Heisman Trophy ballot: An upstart contender gets his chance at a Heisman moment in Week 7

When you watch a golf tournament, you hear the expression “Moving Day.” That refers to the Saturday of a tournament, after the cut is made. That is the day when players move up and down the leaderboard, getting in position for the final round.

This might be “Moving Week” in the college football season.

A pivotal week beckons, with six games between teams ranked in the latest AP Top 25 poll. That includes a pair of games between teams in the top ten, as tenth-ranked Penn State travels to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan, and third-ranked Alabama makes the trip north to take on sixth-ranked Tennessee.

As a result, the next AP Top 25 might look different.

Along with the next version of this ballot.

But for now, here is our Week 7 Heisman Ballot.

First Place Vote: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

I still have Stroud here, mainly because he’s absolutely COOKING right now. In his last two games he’s thrown for eight touchdowns to two interceptions, and against Michigan State he had more passing TDs than incompletions.

The Ohio State offense is a buzzsaw right now, and as long as Stroud continues to put up video game numbers, he’ll be the clubhouse leader.

Second Place Vote: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

So, allow me to explain this to you. Hendon Hooker hasn’t thrown an interception ALL SEASON. In fact, you have to go back to November of last year to find the last time Hooker has thrown an interception.

The Volunteer offense is similar to the Briles-era Baylor offenses, using pace and space to make opposing defenses look extremely stupid, and Hooker is the biggest reason why. Tennessee has Alabama next. If they manage to pull off the upset, Hooker might want to book his flight to New York early.

Third Place Vote: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Eventually, there will be a team that can stop Williams and the USC offense.

Maybe.

Williams has thrown for 14 touchdowns to one interception, while also running for three touchdowns as the Trojans remain undefeated. What’s most impressive about Williams is that the USC offense isn’t necessarily the best up front. Most games, Williams is making something happen outside of structure, when plays break down. He’s the engine behind that USC offense that is going to get even better as the season goes on.

Other players considered: Alabama QB Bryce Young, Georgia TE Brock Bowers, UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UNC QB Drake Maye, Kansas QB Jalon Daniels

Ok so allow me to make the argument for UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, you ready?

He talks cash s***.

Outside of developing into the QB we all thought he could be, his energy is the catalyst behind a resurgent UCLA this year. DTR has thrown for 15 touchdowns to two interceptions for four TDs and made defenders look extremely stupid while doing it:

He is a walking And1 mixtape at the position, and if he continues to play at the high level that he has, there’s no doubt he’ll be in New York.

I dropped Bryce Young from the top three mainly because he didn’t play on Saturday, but in terms of overall value to a team, he’s one of the most valuable players on Earth. Just watch the Alabama offense without him, and you’ll see why.

Drake Maye has quietly been one of the brightest stars of the football season, captaining a UNC offense that is seemingly carrying the defense to a 5-1 record. Maye is seventh in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns, and is my sleeper Heisman candidate.

First Place Vote: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

Since we last saw the Ohio State quarterback, C.J. Stroud has continued his impressive 2022 season. He threw a pair of touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ win over Rutgers, and followed that up with a monster game against Michigan State for the second-straight season. Last Saturday Stroud hit on 21 of his 26 passes for 361 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with an interception where he and his receiver were not on the same page.

For the season, Stroud has 24 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions.

The gap between him and the rest of the field could be narrowing — and might narrow more depending on how this weekend shakes out — but he remains at the top for me.

Second Place Vote: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Hendon Hooker and the Volunteers have a massive opportunity this weekend. A victory over Nick Saban and Alabama would truly stamp their arrival to the national championship picture, and would set up a massive game in early November when they travel to Athens to take on Georgia.

As for Hooker, a victory over the Crimson Tide would solidify him as a Heisman contender, which he should already be due to his start this season. After Tennessee’s win over Florida, the Volunteers enjoyed their bye week, and then throttled LSU this past Saturday by a final score of 40-13. In the win, Hooker connected on 17 of 27 passes for 239 yards and 2 scores, along with no interceptions.

He has yet to throw a pick this year.

Third Place Vote: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

In our first Heisman ballott, Williams was in the “other players considered” category for me. But he cracks the top three in this version, thanks to two more impressive performances. Williams completed 27 of 37 passes for 348 yards and 3 touchdowns, along with an interception, in USC’s win over Arizona State two weeks ago.

Last week, in USC’s win over Washington State, he threw two more TDs, and hit on this throw which is still blowing my mind:

With USC well inside the top ten, and Williams dealing, his stock should continue to rise.

Other players considered: Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama, Bryce Young, QB, Alabama, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA, Blake Corum, RB, Michigan

Last year’s winner, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, slides a bit in the latest ballot as he falls into the “other players considered” category. Young was knocked out of Alabama’s win over Arkansas, and did not play this past weekend as Alabama survived against Texas A&M. Saban is “hopeful” that Young will be ready for this weekend, and a return to the lineup — and a victory over Tennessee — will rocket him back into Heisman contention.

I am keeping Will Anderson Jr. in this category as long as possible, because I am still not over him not being a finalist last season. He also posted seven total tackles and a sack two weeks ago against Vanderbilt, and he remains a force on the defensive side of the ball.

It is time to talk about UCLA. The Bruins are good again, and a huge reason for their success is what we have seen from quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. UCLA knocked off ranked teams in each of the past two weeks, and the quarterback was a huge reason why. Against Utah this past week, Thompson-Robinson hit on 18 of 23 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns, along with an interception, and added another touchdown on the ground.

Against Washington the week before, Thompson-Robinson connected on 24 of 33 passes for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns, without an interception. As for what he added on the ground in that game, well, not only did he pull off the move JP highlighted above, but he also did this:

The past two weeks see him leaping into the Heisman mix.

Then there is Michigan running back Blake Corum, who followed up a 234-yard performance against Maryland three weeks ago with a pair of 100-yard games the past two weeks. Corum ran for 133 yards and a touchdown in Michigan’s win over Iowa, and last week added another 124 yards and a score in the Wolverines’ win over Indiana. Corum is currently third in the nation in rushing yards, and with a win over Penn State, he’ll likely start to generate even more Heisman buzz.