NEW YORK — After Caleb Williams was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the eighth University of Southern California athlete to receive college football’s most prestigious player of the year honor, he talked about how cool it will be to have his jersey retired at the school one day and to be able to take his place with other USC greats.
He also said he has another “year or two” in that jersey before he gives it up.
“But as of right now, I’ve got a game in three weeks or so, and getting ready to prepare for them,” Williams said as the eighth-ranked Trojans (11-2) turn their attention to No. 14 Tulane (11-2) and the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.
Barring some unforeseen circumstance, Williams will be the eighth Heisman Trophy winner since 2000 to play college football the following season. None has come particularly close to winning another, but maybe Williams will be the one to break the trend and become just the second two-time Heisman winner, joining Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974-75).
Williams is the sixth sophomore to win the Heisman and the second in a row after Alabama’s Bryce Young last year.
This season, Young was pretty great again. But he missed some time with an injury, didn’t have the usual stable of star receivers afforded to Crimson Tide quarterbacks in recent years and ended up finishing sixth in the Heisman voting as Alabama went 10-2. The reasonable expectation is that Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, a two-time finalist, are moving on to the NFL.
TCU senior quarterback Max Duggan, the runner-up to Williams, might take advantage of a fifth year next season after a breakout campaign, though it will be difficult for Duggan and the No. 3 Horned Frogs (12-1) to recreate this magical season that will continue when they face No. 2 Michigan (13-0) on Dec. 31 in the Fiesta Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal.
Stroud’s No. 4 Buckeyes (11-1) face top-ranked reigning national champion Georgia (13-0) — quarterbacked by Stetson Bennett, who finished fourth in Heisman voting and is wrapping up his college career — in the Peach Bowl in the second semifinal on New Year’s Eve.
Who else will challenge Williams for the Heisman in 2023? Here are a few guesses.
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: There already is a debate among NFL draftniks about who will be the No. 1 overall pick in 2024: Maye or Williams? There could be a great Heisman race between the two as well next season. Maye and the Tar Heels (9-4) stumbled with back-to-back losses to the end the regular season and another to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, but he still ended the regular season second in the country in total offense at 367 yards per game.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: The Buckeyes likely will be breaking in a new quarterback next season, but Harrison should help make the transition relatively smooth. In his first season as a starter, the sophomore has 72 catches for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns. He probably would be a first-round pick in the next draft if he was eligible.
Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan: The Wolverines seem to have the one program capable of producing a Heisman contender at running back these days. Edwards showed late in the season he could be both a workhorse and a home-run hitter, stepping in for the injured Blake Corum with a combined 401 yards on 47 carries against Ohio State in the regular-season finale and Purdue in the Big Ten title game. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy also could emerge as a Heisman contender, but coach Jim Harbaugh loves the offense’s smashmouth style.
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon and Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: The Pacific Northwest rivals are both coming off great regular seasons after transferring into the Pac-12. Penix, who leads the nation in passing yards per game (363), already has announced he’ll be back, and Nix seems to be leaning in that direction. Nix has 27 touchdown passes and 14 touchdown runs this season.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: The highly touted former five-star recruit had a mediocre first season as a starter for the Longhorns, throwing 14 touchdown passes and six interceptions in nine games while completing 56.6% of his attempts. Arch Manning — Archie’s grandson and a nephew of Eli and Peyton — arrives in Austin soon to push Ewers, who still has three seasons of eligibility left. The idea that Ewers could take a huge step forward in his second college season can’t be dismissed. The same goes for Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman.