Heisman Watch and National Players of the Week – Week 1

Heisman Watch

The Leaders:

1. Bryce Young, Alabama, Quarterback, Junior. He did everything he should have against a Utah State team that will make noise in the Mountain West race. Young’s chances of being only the second ever to win the Heisman twice are very strong after the first week of football in 2022. Young was 18 of 28 for 195 yards and five (yes, five) touchdowns. He ran the ball five times for 100 yards and another touchdown.
2. Stetson Bennett, Georgia, Quarterback, Senior.Bennett has played lights out since his playoff debut last year and he continued it against Oregon. He went 25 of 31 for 368 yards and two touchdowns and had eight yards rushing to go with another touchdown on the ground. Georgia looked every bit ready to defend its national title and Stetson Bennett looks to add some more hardware along the way this time.
3. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State, Quarterback, Junior.
   

   Stroud didn’t have the eye-popping numbers we’d gotten used to last year but he did just enough to win the game and that included making good decisions under pressure. He was 24 of 34 for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Stroud was facing a tough Notre Dame front seven and made some good throws under pressure including the go-ahead touchdown to Xavier Johnson late in the third quarter. Though down a spot from last week, Stroud is still in the thick of this race.
4. Caleb Williams, USC, Quarterback, Sophomore. Caleb Williams went 19 of 22 for 249 yards and two touchdowns with six carries and 68 yards on the ground. In a solid first game at USC against Rice. Williams jump the lists this week in part because of the games other contenders had, but USC and Williams are still in good shape to start 2022. 
5. Bijan Robinson, Texas, Running Back, Junior. Robinson had 13 touches for 111 yards and two touchdowns (three receptions, 40 yards, and a touchdown. Ten carries for 71 yards and a touchdown), in Texas’ opening win against ULM. Robinson is the favorite non-quarterback to win the Heisman at this point and he’ll have a huge chance to make his case against Alabama this weekend.

In the Race:

1. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA, Quarterback, Senior. DTR had a great season opener against Bowling Green to propel him into the Heisman Watch this week. He was 32 of 43 for 298 yards and two touchdowns and added seven carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Now he just needs to get UCLA fans in the Rose Bowl to watch him work. Thompson-Robinson has the experience to keep this kind of play going as his season goes on.
2. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, Quarterback, Senior. Hooker opened the season going 18 of 25 for 221 yards and two touchdowns with 12 yards on the ground and another two rushing touchdowns. He’s easily the best Vols signal caller since Josh Dobbs and has Tennessee fans the most hopeful since Dobbs too. Things will get tougher for Hooker but like DTR at UCLA he has lots of experience to help him out. 
3. Jaren Hall, BYU, Quarterback, Junior. Jaren Hall had a modest opening weekend for BYU in their dominating win over USF. Hall went 25 for 32 for 261 yards and two touchdowns, with an additional 15 yards rushing. His next game against Baylor will either keep him in the Heisman race and moving up, or fall out early. Being at BYU he’ll need the Cougars to stay perfect all year to have a real chance at any trophy, individual and team.
4. Will Anderson, Alabama, Linebacker, Junior. Will Anderson had what was a quiet day for him with five tackles and one tackle for a loss. Next week against Texas he’ll have a chance to make a statement against another Heisman hopeful in Bijan Robinson. Robinson and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will be aware of where Anderson is on every snap, but I doubt it’ll be enough to stop him.
5. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State, Running Back, Sophomore Henderson had only 15 carries but got 91 yards as the Buckeye ground game woke up with a vengeance late against Notre Dame. Henderson like his teammates Stroud and Smith-Njigba will need to get his numbers up on this star-studded defense as its schedule gets a little easier with Arkansas State.

