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The coveted Heisman Memorial Trophy is still up for grabs at the halfway point of the college football season. In a year when no player is standing out from the rest of the pack, chaos and upsets are bound to shake up nominations for this award.
Quarterbacks have won the Heisman 18 times since 2000. It is shaping up to have the same result again this year, but a few skill position players could also contend. Four of the last seven winners were transfer quarterbacks, a trend that will continue.
Favorites
The favorite today for the award is Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Indiana transfer ranks second in the country in passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns. Penix has led the No. 5 Huskies to a 6-0 record.
What separates Penix from the rest of the group is that the Huskies still have three ranked opponents on the schedule, while also beating the 9th-ranked Oregon Ducks last week in a shootout in Seattle. If the Huskies win out, the award will be all but won for Penix.
Michael Penix is special pic.twitter.com/85m01jRF7I
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 14, 2023
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been amazing so far this season. The UCF transfer had his best performance on the biggest stage in Week 6 against Texas. Gabriel threw his lone touchdown of the game with 15 seconds left to beat the Longhorns, 34-30.
Gabriel already had his “Heisman Moment” and with an unchallenging schedule remaining, look out for him if Penix underperforms the rest of the season.
https://twitter.com/OU_Football/status/1710744354313396585
Hopefuls
Despite throwing three interceptions against Notre Dame last week, Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams is not out of the Heisman race. Williams leads the FBS in passing touchdowns through eight weeks and the Trojans still have everything on the table in terms of the playoff.
Brenden Rice would not be denied.@uscfb | #BigSaturdayNight pic.twitter.com/Xicuqdj732
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 15, 2023
USC has yet to play Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. All four teams are ranked inside the top 25. Williams still has the chance to become the second player to win the Heisman in back-to-back years. The only player to repeat was Archie Griffin in 1974-75.
Saturday’s game against Utah will be a good test for USC. Williams is 0-2 against Utah.
It has been a wild college career for Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis. After finishing his freshman year at Louisville in 2018, the redshirt senior has the Seminoles ranked in the top four for the first time since 2017.
Florida State’s biggest win happened the first week of the season against LSU in Orlando. While also beating Clemson on the road, a game many had as the biggest game of the year.
Travis still has upcoming games to shine against Duke at home and traveling to Gainesville to face the Gators. Saturday’s matchup against the 16th-ranked Blue Devils will be a game in which Travis can propel himself in the Heisman race.
— go to ➡️ collegefootballnetwork.com (@PickettsPool) October 14, 2023
Sleepers
Not enough people are talking about Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze, a projected second-day pick in the NFL draft before the season. His play so far this year has solidified him as a top-15 player in next year’s draft and might send him to New York to be a Heisman finalist.
Odunze has reached more than 100 yards receiving in all but one of his games this season. He ranks third in the FBS with 736 yards on just 40 catches.
In last week’s win against Oregon, Odunze had eight catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. His second score occurred with just under two minutes left in the game and won it for the Huskies.
ROME ODUNZE IS UNGUARDABLE
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 14, 2023
While his quarterback may be the overwhelming favorite to win the award, Odunze has a chance to be the sixth receiver to win the award.
The Missouri Tigers are 6-1 and have already beaten two ranked opponents. Although quarterback Brady Cook is having a great year, wide receiver Luther Burden III has been the catalyst for one of the more dynamic offenses in the FBS. The sophomore wideout has blossomed into one of the best receivers in the country. He has hauled in 56 catches for 808 yards and five touchdowns. His 808 yards receiving is second among all receivers, just behind LSU wideout Malik Nabers.
Missouri Tigers Luther Burden III Week 3 & 4 Highlights – 17 REC 291 Yards & 2 TDs: pic.twitter.com/WyRM8ptpE7
— Desert Dweller Sports Network (@DesertDwellerSN) September 28, 2023
Burden had just two catches for 15 yards in Missouri’s upset win against Kentucky in Lexington. But he still has significant games to play. Mizzou still has to travel to face Georgia and host Tennessee and Florida in back-to-back weeks in Colombia.
Saturday’s game against South Carolina should be a big game for Burden. The Gamecocks are coming off a heartbreaking loss against the Gators. South Carolina is second to last in the FBS in passing yards allowed per game.
