CFB: Top 10 Heisman Trophy Candidates for 2021

With the 2021 college football season commencing in 82 days, it’s time to start breaking down my top ten Heisman Trophy candidates and which players have the best chance at winning the award. Since the year 2000, 17 out of 20 winners have been quarterbacks and I expect this trend to continue in the 2021 college football season. With that being said, this list is composed mainly of quarterbacks with a couple of running backs in the mix.

10. Bijan Robinson - Texas, Running Back

Bijan Robinson is set to have a breakout year in 2021 as new head coach Steve Sarkisian will look to have him involved in the offense. Sarkisian has a reputation for getting his best players touches in an explosive offense as we saw at Alabama. In 2020, Sarkisian gave Najee Harris 294 total touches accumulating about 1900 total yards and 30 total touchdowns. While ex-Alabama running back Keilan Robinson just transferred to Texas, Bijan Robinson will still see the majority of touches as he averaged almost 9 yards an attempt in 2020. With Sarkisian’s history and Bijan Robinson’s frame of 6 feet 222 pounds, success is determined to happen in 2021.

9. Breece Hall - Iowa State, Running Back

Simply put, Breece Hall is one of the most talented players in the nation and the most talented at his position in the country. Having one more year under his belt compared to Bijan Robinson, experience is on his side. In 2020, Hall had 93 more carries than he did as a freshman in 2019 and I see no reason for that number to decrease in 2021 barring injury. Hall had almost 1600 rushing yards and he scored 23 total touchdowns in 2020. After having a season full of accolades, including being a first-team All-American, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and a Top 6 Heisman candidate, Hall looks to finally capture the trophy in 2021.

8. C.J. Stroud - Ohio State, Quarterback

C.J. Stroud is the most unique candidate to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy on this list. He has the potential to surprise the field as he lies a bit under the radar due to inexperience as he is one of two quarterbacks on this list that have yet to start a game. Any Ohio State quarterback is a threat in this race due to the explosive offense and receiving power they possess, with arguably two of the Top 5 receivers in the nation returning in Chirs Olave and Garrett Wilson. Coach Ryan Day has yet to announce the starting quarterback for the 2021 season as the race is between three quarterbacks, however, the belief in Columbus is that Stroud will get the starting job. Stroud displayed his skill in 2020 when he broke out for a 48-yard touchdown run versus Michigan State.

7. Desmond Ridder - Cincinnati, Quarterback

Sitting at No. 7 due to his experience and success at the collegiate level is Desmond Ridder. The Cincinnati quarterback is one of the most accomplished yet underrated quarterbacks in the landscape of college football and I believe this is due to the lack of respect that non-power five schools get. Returning to school for his senior year and coming off a heartbreaking loss in the 2021 Peach Bowl, Ridder is out to make noise for not only his school but himself nationally as he wants to display his abilities one more time. Ridder has led the Bearcats to a 31-5 record over the past 3 years and is coming off a season where he threw 19 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

6. D’Eriq King - Miami, Quarterback

The University of Miami might officially be back with the stud quarterback play that they will have this upcoming football season with D’Eriq King under center. King returns to Miami after tearing his ACL in the Cheez-It Bowl and this will be his 6th year playing college football. King has never played in the same offensive system for two years in a row so this is great reasoning for why King will have an explosive year. King’s dual-threat ability allows him to make plays with his legs and arms scrambling out of the pocket. Miami’s entire offensive line is returning for the 2021 campaign which should allow King to improve his numbers from the 2020 season of 23 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He will have something to prove this year to pro scouts and myself as his knee injury could have an impact putting him at number 6 on the list.

5. Kedon Slovis - USC, Quarterback

Kedon Slovis has one of the toughest jobs in the entire country: being the starting quarterback for the USC Trojans. He has a lot of pressure on his back with being one of the top NFL prospects and trying to bring back greatness to a somewhat dying program. But with pressure comes opportunity and Slovis’ talent is nothing short of amazing as he has great accuracy and touch on the football. Slovis has the highest passer grade on throws that took three seconds after the snap to pass which is higher than any other quarterback. USC has three offensive starters on the offensive line returning however they lose Alijah Vera-Tucker who was Slovis’ main pass protector. After only playing 6 games in the 2020 season due to the pandemic, Slovis will look to get back to his freshman year numbers and throw over 30 touchdowns.

4. Bryce Young - Alabama, Quarterback

One thing that I have tried to keep consistent on this list is experience as it truly matters but for Bryce Young, the situation is different when you are the starting quarterback of the reigning national champions. Stroud and Young are very comparable in the experience department but the difference is Young is already slated to get the gig while Stroud is still battling it out. While he saw very little action in the 2020 season with Mac Jones running the offense in Tuscaloosa, Young was a five-star quarterback coming out of high school and the number one quarterback in the nation as a recruit. With Steve Sarkisian leaving and Bill O’Brien taking over, there will be a new offense he has to learn but there is a new crop of players ready to take over. With the departure of Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, new skilled players will emerge such as John Metchie III and Jameson Williams, who transferred from Ohio State and runs one of the best go routes in college. Bryce Young is set to lead the tide to yet another title defense.

3. Sam Howell - UNC, Quarterback

At third on the list is Sam Howell, quarterback for the Tar Heels. Coming up on his third year in the program, Howell and Mac Brown are steadily increasing the status of the football program at UNC. Being one of the top prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft, Howell has outstanding numbers as he has thrown for 68 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his career. It is not just that his numbers are Heisman-worthy but he is timely. Howell is the most impactful quarterback in college football as he has led college football with 19 touchdowns in the 4th quarter and he looks to continue this trend in 2021.

2. D.J. Uiagalelei - Clemson, Quarterback

You might wonder why Uiagalelei is second on the list when he has not been a starter for a full year like some of the others on this list. Uiagalelei has come in and proven to the national and the Clemson faithful that he is more than capable of running the offense in Death Valley. In his two starts when Trevor Lawrence had COVID-19, he put up similar numbers to the reigning number 1 overall pick. In two games he has a completion percentage of 69.55% on 85 attempts resulting in 4 touchdowns and almost 800 yards. Uiagalelei is ready to take the reins from Trevor Lawrence and prove to the world that he can be as successful as his predecessor.

1. Spencer Rattler - Oklahoma, Quarterback

My Heisman Trophy preseason favorite is the Oklahoma quarterback, Spencer Rattler. Out of everybody on this list, Rattler possesses the dual-threat skills that the voters enjoy. He is quick twitch and can explode for big plays, both with his feet and arms similar to past winners like Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray. Coming off a season where he played 11 games and was the starter, Rattler threw 28 touchdowns and ran for 6 more. Coming off a season where he was named national freshman of the year by CBS Sports he is ready to take the Sooners back to the College Football Playoff which they missed in 2020. Rattler is ready to take his game to new heights and prove to the nation that he can continue Oklahoma’s trend of Heisman trophy success in recent years.

Spencer Rattler Accolades: https://soonersports.com/sports/football/roster/spencer-rattler/14679

Sam Howell Stats: https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina/Article/Sam-Howell-Heisman-Odds-UNC-Football-158534232/

Kedon Slovis Stats: https://247sports.com/college/usc/Article/LOOK-USC-QB-Kedon-Slovis-early-2021-Heisman-odds--158643620/

Stats: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/