Making Noise:

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State, Wide Receiver, Junior. I have him here because the injury isn’t his fault and the echoes of his Rose Bowl are still loud, but they are fading fast and one more game with this little production will officially kill his Heisman chances, as receivers are often behind the pack in the race, to begin with. UPDATE: With Jaxon Smith-Njigba expected to be out a couple of weeks nursing a hamstring injury, barring multiple record-breaking performances his Heisman chances are sadly virtually gone.
2. Anthony Richardson, Florida, Quarterback, Sophomore. Anthony Richardson had a great game in Florida’s upset win over 7th ranked Utah. Richardson was an efficient passer going 17 of 24 for 168 yards and no turnovers. He was lethal in the rushing game with 11 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns. The Billy Napier-Anthony Richardson Era couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the Gators.
3. Anthony Grant, Nebraska, Running Back, Junior. Anthony Grant is off to a great start for the Cornhuskers this season. He played well in their loss to Northwestern in Ireland and then played even better in their win over North Dakota. His consistency is looking to be a very reliable factor for what has been a very inconsistent program the last few years. Grant had 23 carries for 189 yards and two touchdowns in the Cornhuskers’ victory over North Dakota.
4. Garrett Shrader, Syracuse, Quarterback, Junior. Garrett Shrader probably had a huge game that you didn’t hear about in Week 1. The ‘Cuse started the season with a game against conference foe Louisville, with start quarterback Malik Cunningham, and Shrader outshined Cunningham. Shrader was 18 of 25 for 237 yards and two touchdowns with 16 carries and 95 yards and a touchdown in the running game to get the season started right for the Orange.
5. Will Rogers, Mississippi State, Quarterback, Junior. Rogers went 38 of 49 for 450 yards and five touchdowns. Even in Mike Leach’s air-raid offense, those are high numbers, and Memphis is not a pushover program. If Rogers can sustain this it’ll make the SEC West just that much more of a lethal division in which any misstep may spell a loss.

National Players of the Week

National Player of the Week:

Stetson Bennett, Georgia, Quarterback, Senior.

I already talked about Stetson Bennett’s great stats but think of this one, on seven straight drives the Georgia offense scored seven straight touchdowns. Last year Georgia rode their epic defense to a title. Give them an offense that can go toe to toe with anyone and they’re an even better team than last year, and that’s scary for the entire country.

National Offensive Player of the Week:

Bryce Young, Alabama, Quarterback, Junior.

Bryce Young too was already mentioned but just think about how crazy accounting for six touchdowns is. Then think about doing that in a game that you don’t play all 60 minutes of. Now think about the fact that Utah State is not a pushover program. They’re defending Mountain West Champions, and better than most years out of conference tests for Bama. Young will continue to get to showcase his skills every week against increasingly better opponents.

National Defensive Player of the Week:

Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State, Linebacker, Senior.

Tommy Eichenberg was already my Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, but he’s the national one too. With Nine tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for a loss, in a top-5 matchup, he takes it for Week 1. Not only was Eichenberg the best defender on the field in the game between the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish but he was a standout from a defense that play poorly last season and looks to have made a giant u-turn this season. I could be wrong, and will admit it if I am, but I think this pick will look better as the season goes on.

National Special Teams’ Player of the Week:

Derius Davis, TCU, Wide Receiver/Kick Returner, Senior.

Derius Davis was a human Swiss army knife in TCU’s season opener on the road against Colorado. Davis had six touches for 124 yards and two touchdowns including a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown which is why he’s being recognized in the special teams’ category. ( One rush for 27 yards and a touchdown, two catches for 25 yards, and three punt returns for 72 yards and a touchdown).

Honorable Mention of the Week:

Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State, Quarterback, Senior.

Sanders was 28 of 41 for 409 yards and four touchdowns through the air and 11 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. In the defending Fiesta Bowl Champions season opener.

Tanner Mordecai, SMU, Quarterback, Senior. Mordecai went 23 of 32 for 432 yards and four touchdowns. That is a banner day no matter the opponent you put those numbers up on.

 K.J. Jefferson, Arkansas, Quarterback, Junior. K.J. Jefferson went 18 of 26 for 223 yards and three touchdowns along with 18 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown, and against a top 25 team that was in the playoffs a year ago. Jefferson took the best a solid Bearcats team could throw at him, and led his team to a victory.

 Drake Maye, North Carolina, Quarterback, Freshman. Drake Maye went 24 of 36 for 352 yards and four touchdowns as well as 12 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. The freshman is off to a great start in replacing Sam Howell and no team starting a new quarterback could be happier with their guy than the Tar Heels.

 Jacob Cowing, Arizona, Wide Receiver, Junior. Cowing had eight catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ win over San Diego State. After going 1-16 in their last two seasons it looked like a new Wildcats squad. They beat a usually very stout San Diego State team and Cowing’s three touchdown catches were a huge reason behind the Wildcats’ road victory.