open, Drake Maye decides to take this play into his own hands.
Drake Maye out here doing Drake Maye things 🤷♂️
📺 https://t.co/b7TfBtUL5S (ACC Network) pic.twitter.com/0ZmskTIPyw
3. Just when you think you can stop Blake Corum, he reminds you that you can’t.
TD 2️⃣ for BC2pic.twitter.com/CVrtdcpI9w
No. 24 Washington at No. 6 Oregon (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, Fox)
Right now, Bo Nix is on the outside looking in. And he could finally sneak into the top 5 of the Heisman rankings this weekend with an impressive night against the Huskies. Nix has posted some head-turning numbers: 22 passing touchdowns, 13 rushing touchdowns and 2,495 passing yards on the season. This matchup can make a stronger case for him as he lines up against the third-best passing and second-best rushing defenses in the Pac-12. This Top 25 matchup will be the third for the Ducks of the season, in which they have a 2-1 record, with their only loss coming to Georgia on opening weekend.