On Monday, the Heisman Trophy finalists were announced: Stetson Bennett of Georgia, Caleb Williams of USC, Max Duggan of TCU, and C.J. Stroud of Ohio State.
The four quarterbacks, who will attend the Heisman ceremony on Saturday in New York, will be playing for four of the top 10 teams this season, including three teams that will compete in the College Football Playoff.
Despite the fact that the Trojans were eliminated from the College Football Playoff following their loss to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game on Friday, USC’s Williams is the odds-on favorite (-2500) to win the award. After the Trojans hired Lincoln Riley, the sophomore from Oklahoma transferred to USC. This season, he passed for more than 4,000 yards and scored 37 touchdowns, which is tied for the most in the country.
TCU’s undefeated regular season was led by Duggan, who threw for 3,321 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. The Iowa senior will lead the Horned Frogs in their Fiesta Bowl matchup with Michigan, where the winner will advance to the national championship game.
The other two Heisman finalists, Bennett and Stroud, will compete against one another in the Peach Bowl semifinal.
After leading the Bulldogs to a national championship and throwing for 3,425 yards and 20 touchdowns in his second outing, Bennett returned to Georgia for his senior season.
Stroud finished fourth last season and qualified for the Heisman Trophy. Stroud threw for 3,340 yards and 37 touchdowns this season, which was tied with Williams for the most in the nation.
Since 2000, quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 18 times and winning five of the last six times. DeVonta Smith of Alabama became the first wide receiver since Desmond Howard in 1991 to win the Heisman Trophy in 2020.
Bryce Young of Alabama became the first Tide quarterback to win the award last season. Young was not nominated despite throwing for 27,007 yards and 27 touchdowns this season.
On Saturday, the Heisman Trophy will be awarded in New York (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
