This year’s Heisman Trophy race is all about the quarterback position. After a month of play, the top ten candidates, according to the Heisman Trophy odds at online college football sportsbooks, are taken up entirely by QBs.
2023 Heisman Trophy Odds
- Michael Penix Jr. +400
- Quinn Ewers +500
- Bo Nix +800
- Jordan Travis +1100
- Sam Hartman +1600
- Jayden Daniels +1800
- Dillon Gabriel +2500
- Kyle McCord +2800
- Cameron Ward +3300
- Carson Beck +3300
Let’s take a moment to examine where each of the top Heisman contenders stands in regard to statistical totals thus far this season.
2023 Michael Penix, Jr. Stats
- 138 passing attempts
- 103 Completions
- 74.6 Completion Percentage
- 1,636 Yards Passing
- 16 Touchdowns
- 2 Interceptions
Penix is the starting quarterback for the Pac-12’s Washington Huskies. He has led them to a 4-0 start with a 1-0 conference record. Their next big test will be on October 14th, when they face the 9th-ranked Oregon Ducks on the road.
The Ducks just handed a beatdown to the then-18th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes by a final score of 42-6. The loss removed Buffaloes’ quarterback Shedeur Sanders from the top 5 ranks in the 2023 Heisman odds.
Will Penix, Jr. suffer the same fate as Sanders? Possibly, as Oregon appears to be a legitimate contender for the playoffs, and that is backed up by their current odds for betting on the CFP. Penix has one more week to pad his stats against the Arizona Wildcats before facing Oregon.
2023 Quinn Ewers Stats
- 112 Passing Attempts
- 72 Completions
- 64.3 Completion Percentage
- 1,033 Yards Passing
- 9 Touchdowns Passing
- 0 Interceptions
- 34 Yards Rushing
- 3 Touchdowns Rushing
Texas Longhorns’ QB Quinn Ewers is getting things done in the air and on the ground this season. TX is currently 4-0 and hoping to win the Big 12 in 2023, their final year before departing the conference to join the SEC.
Ewers and the Longhorns have two big games lined up over the next two weekends against the Kansas Jayhawks and Oklahoma Sooners. Both teams are undefeated, so expect Ewers to leapfrog a player or two in the above list if the Longhorns win both games.
2023 Bo Nix Stats
- 131 Passing Attempts
- 104 Completions
- 79.4 Completion Percentage
- 1,169 Yards Passing
- 11 Touchdowns Passing
- 1 Interception
- 1 Rushing Touchdown
The Ducks can now set their sights on capturing what could be the final Pac-12 title of all time now that they’ve dispatched the Buffaloes. However, Nix and Oregon must run a gauntlet in October, as they are scheduled to face the 7th-ranked Washington Huskies, the 16th-ranked Washington State Cougars, and then the number 10 Utah Utes in consecutive weeks.
A solid performance backed up by a win in all three of those October contests could place Nix as the front-runner for the Heisman entering November.
2023 Jordan Travis Stats
- 121 Passing Attempts
- 74 Completions
- 61.2 Completion Percentage
- 1,028 Yards Passing
- 10 Touchdowns Passing
- 1 Interception
- 94 Yards Rushing
- 2 Rushing Touchdown
The Florida State Seminoles are officially back after beating the Clemson Tigers in Death Valley last weekend. FSU had lost the prior 7 games against Clemson and is now in a great position to win the ACC and potentially compete for a CFP National Championship.
The Seminoles have a relatively easy schedule for the remainder of the year, with their biggest games coming against the Duke Blue Devils, Miami Hurricanes, and Florida Gators.
QB Jordan Travis didn’t have his best outing against Clemson from a statistical perspective, but their top 5 ranking and strength of schedule going forth will serve to showcase his talents to Heisman voters for the next several weeks.