The Heisman Trophy has been school soccer’s most prestigious award since University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger was awarded the primary stiff-armed prototype in 1935. Since then, Chicago has dumped its soccer program and the award has morphed right into a Quarterback of the Year award. That laziness has led Heisman voters to thoroughly ignore standouts at different positions.
There’s no higher instance of that hyperfocus on the quarterback place than the 2022 crop of Heisman finalists that includes Caleb Williams, Max Duggan, CJ Stroud and, uhhh… Stetson Bennett? Caleb Williams, the deserving winner, was tossed out of the College Football Playoff line proper mere hours earlier than he was set to realize entry. Yet it felt like USC was all the time on the peripherals this season whereas many of the nation fixated on Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.
Stroud backpedaled into the playoff after his worst outing of the season, nevertheless it’s laborious to knock him down too far for getting humbled by No. 2 Michigan at residence in The Big Game and throwing a pair of interceptions for under the second time in his profession as a starter. However, Ohio State manufactures sign callers who submit Heisman-worthy numbers as typically as Apple releases a brand new iPhone. He’s additionally thrown to probably the most stacked receiver room within the nation for 2 years. Last yr, two Ohio State WRs (and one switch) have been drafted with the tenth, Eleventh and twelfth picks. None of these three have been even their studying receiver.
Sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba put cornerbacks in a pretzel throughout his sophomore marketing campaign, however performed solely three video games this season. In his absence, Marvin Harrison Jr. set himself as much as be the primary receiver taken within the 2024 Draft. Smith-Njigba and Emegba Egbuka grew to become the second-pair of Ohio State receivers to eclipse 1,000 yards whereas a two-time Mr. Pennsylvania Football needed to get in the place he might slot in.
TCU’s Max Duggan created probably the most memorable Heisman second over the weekend when he rumbled downfield on down after down for what felt like a 120-yard drive to drive additional time within the Big 12 Championship Game. The nation knew he had particular arm expertise as evidenced by his 30:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. However, on his game-tying drive in opposition to Kansas State, Duggan scrambled for 95 yards, then rumbled into the endzone on the 2-point conversion.
The inclusion of Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett ought to increase eyebrows. Simply put, his Heisman resume is weak. Bennett has develop into the closest factor to an SEC “Rudy” story by matriculating from undersized UGA walk-on in 2017 to Jones County Community College starter, again to Georgia after rising two inches, waited out Jake Fromm, solely earned begins through the 2020 COVID season when Vanderbilt switch Jamie Newman opted out, then beat out 5-star JT Daniels early in 2021.
After snatching the beginning job from Daniels, Bennett had a greater likelihood of getting a Heisman second within the classroom than on the sector. Instead, he managed the fourth-best quarterback score within the nation however was hardly ever requested to win a recreation.
Aside from his administration of the offense in UGA’s comeback victory over Missouri, Bennett has been requested to do lower than he did throughout Georgia’s 2021 championship run. Even after tossing 4 touchdowns of their SEC Championship Game rout of LSU, Bennett has nonetheless thrown for a meager 20 touchdowns in 13 begins. Reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young wasn’t even invited again with manufacturing that dwarfed these for a two-loss Alabama staff that got here two scores away from an undefeated season. During a comeback on the highway at Texas, Young channeled his inner-Mahomes to make one of the vital astonishing escapes of the season.
On the opposite hand, Georgia wasn’t reliant on Bennett’s arm to energy the nation’s Eleventh-ranked scoring offense. He flashed shocking wheels, scoring six speeding touchdowns, however UGA was photo voltaic powered by a protection that destroyed the morale of their opposition. Bennett’s duties have been to keep away from turnovers or psychological errors, toss shovel passes to his tight finish Brock Bowers or to gadget receiver Ladd McConkey.
Not lengthy after the daybreak of the ahead cross period, Davey O’Brien grew to become the primary quarterback to win a Heisman in 1938 after throwing 19 touchdowns in 10 video games. The final time a Heisman quarterback finalist fewer than 25 touchdowns was in 2001 when Eric Crouch shattered the NCAA document for profession touchdowns by a quarterback en path to speeding for 18 touchdowns in Nebraska’s triple choice scheme whereas tallying over 1,100 yards on the bottom. Bennett is a throwback to the times when quarterbacks received actual jobs after school to complement their NFL facet jobs.
It’s a travesty that Heisman voters are too fixated on the anointed protagonist for each playoff staff to contemplate a supporting character extra deserving of the Heisman honor. For the second yr in a row, Georgia’s finest participant is on their line of defense. Bulldogs defensive deal with Jalen Carter made the defining play of final week’s SEC Championship Game when he swiped a blocker out of his strategy to get to Jayden Daniels, lifted the LSU quarterback up like a teddy bear he gained at a carnival, and made a primary gesture along with his proper arm over his head.
Prior to ripping his ACL, Hendon Hooker was working laps round Bennett till he bumped into UGA’s buzzsaw protection. Deuce Vaughn did his finest Darren Sproles circa 2003 impression all the way in which to a Big 12 title run whereas Bijan Robinson steamrolled tacklers like Eric Dickerson. But at the moment, that wasn’t sufficient. Heisman voters have grown lazy and lessened the award’s significance alongside the way in which.