Heisman Trophies cannot be won in the month of September. But this is a great time to launch a campaign.
Maybe Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers didn’t need a coming-out party, because the nation learned last season that he’s capable of leading a team to the College Football Playoff. But what he did against Michigan on Saturday — he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 31-12 win at the Big House — cements him as one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season, if not the best. There’s always going to be a portion of the college football audience that cares more about his backup than Ewers himself, and there’s nothing he can do about it (except laugh, while cashing those checks from Dr. Pepper commercials). But this is not Arch Manning’s time. Arch is not the quarterback who led Texas to its first CFP berth and the one who now hopes to lead the Longhorns to a national title. That’s all Ewers. And he makes it look so easy, which is why he’s the Heisman frontrunner as of Week 3.
Meanwhile, quarterback Cam Ward has made quite an impression through his first two games in a Miami uniform. The Washington State transfer torched Florida in the ‘Canes’ opener to the tune of 385 passing yards and four total touchdowns. That was more than enough to vault him into Heisman contention, and he’ll stay in the mix as long as Miami remains relevant. With the Hurricanes now the favorite to win the ACC and make the Playoff, Ward should stay top of mind for voters all season long.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has put up video game numbers through two weeks against overmatched competition, throwing 795 yards and six touchdowns in wins over Furman and Middle Tennessee State. Now, it’s going to be a few weeks until Dart gets to play in marquee games that will really command the nation’s attention (LSU on Oct. 12 is the first big one) but he should start picking up some steam off his stat lines alone. Plus, the Rebs are going to be in the mix for a CFP spot, so they’ll stay relevant.
Speaking of eye-popping numbers, how about Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava? The former five-star recruit looks quite at home in Josh Heupel’s offense — much more like the prolific Hendon Hooker did in 2022 than what the inconsistent Joe Milton did in 2023. Iamaleava led the Vols’ to a 51-10 win over then-No. 24 North Carolina State, accounting for 276 yards and three total touchdowns. Tennessee scored on eight of 11 drives led by Iamaleava. He’s playing so well that he’s forcing fans and pundits alike to learn how to pronounce his name properly. (It’s not hard once you say it fast a few times in a row!)
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty checks in at No. 5 in this week’s Heisman ranking, despite coming off a loss. The Broncos went toe-to-toe with No. 7 Oregon in Eugene, and Jeanty was a huge reason why they had a chance to win that game. Early in the fourth quarter with Boise State trailing by seven, Jeanty had a 70-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Later in the fourth, he found the end zone again to give the Broncos a lead (that was then erased by Oregon’s 100-yard touchdown return). He finished with 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns to go along with his 267 rushing yards and six scores from Week 1. He’s absolutely appointment viewing.