Heisman Trophy ballot: A new front-runner emerges

What a difference two weeks makes.

Part of the reason we release our Heisman Ballots every two weeks is because a lot can chance in a week, so we like to see trends linger and continue.

After eight weeks of the college football season, some trends have certainly stuck. Including the fact that we might just have ourselves a new front-runner.

Of course, trends can change. That same front-runner has two huge tests left to solve, and this ballot could look a lot different in a few weeks.

Or it might not.

But for now, here is our Week 9 Heisman Ballot.

First Place Vote: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Talk about a Heisman moment.

Hooker threw for 385 yards and five touchdowns as the Volunteers knocked off the Alabama Crimson Tide, in a game where Hooker stood toe to toe with the former Heisman winner Bryce Young and took every punch. The throw to Bru McCoy to get the Volunteers into field goal range was absolutely awesome, and might not be the best throw he made all game.

Hooker is putting up video game numbers, and now with the Tide win under his belt, he vaults to the top spot.

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

For a moment there, Iowa seemed to have Stroud and Ohio State under wraps. Stroud threw an ugly interception over the middle and it might have seemed like he was off.

Yeah that didn’t last long. Stroud finished with 286 passing yards and four touchdowns as Ohio State waxed Iowa 54-10, and Stroud continued his Heisman push. He doesn’t seem to have the pure Heisman moment, but that’s because the Buckeye offense simply demolishes every opponent in its’ way. If Stroud continues to put up big numbers against Penn State, maybe he’ll jump back up to the top spot.

Third Place Vote: Blake Corum, RB, Michigan

The most impressive thing about Blake Corum’s season isn’t that the Michigan Wolverines are undefeated, no.

It’s the fact that they’re undefeated while simply running over every team they play.

Corum is the engine behind a dominant Wolverine rushing offense that before their bye, put up 418 YARDS of rushing offense on a very good Penn State defense. Corum had 166 of those yards and two touchdowns and leads the NCAA in rushing touchdowns. He’s been outstanding for a Michigan offense that relies on his ability to turn nothing into something.

Other players considered: Alabama QB Bryce Young, Illinois RB Chase Brown, Oregon QB Bo Nix, UNC QB Drake Maye, Jackson State QB Shedeur Sanders

This is the year. Bo Nix has improved so much under this new offense. He’s focused. He’s having fun. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a dark horse for the Heisman.

Chase Brown has been the engine behind a resurgent (/checks notes) Illinois? Yeah, Illinois football team who might actually, really, truly be good. He leads all the NCAA in rushing yards, and if the trophy was given out based on value, it would be hard to beat out Brown.

Speaking of value, the last time an HBCU player got an invite to New York was Alcorn State’s Steve McNair. That could change with Jackson State QB Shedeur Sanders. Sanders has a blistering 73.5% completion percentage and 23 touchdowns, and Jackson State is both undefeated and ranked in the top 10 of the FCS polls. With College Gameday headed to Jackson State Saturday, all eyes will be on Sanders to put on a show and make his campaign stronger.

First Place Vote: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Hendon Hooker gave us this season’s first true Heisman moment, when he stared down Nick Saban’s Alabama defense in a thrilling 52-49 victory over the Crimson Tide. In the win, Hooker completed 21 of 30 passes for 385 yards and 5 touchdowns along with an interception.

For those of you thinking that Hooker might have a let down this past week after the huge win, think again. In Tennessee’s blowout win over Tennessee-Martin, the quarterback hit on 18 of 24 passes for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns, before giving way to the backup brigade.

On the year, Hooker has completed 70.6% of his passes for 2,093 yards and 18 touchdowns with just the single interception.

The win over Alabama has propelled Hooker into front-runner status in my book. But a huge test looms. The Volunteers open November with a trip to Athens to take on Kirby Smart and the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. If Hooker passes that test, he might just stay atop my ballot ... and the ballots from those who matter.

