The Heisman Trophy race is heading into its stretch run with Bryce Young still leading the pack of contenders. According to BetMGM, the Alabama quarterback is the favorite for the award at +175 odds followed by Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud (+225), Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker (+350) and Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral (+700).
Here’s a look at where the top contenders stand heading into Week 12 of the season.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young
Last week: Young completed 21 of 23 (91.3%) passes for 270 yards and five touchdowns without an interception during Alabama’s 59-3 victory over New Mexico State.
Season stats
Games: 10
Completion percentage: 70.9 (No. 7 nationally )
Passing yards: 3,025 (No. 12 nationally)
Passing touchdowns: 33 (No. 3 nationally)
Interceptions: 3
Passer rating: 180.13 (No. 4 nationally)
Rushing yards: 51
Rushing touchdowns: 2
Outlook: Young didn’t do anything to hurt his Heisman chances over the weekend, dominating New Mexico State in expected fashion. The Alabama quarterback tied his career-high with five touchdown passes before leaving the game in the third quarter. He started the game by completing 13 straight passes. One of his two incompletions on the day came on a drop by Jahleel Billingsley in the end zone. Young rebounded by finding the tight end for a score on the next play.
Since Alabama’s loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 9, Young has taken his play to another level, completing 73.3% of his passes for 1,291 yards and 13 touchdowns without an interception over the next four games. He has also added a pair of rushing touchdowns over that span.
Young will have to maintain this pace and lead Alabama to the SEC Championship Game if he wants to hold onto his position as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Even then, his ability to win the award will be highly influenced by his performance against Georiga’s top-ranked defense.
Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud
Last week: Stroud completed 31 of 38 (81.6%) passes for 361 yards and five touchdowns without an interception during Ohio State’s 59-31 victory over Purdue.
Season stats
Games: 9
Completion percentage: 68.8 (Tied for No. 16 nationally )
Passing yards: 3,036 (No. 11 nationally)
Passing touchdowns: 30 (Tied for No. 5 nationally)
Interceptions: 5
Passer rating: 179.42 (No. 5 nationally)
Rushing yards: 4
Rushing touchdowns: 0
Outlook: Like Young, Stroud also tossed five touchdown passes without an interception over the weekend. That served as a nice bounce-back performance for the Ohio State quarterback as he was picked off twice during the Buckeyes’ narrow win over Nebraska two weeks ago.
Stroud has similar numbers to Young but has compiled them over one fewer game. Stroud will have the opportunity to make a strong push in the Heisman standings over the next two weeks as Ohio State closes out the month by hosting No. 7 Michigan State before traveling to No. 6 Michigan.
Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III
Last week: Waker carried the ball 30 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns while also recording two receptions for 29 yards during Michigan State’s 40-21 victory over Maryland.
Season stats
Games: 10
Rushing yards: 1,473 (No. 1 nationally)
Rushing touchdowns: 17 (Tied for No. 1 nationally)
Yards per attempt: 6.49 (No. 29 nationally)
Receptions: 12
Receiving yards: 85
Receiving touchdowns: 1
Outlook: If a non-quarterback is going to win the Heisman Trophy for a second straight year, it'll be Walker. The Michigan State running back leads the nation in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He’s also peaking at the right time, recording 476 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground as well as seven receptions for 60 more yards through the air over the last three games.
The main mark against Walker has been his consistency. While his overall production has been off the chart, he struggled in narrow wins over Nebraska and Indiana, rushing for a combined 145 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries — an average of 3.45 yards per attempt.
Next week’s matchup against Stroud and Ohio State will be a crucial moment in Walker’s Heisman campaign. If he can lead Michigan State to an upset win, his stock figures to skyrocket.
Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral
Last week: Corral completed 24 of 37 (64.9%) passes for 247 yards and a touchdown without an interception during Ole Miss’ 29-19 victory over Texas A&M.
Season stats
Games: 10
Completion percentage: 66.7 (Tied for No. 26 nationally )
Passing yards: 2,774 (No. 15 nationally)
Passing touchdowns: 17 (Tied for No. 31 nationally)
Interceptions: 2
Passer rating: 158.95 (No. 19 nationally)
Rushing yards: 523
Rushing touchdowns: 10 (Tied for No. 33 nationally)
Outlook: At this time last month, Corral was nipping at Young’s heels for frontrunner status. However, the Ole Miss quarterback has experienced a dip in production over the past four games, totaling a combined five touchdowns against LSU, Auburn, Liberty and Texas A&M.
Unlike other members on this list, Corral also has multiple losses, including one to a fellow Heisman competitor in Young. Corral should be able to put up big numbers against Vanderbilt this week and could capture the nation’s attention with a strong performance against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 25. He’ll still need a lot of things to go his way in order to win the award.