Our Heisman Trophy ballot: Caleb Williams, Max Duggan and Bryce Young
When I sat down Monday morning to compile and submit my Heisman Trophy ballot, USC quarterback Caleb Williams was an easy No. 1 choice. My research into the final two spots, however, led me to a decision I didn’t expect and one my fellow voters disagreed with.
We’ll start with Williams, who lived up to the immense offseason buzz he received when he followed coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC. His 37 touchdown passes were tied for the most in the country. He also ranked in the top six in passing efficiency (167.94), passing yards (4,075) and yards per attempt (9.1), and only 30 players in the nation had more rushing touchdowns than Williams (10).
I generally do not factor team success into my decision, but the way USC struggled after he got hurt in the Pac-12 title game was another sign of his excellence. The Trojans would not have been close to the College Football Playoff without him.
I did not care that he played games with an expletive written on his nails. The voting criteria says the award goes to the most outstanding player in the country. It does not mention character, so I do not consider anything other than onfield results.
I wrote down 14 other names for the final two spots on my ballot. The list included Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (a Tampa Bay Tech alumnus). I settled on TCU’s Max Duggan and Alabama’s Bryce Young.
Duggan’s fourth-quarter performance in the Big 12 championship was one of the gutsiest I can remember. He was bleeding and on fumes when he willed himself to score the touchdown and two-point conversion that forced overtime, and he came within inches of a touchdown in OT, too.
Though recency bias didn’t hurt his case, Duggan earned the No. 2 spot on my ballot all season. He was ranked in the top 12 nationally in touchdown passes (30), passing efficiency (165.48) and yards per attempt (9.0) while only throwing four interceptions. He also had a pair of 100-yard rushing games.
Duggan, notably, put up those numbers with a supporting cast that’s good but not elite. It was the same thing for Young.
By Alabama standards, the Crimson Tide’s skill players were unimpressive. They struggled to get open downfield and made too many mistakes. They had nothing close to a DeVonta Smith or Jerry Jeudy or Jameson Williams.
Young, then, had to do almost everything by himself. And he did. His numbers are fine: 3,007 yards, 27 touchdown passes and a 156.46 passing efficiency. But his performance was much better than fine. He consistently spun out of sacks and somehow turned negative plays into positive ones.
Two other contenders on my list, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and receiver Jalin Hyatt, put up enormous numbers in their mid-October win over Alabama. But Young was the best player on the field. I watched the second half of that nail-biter in the press box at Doak Campbell Stadium before an FSU game, and a colleague compared Young’s Houdini-like escapes to Seminoles legend Charlie Ward.
I understand why Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett were both finalists, even though they weren’t on my ballot. I expected Stroud to be in my top three, but his rushing numbers (74 yards all season) were a drawback, as were his two interceptions against Michigan. It’s not his fault that his receiving corps was excellent, but it boosted his numbers.
Though I considered Bennett and acknowledge the phenomenal growth he made over his career, I don’t think he was the best player on his team. That was either defensive lineman Jalen Carter or tight end Brock Bowers (two other names on my list).
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