2022 Heisman Trophy: Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud, Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett named finalists

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 09: The Heisman Trophy is displayed at a press conference for the 2017 Heisman Trophy Presentation on December 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
By Antonio Morales, Sam Khan Jr. and more
Dec 6, 2022

By: Antonio Morales, Seth Emerson, Sam Khan Jr. and Cameron Teague Robinson

Four quarterbacks — USC’s Caleb Williams, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, TCU’s Max Duggan and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett — are finalists for the 2022 Heisman Trophy. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Williams joins Matt Leinart (third, first), Carson Palmer (first) and Rodney Peete (second) as USC QBs to finish in the top 5 of the Heisman.
  • Stroud is the 42nd player to finish in the top 4 of the Heisman race at least twice.
  • Duggan is the seventh TCU player to finish in the top 5 of the Heisman vote.
  • Bennett is the first Georgia QB to finish in the top 5 of the Heisman race ever and the first Georgia player period to finish in the top 5 since Garrison Hearst was third in 1992.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

The case for Caleb Williams

No quarterback was more valuable to their team than Williams was to USC. The Trojans won four games in 2021. Williams elevated USC from what likely would have been a seven or eight-win season to an 11-2 team that nearly made the playoff in Year 1 under Lincoln Riley. He threw for 4,075 yards and 37 touchdowns to just four interceptions and rushed 372 yards and 10 scores, and delivered time and time again while playing with a subpar defense. — Morales

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The case for Stetson Bennett

Is Bennett getting rewarded for being the face of Georgia’s team, and also his remarkable story? Certainly. But is he a deserving candidate on his own merits? There should be no doubt.

Bennett has been the steadying force for an offense that has been great when it needed to be this year. In five games against ranked teams, Georgia has averaged 44 points, with Bennett accounting for 17 touchdowns in those five games. Bennett’s overall numbers are also tamped down by Georgia being so dominant: He has 3,104 passing yards in the first three quarters of games this year, and only 321 combined in all fourth quarters. His overall touchdown numbers (20 passing, 7 running) could also be better except for an unusual amount of passes stopped inside the 5-yard line: Seven of his completions saw the receiver tackled at the 1- or 2-yard line. His scrambling ability has also been key to the Georgia offense, which ranks seventh nationally in yards-per-play.

Detractors will claim it’s the Georgia defense that’s the real reason the team has been so good. Those who have watched this team all season know better that it is truly good on both sides of the ball, and Bennett is the face of the team because he deserves to be. — Emerson

The case for Max Duggan

TCU is not in the College Football Playoff without Duggan. He ranked in the top 10 nationally in passer rating and yards per attempt and had 30 touchdown passes with just four interceptions. When the Horned Frogs trailed in games against Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Baylor, Duggan’s poise and production rallied them back for victories. His toughness proved crucial: he rarely missed a snap despite hits piling up late in the season. In TCU’s lone loss, in the Big 12 championship to Kansas State, Duggan’s gutsy fourth-quarter performance helped erase an 11-point second-half deficit and force overtime. — Khan Jr.

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The case for C.J. Stroud

This is Stroud’s second straight year as a Heisman finalist, something only two other Ohio State players have done, Archie Griffin and Howard Cassady. Stroud’s case comes down to his numbers and he spent the season being the most efficient quarterback in the country. He leads the country with a quarterback rating of 176.25 and is tied with USC’s Williams for a nation-leading 37 touchdowns. He’s completed 66 percent of his passes while also averaging 9.4 yards per attempt, a mark that is third nationally. Stroud has also led Ohio State back to the College Football Playoff and an 11-1 season. — Teague Robinson

(Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

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