Championship Week saw Bryce Young stake his claim to the Heisman trophy. There is nobody that deserves the award more than him especially after his performance against the top defense in the nation: Georgia. This year's Heisman race was tight all season, but Young emerged at the right time. After a long & grueling season filled with great performances, here is my final Heisman top 5 rankings of the 2021 season.
1. Bryce Young (QB, Alabama) ↔️
What Bryce Young did to Georgia was nothing short of incredible. He diced up the nations’ best defense for 421 passing yards & 3 passing touchdowns. He did have Jameson Williams & John Metchie lining up at receiver, which definitely did not hurt. Young has been great all season long. He finished the year 314 for 462 for 4,322 passing yards, 43 passing touchdowns & only 4 picks. Bryce Young is the best player in college football.
2. CJ Stroud (QB, Ohio State) ↔️
It was a tough decision for 2nd place. I’ll give it to CJ Stroud for his great season as only a freshman. Sure, his team faltered in the biggest game of the season, but it wasn’t Stroud’s fault. In the 2021 season, he went 280 for 395 passing for 3,862 yards, 38 touchdowns & 5 interceptions. He was also surrounded by the best receiving corps in college football which he used to his advantage.
3. Kenneth Walker III (RB, Michigan State) ↔️
Kenneth Walker III should’ve been in New York this weekend. He’s had an outstanding year as a transfer from Wake Forest to Michigan State. Walker had his best game against MSU’s biggest rival Michigan. He ran for 197 yards & 5 touchdowns in that game alone. He finished the season as the nation's 2nd leading rusher, only behind Lew Nichols of Central Michigan. Walker had 1,636 rushing yards & 18 touchdowns on the season. He even averaged 6.2 yards per carry. He should 100% be in New York.
4. Kenny Pickett (QB, Pitt) ↔️
Kenny Pickett finishes 4th in my Heisman rankings. Pickett led his team to an ACC title, but it was in a down year for the conference as a whole. He threw for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns & 7 picks. Pickett definitely deserves to be in New York & should be one of the top quarterbacks taken off of the board in the NFL draft. Hopefully, Pickett will play in the Peach Bowl against Kenneth Walker III & Michigan State to cap off his outstanding Pitt career.
5. Matt Corral (QB, Ole Miss) ↔️
Matt Corral comes in 5th place on my Heisman board. Corral has been battling injuries all season & he is still the best dual threat quarterback in the nation. He finished with 3,339 passing yards, 20 touchdowns & only 4 picks. On top of that, he added 597 rushing yards & 11 rushing touchdowns. That is something no other Heisman contender can bring to the table. Along with Pickett, Matt Corral will also be a top quarterback taken in the draft.
Other players considered: Will Anderson Jr, Aidan Hutchinson, Bailey Zappe, Tyler Allgeier, Breece Hall