The Final College Football Heisman Trophy Watchlist

December 5, 2023

Justin's NCAA college football top Heisman Trophy contenders after the 2023 season. Top candidates include Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr.

The college football season is over and the Heisman finalists are set. Four players will be on their way to New York as finalists for this season's award: Jayden Daniels (QB, LSU), Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State), Bo Nix (QB, Oregon), and Michael Penix Jr. (QB, Washington).

The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious trophy in college football. Players like Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, and Derrick Henry have won the award in recent years, while some of the greatest names in the history of the sport have won it as well, including Barry Sanders and Earl Campbell.

Below is the ranking of the top four Heisman contenders ahead of the official reveal of the winner. Plus, I've got some thoughts on players who had good years but missed out on a finalist spot.

Honorable Mentions

None of these players will win the Heisman Trophy, but their strong seasons deserve to be mentioned.

Jordan Travis - QB, Florida State

Look -- Jordan Travis didn't have the numbers to win the Heisman this year. He completed 63.9% of his passes for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns, which is good, but it's not Heisman good.

Still, Travis won games. He helped propel Florida State to an undefeated season. If he hadn't gotten injured against North Alabama, he might well have been a finalist, but he missed Florida State's final two games. With a healthy Travis, FSU probably makes the College Football Playoff, but without their star QB, the undefeated Seminoles were left out of the picture.

Ollie Gordon II - RB, Oklahoma State

Despite not being Oklahoma State's lead back until the team's fourth game, running back Ollie Gordon II had a huge year, helping the Cowboys make it all the way to the Big 12 Championship Game. Texas shut Gordon down in that game, holding him to just 34 yards.

Overall, Gordon's 1,614 rushing yards lead the FBS, just as his 1,940 scrimmage yards lead it as well. The last running back to win the Heisman was Derrick Henry in 2015, but keep an eye out for Gordon in 2024.

J.J. McCarthy - QB, Michigan

J.J. McCarthy's Heisman case is a lot like Jordan Travis' case in that he was the quarterback for an undefeated team. The numbers just weren't there though, as McCarthy threw 19 touchdowns and four picks over the course of 2023. He really saw his numbers drop off at the end of the year, failing to throw a touchdown pass in four of the team's final five games.

McCarthy's chance of being a finalist suffers in large part because he just wasn't his team's best offensive player. That was running back Blake Corum, who could have wound up on this list as well.

4. Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, Ohio State

Marvin Harrison Jr. had a great season, catching 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns and also adding two carries for 26 yards and a score. In the loss to Michigan that kept OSU out of the Big Ten title game, Harrison caught five passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. It was the eighth game in a row that Harrison found the end zone.

It was a great year for Harrison, who led the Big Ten in receiving yards, yards per reception, and receiving touchdowns. You could make a good argument that he was the best offensive player in the country, but for Harrison to actually win the award, he probably needed to help OSU get to the College Football Playoff. It's just so hard to beat the best quarterbacks.

3. Bo Nix - QB, Oregon

Bo Nix came into the Pac-12 Championship Game with one of the best track records in the country. He'd completed 72% or more of his pass attempts in every single game.

Then came the team's rematch with Washington. Nix's Ducks had already lost once to Washington and he pretty much needed to get the win in the rematch. He didn't. Nix completed a season-low 61.8% of his pass attempts in the game with a season-low 239 passing yards.

Nix finishes the season as the FBS leader in completions, completion percentage, and passing touchdowns. It was a great year for the former Auburn QB, but he comes up just short.

2. Michael Penix Jr. - QB, Washington

Now that we've got the two players who won't win out of the way, let's talk about the two who've got a real shot at this year's Heisman, starting with my projected runner-up, Michael Penix Jr.

Penix led the Huskies to an undefeated season, including two wins over Oregon. He completed 65.9% of his pass attempts for 4,218 yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also found the end zone three times on the ground.

It was a great year for Penix, and a vote for him to win the Heisman would make sense. Among the undefeated teams in FBS this year, Penix was the best player. It would take a monumental performance by someone else to deny him the Heisman. The issue is that we had that monumental performance.

1. Jayden Daniels - QB, LSU

Look, there might be some people who dismiss Daniels because he didn't have a true "Heisman moment" this season, but when you think of it...did anyone?

Sure, LSU lost three games, but Jayden Daniels just put up the most impressive numbers of anyone in college football this season. He completed 72.2% of his passes for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 scores. He led the FBS in passing yards and passing yards per attempt. He tied Bo Nix for the lead in passing touchdowns. On the ground, he led the FBS in rushing yards per attempt and was second in the SEC in rushing yards despite being a quarterback.

Daniels did what it took this year to win the Heisman, dominating through the air and on the ground on his way to likely winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy.

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