Although the ceremony to crown the 87th Heisman trophy winner is months away, and there is plenty of football left to be played, here’s a group of players to look out for as the season unfolds:
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Hartman chose to don the blue and gold of the Fighting Irish this year after spending his last five years at Wake Forest. During his time in the ACC, Hartman averaged 22 touchdowns per year, including back-to-back years where he totaled 39 and 38 scores in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
The 6-foot-1-inch, 210 pound quarterback is entering his final year of eligibility and is currently ranked No. 6 in the country in QBR percentage. Hartman has led his team to a ninth place ranking in the AP Poll.
Strong showings against No. 6 Ohio State and No. 5 USC plus stellar performances against all other opponents could lead to Hartman raising the trophy come December.
JJ McCarthy, Michigan
The No. 2 team in the country is led by J.J. McCarthy, and so far he’s thrown for over 700 yards. Unlike Hartman, McCarthy has been on the Michigan squad for his entire collegiate career. During his sophomore year in 2022 with Big Blue, McCarthy totaled 22 touchdowns after taking over the job during the second week of the season.
All eyes are fixated on the final game of the regular season, when the Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes give college football fans a gift when they play on Christmas Day. Yet just two weeks prior, McCarthy and Michigan will travel to take on Penn State, who are currently ranked No. 7. Outside of those two games, Michigan faces no other ranked opponents.
Bo Nix, Oregon
The Oregon Ducks made waves earlier this year when they dominated over Portland State, 81-7. The one wearing number 10 for the Ducks and leading the offense is fifth-year quarterback Bo Nix. Nix spent his first three years in the SEC, but after transferring to Oregon in 2022, his production exploded. In 13 games, Nix totaled 29 touchdowns and 3,593 yards.
Nix has a much more difficult path to the Heisman trophy due to the Pac 12 being stacked with talented rosters throughout the conference. Out of their next nine games, the Ducks will face seven ranked opponents. To make the path even more difficult, their games against No. 11 Utah and No. 8 Washington will see the No. 10-ranked Ducks traveling to play these games.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Harrison Jr. will look to be the fourth non-QB to win the award in its history come Dec. 10. Since last year, Harrison has been projected as a first round draft pick in the NFL. In 2022, the Buckeyes receiver hauled in 77 catches for over 1,200 yards. The cherry on top for Harrison was scoring 14 touchdowns and being named an All-American athlete.
This year, Harrison will have to be in his prime during every game of the season to place himself among the top players in the country. Three ranked games during the regular season will need to see Harrison be a game changer and the reason the Buckeyes win those games if he plans on contending for the prize.
