With so much exciting talent in college football, the very early 2022 Heisman Trophy race is off to a strong start. Early, you have to strike a bit of a balance between preseason outlooks and on-field performance for the rankings, but a couple of SEC quarterbacks already join the top five after Week 1.
1. Bryce Young | Alabama QB | Junior | Last week: 1
Bryce Young threw five touchdowns and added another 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground, starting his Heisman repeat candidacy off in excellent fashion. This moment with Nick Saban was hilarious, but it also shows that Young is comfortable, having fun, and listens to coaching:
Bryce Young went from celly to Saban real quick 😂 pic.twitter.com/Ve3Z9dZOM0
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 4, 2022
Season stats:
64.3% | 195 PASS YDS | 5 PASS TD
5 CAR | 100 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | 20.0 AVG
2. Stetson Bennett | Georgia QB | Senior (RS) | Last week: NR
Stetson Bennett is also very comfortable, and you can tell that he knows he’s “the guy” leading Georgia’s offense right now. The dual threat quarterback went 25/31 for 368 yards and two touchdowns, adding another touchdown rushing. Don’t be deceived by appearances, the relatively undersized quarterback could be a legit Heisman contender in 2022.
Season stats:
80.6% | 386 PASS YDS | 2 PASS TD
2 CAR | 8 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | 4.0 AVG
3. Anthony Richardson | Florida QB | Sophomore (RS) | Last week: NR
What a fake by #Gators QB Anthony Richardson on this two-point play. @GVOaant pic.twitter.com/Ceiz2lXPpE
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) September 4, 2022
This was just one of several amazing things Anthony Richardson (274 total yards, three rushing touchdowns) did on Saturday night in a win over top-ten Utah. The electricity Richardson brings will naturally be a factor in making him a Heisman candidate, especially if the Gators have a great season.
Season stats:
70.8% | 168 PASS YDS
11 CAR | 106 RUSH YDS | 3 RUSH TD | 9.6 AVG
4. Bijan Robinson | Texas RB | Junior | Last week: 5 (+1)
The rushing/receiving ability of Bijan Robinson was discussed last week, and he promptly scored once as a runner and once as a receiver to open 2022. The Texas running back is going to average many yards per touch this year.
Season stats:
10 CAR | 71 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | 7.1 AVG
3 REC | 40 REC YDS | 1 REC TD | 13.3 AVG
5. C.J. Stroud | Ohio State QB | Sophomore (RS) | Last week: 2 (-3)
Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing (8/152/3) is among the top Week 1 performers that could have been included in the top five, but C.J. Stroud stays in the top five after a solid performance of 223 yards and two touchdowns in a top-five matchup against Notre Dame.
Season stats:
70.6% | 223 PASS YDS | 2 PASS TD
3 CAR | 1 RUSH YDS | 0.3 AVG
Dropped out:
Alabama OLB Will Anderson
USC QB Caleb Williams