The deep and extremely early Heisman Trophy race includes Caleb Williams back atop our rankings.
1. Caleb Williams | USC QB | Junior | Last week: 2 (+1)
After a week at No. 2, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and preseason favorite Caleb Williams gets back to No. 1 following four total touchdowns (three passing, along with a 21-yard touchdown run) in USC’s 56-10 rout of Stanford. Williams is simply a rare player with a very real shot of becoming the second player in history to win two Heismans.
Season stats:
78.6% | 878 PASS YDS | 12 PASS TD
12 CAR | 61 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | 5.1 AVG
2. Shedeur Sanders | Colorado QB | Junior | Last week: 3 (+1)
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is throwing for monster yardage early this season, but he’s also been very efficient through two contests. As long as the Buffs keep winning games and rising in the polls, Sanders is going to be squarely in the mix for the Heisman Trophy.
Season stats:
77.5% | 903 PASS YDS | 6 PASS TD
16 CAR | -62 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | -3.9 AVG
3. Travis Hunter | Colorado WR/CB | Sophomore | Last week: 1 (-2)
Travis Hunter didn’t “flash” quite as much as he did in Week 1, but he still played a ton of snaps both ways and caught three passes for 73 yards in Colorado’s win versus Nebraska. We’ll see if the offense tries to get him the ball more in space this Saturday night when they host Colorado State.
Season stats:
14 REC | 192 REC YDS | 13.7 AVG
7 TKL | 2 PD | 1 INT
4. Michael Penix Jr. | Washington QB | Senior | Last week: 5 (+1)
Michael Penix Jr. is picking up where he left off for Washington last season, with over 400 passing yards in each of his first two games while the Huskies continue to roll. The former Indiana quarterback will face a familiar opponent when his team travels to East Lansing to face Michigan State this weekend.
Season stats:
73.1% | 859 PASS YDS | 8 PASS TD | 1 INT
4 CAR | 9 YDS | 2.3 AVG
5. Quinn Ewers | Texas QB | Sophomore (RS) | Last week: NR
Nothing fazed Quinn Ewers in Texas’ upset win over Alabama on Saturday night. Ewers threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns, showing off a great deep ball that allowed his weapons opportunities to make plays. The Longhorns are up to No. 4 in the AP poll, which is a major boost to Ewers’ early candidacy.
Season stats:
63.2% | 609 PASS YDS | 6 PASS TD
11 CAR | 23 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | 2.1 AVG
Dropped out:
Florida State QB Jordan Travis