Heisman hot board after Week 1: Bryce Young is lead contender
Heisman voters Matt Zenitz and Mike Huguenin will provide weekly updates on who leads the Heisman race. Here is how each has the field after Week 1. (Going forward, this will appear every Tuesday.)
Matt Zenitz’s list
1. Alabama QB Bryce Young: The reigning Heisman Trophy winner opened the season by becoming the first player in Alabama history and the first SEC quarterback since 2018 to throw five touchdown passes and run for at least 100 yards in the same game.
Week 1 stats: 195 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, six total touchdowns (five passing, one rushing) in a 55-0 win over Utah State
2. Florida QB Anthony Richardson: Richardson was responsible for three of Florida’s four touchdowns and a key fourth-quarter two-point conversion during the Gators’ upset of then-No. 7 Utah. His third touchdown run, a 1-yarder, gave Florida a 29-26 lead with 1:25 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Week 1 stats: 168 passing yards, 106 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns during a 29-26 win over Utah
3. Georgia QB Stetson Bennett: Bennett’s passing yardage against Oregon was a career-high. Meanwhile, his quarterback rating (201.7) and yards per pass attempt (11.9) both ranked first among SEC quarterbacks in Week 1.
Week 1 stats: 368 passing yards, three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) during a 49-3 win over No. 11 Oregon
4. USC QB Caleb Williams: Aided by Williams, USC had 59 points by the end of the third quarter in its win over Rice.
Week 1 stats: 249 passing yards, 68 rushing yards, two touchdown passes during a 66-14 win over Rice
5. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud: After some struggles against Notre Dame through the game’s first 40 minutes, Stroud led back-to-back touchdown drives to help Ohio State overcome the Fighting Irish after trailing 10-7 at halftime and through most of the third quarter.
Week 1 stats: 223 passing yards, two passing touchdowns during a 21-10 win over No. 5 Notre Dame
6. Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders: Sanders was just the second Big 12 quarterback since 2016 with at least 400 passing yards, at least 50 rushing yards and at least six total touchdowns in a game. Iowa State’s Brock Purdy was the other in a 2019 game against ULM.
Week 1 stats: 406 passing yards, 57 rushing yards, six total touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) during a 58-44 win over Central Michigan
7. Syracuse RB Sean Tucker: Tucker has rushed for 100 yards in 10 of Syracuse’s past 13 games. He also has had seven games in the past two seasons with more than 175 yards from scrimmage.
Week 1 stats: 100 rushing yards, six catches for 84 yards, two touchdowns during a 31-7 win over Louisville
Mike Huguenin’s list
1. Bryce Young: What’s this – five TD passes and 100 yards rushing? Introducing dual-threat quarterback Bryce Young.
2. C.J. Stroud: My preseason Heisman favorite didn’t do much in the opening win over Notre Dame. But let’s not go overboard with the knee-jerk reactions after one game.
3. Caleb Williams: It wasn’t an over-the-top Hollywood-style opening for Williams at USC, but he did put up 319 yards of total offense.
4. Anthony Richardson: Richardson made some highlight-reel plays, especially on a two-point conversion pass, and played at a high level in a mild upset of then-No. 7 Utah.
5. Alabama OLB Will Anderson: Just like with Stroud, he didn’t do much in the opener. Again, let’s not go overboard with knee-jerk reactions after one game.
Week 1 stats: Five tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hurry in win over Utah State.
6. Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen: He will get a ton of carries this season, and opened with a 148-yard, two-TD performance. He has started 10 games in his Badgers career and has nine 100-yard outings. (And, yes, past-season performances do matter when it comes to the Heisman, despite what anyone says.)
Week 1 stats: 148 rushing yards, two touchdowns in 38-0 win over Illinois State
7. Stetson Bennett: He put up the best numbers of his career in a bludgeoning of Oregon. Seriously, though: The Heisman is supposed to go to the best player in the nation, and Bennett isn’t close to being the best player on Georgia’s team (heck, on Georgia’s offense).