Two 1,000 yard seasons have never been achieved for a Ohio State team full of culture, but Marvin Harrison Jr. changed that, leaving him at the top of our Heisman leaderboard
The Heisman Trophy race might come down to a four man race, with three quarterbacks and one receiver. The odds have changed since last week, Marvin Harrison Jr. has skyrocketed himself into pole position. Wide receivers don’t win the award often, excluding DeVonta Smith in 2020, but this could be a special year, especially with the number Marvin Harrison has been putting up.
Jayden Daniels also burst onto the spotlight with 606 total yards Saturday against Florida on both the ground and in the air. Daniels entered the year with +1800 odds to win the Heisman, but now with a performance like that against a formidable SEC opponent, he could be in it to win it.
Michael Penix Jr. | Washington
Michael Penix Jr. still remains the top dog (no pun intended) amongst the Heisman race. With a hard-fought and impressive performance against Oregon bolstering his resume, the senior transfer from Indiana has been slinging the ball well. While he didn’t have his true best game against Utah, the Huskies still pulled out a gutsy 35-28 win in a tough Pac-12.
Penix went 24 of 42 while throwing for 332 yards and two touchdowns but accounting for three with a rushing touchdown as well. That’s enough to cement his place on the list at least for another week. He’s totaled over 300 yards passing and three touchdowns for 80% of his games this season, an impressive number considering how consistent Penix has been.
Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State
A Saturday night beatdown of Minnesota might not have been Harrison Jr.’s best game. But blame that on the gameplan rather than his play. 3 catches for 30 yards might not have been gamebreaking, but his one touchdown and a 10.0 yard per catch average maintains a wildly efficient masterclass of a year from Harrison Jr.
The last wide receiver to win the Heisman was DeVonta Smith in 2020, who’s now with the Eagles. Marvin Harrison, in our opinion has much more talent, and putting on a better show than Smith ever did. With 59 catches for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns, Harrison Jr. is the clear Heisman candidate for the receivers, if not a surefire Biletnikoff Trophy winner.
Jayden Daniels | Louisiana State
Jayden Daniels ended up on this list after his insane performance against Florida where he accounted for 606 total yards and five touchdowns on the stat sheet. He seems like the do-it-all type quarterback, getting it done with both his legs and his feet. An impressive arm with a LSU team that has been finding its footing in the past weeks have launched him to the top of the Heisman Trophy race nearly instantaneously.
Daniels became the first quarterback in FBS history to total at least 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a game.
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan
McCarthy may have had a down game against a solid Maryland team to get the Michigan Wolverines’ 1,000th win, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is the leader of one of the best Wolverine teams to grace the field in over three decades. 12/23 with one interception dropped him down to four on the list, but that shouldn’t discredit a solid season despite all sorts of negative external factors.
No Jim Harbaugh, that doesn’t matter– McCarthy has won all his games, and with a keen eye on Ohio State next week, that should be the true measuring stick for the Heisman Trophy race.
