His team lost for the first time this season, but the No. 1 player in the Heisman Trophy race remains the same after last week.
1. Kenneth Walker III | Michigan State RB | Junior | Last week: 1
While the Spartans fell on the road to Purdue as the then-No.-3 team in the nation, Kenneth Walker III again did his part, rushing 23 times for 146 yards and a touchdown along with two receptions for 20 yards. Walker did have a fumble in the first half, but it appeared that his knee might have been down. Regardless, the star runner continues to have an outstanding campaign.
Season stats:
198 CAR | 1,340 RUSH YDS | 15 RUSH TD | 6.8 AVG
10 REC | 56 REC YDS | 1 REC TD | 5.6 AVG
2. Bryce Young | Alabama QB | Sophomore | Last week: 2
Seen as the Heisman favorite by most, Bryce Young played well with Alabama finding themselves in a real battle versus LSU on Saturday night. The sophomore quarterback was under pressure from the Tigers, but he remained poised and went 24/37 for 302 yards and two touchdowns.
Season stats:
69.5% | 2,755 PASS YDS | 28 PASS TD | 3 INT
47 CAR | 18 RUSH YDS | 2 RUSH TD | 0.4 AVG
3. Matt Corral | Ole Miss QB | Junior (RS) | Last week: 3
The early Saturday matchup between Ole Miss and Liberty was billed as a game with big implications for the 2022 NFL Draft, with Matt Corral and Malik Willis featured in the contest. Jerrion Ealy broke a long touchdown run to begin the game, and the Rebels defense had a great outing, but Corral did a nice job of running Lane Kiffin’s offense and taking care of the ball while tossing for 324 yards and a touchdown.
Season stats:
66.8% | 2,526 PASS YDS | 16 PASS TD | 2 INT
116 CAR | 538 RUSH YDS | 10 TD | 4.6 AVG
4. Kenny Pickett | Pitt QB | Senior (RS) | Last week: 5 (+1)
Senior quarterback Kenny Pickett continues to get slept on as a legitimate Heisman contender that could very well lead the pack by the end of the season. Pickett led 7-2 Pitt to a blowout win over Duke, and he threw for 416 yards and three touchdowns while adding 57 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Pickett has been putting up video-game-like numbers.
Season stats:
68.7% | 3,171 PASS YDS | 29 PASS TD | 3 INT
73 CAR | 234 RUSH YDS | 4 RUSH TD | 3.2 AVG
5. C.J. Stroud | Ohio State QB | Freshman (RS) | Last week: 4 (-1)
The two interceptions don’t look great on the stat sheet, but C.J. Stroud threw the ball 54 times and racked up 405 passing yards along with a couple of touchdowns in Ohio State’s 26-17 win over Nebraska. Stroud feels like he’s clearly behind the top four as of now, but the freshman has big games coming up on the schedule.
Season stats:
67.0% | 2,675 PASS YDS | 25 PASS TD | 5 INT