Unlike last season, this year’s Heisman Trophy finalists have pretty much been picked all season.
Remember last year when we had one group in the first half of the season, then injuries and a bad game here or there shuffled the deck and in the end, Caleb Williams seemed to be the last man standing?
Not this time around. The four finalists have been outstanding all season. About the only thing separating them was wins and losses, and even that might not affect who wins in the end.
| Player | Odds to win (BetMGM) |
| Jayden Daniels | -1400 |
| Michael Penix Jr. | +900 |
| Bo Nix | +2200 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. | +20000. |
Let’s look at the four 2023 finalists and pick a winner.
Related: Heisman winners through the years
Jayden Daniels, LSU, quarterback
If Jayden Daniels can win the Heisman Trophy, he will do so despite not giving voters something to chew on after conference championship weekend.
With LSU sitting out the SEC championship game, Daniels had to watch the other candidates do their thing in the extra game, one that has been vital for recent winners.
No matter. Daniels has been the best player on the field in several of LSU’s games this season, especially against Florida when he threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
Those are video game numbers.
Here are other notable stats from Daniels:
- First nationally in total yards per game 412.2
- Tied for first for passing TD 40
- First in total TD 50
- First in passing efficiency 208.8
Michael Penix, Washington, quarterback
Michael Penix might be, along with Southern California’s Caleb Williams, the best pure passer in college football.
Penix has confidence in the pocket, makes good decisions and led the Huskies to a College Football Playoff.
If nothing else, look at what he did in the two games against Oregon: 49-of-76 for 621 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. The Huskies won both games as bookies and experts almost across the board pegged Oregon as the better team.
Here are other notable stats from Penix:
- A 66% completion
- First in Pac-12 with 4,218 passing yards
- First in Pac-12 in passing attempts
- First in Pac-12 in passing completions
- Had 33 passing touchdowns
Bo Nix, Oregon, quarterback
Probably more than any other quarterback coming out, Bo Nix has the look of an NFL player. He’s a pocket passer with good footwork and a sneaky good athlete.
He got the Ducks back into the national conversation this year.
The downside is (see above), that he and Oregon went up against Michael Penix, who was outstanding in the two meetings.
Nix completed 77.2% of his passes, which is off-the-charts good. He and Jayden Daniels threw for the most touchdowns and he had a passer rating of 186.2.
Here are other notable stats from Nix:
- Tied for first national with 40 passing touchdowns
- Had a 77% completion percentage
- Was first nationally with 46 touchdowns responsible for
- Had 3 interceptions in 13 games
Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State, wide receiver
Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A non-quarterback crashes the party! Marvin Harrison is the next in a long line of Ohio State receivers, but he might be the best of the bunch.
He accounted for 58.3% of the Buckeyes’ touchdown passes this season and was the only receiver to get more than 100 yards receiving against Michigan.
He is the first player in OSU history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and he had a school-record eight 100-yard receiving games this season.
If Harrison decides to leave Ohio State and enter the NFL draft, he will be a Top 5 pick and there could be more than one team willing to trade up to get him.
Here are other notable stats from Harrison
- Had 67 receptions, 1,211 yards, 14 touchdowns
- Ranked first in Big Ten with 1,211 receiving yards
- Ranked first in Big Ten with 18.1 yards per catch
- Ranked first in Big Ten with 14 touchdown receptions
Who wins the 2023 Heisman Trophy?
This one seems to be pretty easy, so we’ll go with Daniels. He’s a great passer and elite rusher. He’s the best overall player in college football and should win by a convincing margin.
But who finishes second? You would think Penix, but since he and Nix are both West Coast players, Harrison could sneak in there by getting most of the votes from the Midwest.