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

C.J. Stroud slips back to the second spot this week, due more to the past two games from Hooker than anything else. Since we last discussed Stroud, Ohio State enjoyed their bye week before blowing out Iowa 54-10. In the huge win over the Hawkeyes, Stroud completed 20 of 30 passes for 286 yards and 4 touchdowns, along with an interception.

In the win, Stroud continued to showcase the traits that make him one of the top quarterback prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft. Consider this completion to Marvin Harrison Jr., where Stroud deftly evades pressure in the pocket before targeting the smallest of passing windows with ease:

That is not an easy throw, but Stroud makes it look like one.

Still, we are looking for the best college football player this season, not the best pro prospect. At this point, thanks to the win over Alabama, Hooker has the edge.

Third Place Vote: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

Yes, it is time to take Oregon and quarterback Bo Nix seriously.

Nix and the Ducks had their statement win of the season this past weekend, knocking of then-#9 UCLA at home by a final score of 45-30. It was one of the best games of Nix’s long college career, as he completed 22 of 28 passes for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns, posting an NCAA Passer Rating of 222.4. That was the third-best single-game rating of his career.

On the year, Nix has completed a whopping 71.5% of his throws for 1,809 yards and 17 touchdowns, along with 3 interceptions. Now, Nix and the Ducks are ranked eighth in the nation, and have the inside track to a berth in the Pac-12 Championship game. Oregon still has one big test looming, a home date with Utah in the penultimate week of the regular season, but provided Nix and the Ducks pass that test and secure that spot in the Pac-12 title game, Nix should be considered in the running for the Heisman.

Other players considered: Caleb Williams, QB, USC, Bryce Young, QB, Alabama, Chase Brown, RB, Illinois, Blake Corum, RB, Michigan, Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

Both Caleb Williams and Bryce Young have been floating around these ballots this season, and with good reason. They are two of the best quarterbacks in college football season and with both teams eying postseason success, there is a chance that one or both of them winds up in New York City as a Heisman finalist. Young returned from his shoulder injury to go toe-to-toe with Hooker in Knoxville, and were it not for Tennessee’s win, we’d probably be talking more about his Heisman chances. The next two games will be huge for Young and the Crimson Tide, as they make back-to-back road trips to Top 20 teams, facing LSU and Mississippi to kick off November.

As for Williams, we last saw him two weeks ago in USC’s loss to Utah. In the defeat, Williams was dazzling, completing 25 of 42 passes for 381 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also pulled off this play which, well, remember it come the 2024 draft season:

Then we get to a pair of running backs in the Big Ten. Blake Corum continues to impress for Michigan, and he was a huge part of the Wolverines’ win over Penn State a week ago, gaining 166 yards on 28 carries and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Corum already has 901 rushing yards on the season and 13 touchdowns, having scored at least one rushing touchdown in every Michigan game this season.

But Corum does not lead the NCAA, nor even the Big Ten, in rushing yards this season. That title goes to Illinois’ Chase Brown, who has 1,059 yards on 192 rushing attempts this season, for 4 touchdowns. Brown — perhaps along with the memory of beloved campus celebrity Pinto Bean — is a huge part of Illinois’ success this season. The Illini are ranked #17 right now, their best ranking since 2011.

Michigan will host Illinois the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Only four wide receivers have won the Heisman Trophy, most recently DeVonta Smith after the 2020 season.

Could Jalin Hyatt be the fifth?

It might be a longshot, but he deserves to be in the conversation after the past few weeks. Against Alabama, Hyatt caught 6 passes for 207 yards and 5 touchdowns, as the Volunteers knocked off the Crimson Tide.

That earned him the post-game cigar alongside another notable Tennessee passer:

What did he do for an encore this past week? In Tennessee’s big win over UTM, Hyatt caught 7 passes for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns, before giving way to the backups.

On the year, Hyatt has 40 receptions for 769 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those 12 touchdowns lead all of FBS receivers, and his 19.2 yards per reception is also the top mark in FBS.

He might be a longshot, but his past few weeks deserve some attention.