Examining 2021 Heisman Trophy Favorites

The 2021 Heisman Trophy race is one of the weirdest races this storied award has ever had. Usually, there’s a clear-cut hierarchy of candidates with two or three players who easily stand out from the crowd. That isn’t actually true this year, in part because the traditional powers in college football have struggled. Alabama hasn’t been as good as it normally is. Clemson has been terrible. Ohio State has been shaky. Oklahoma has wobbled as well. There has not been a quarterback from an elite school who has been consistently great. Not Bryce Young of Alabama, not C.J. Stroud of Ohio State, not Caleb Williams of Oklahoma – he was a backup who didn’t play the first several weeks of the season. The best receiver in the country, Drake London of USC, got hurt at the end of October, ruining his candidacy. Other players have been injured as well. There has not been an incredible superstar performer who has taken center stage in the race. This creates an award which is up for grabs, which means these four candidates are hardly guaranteed to be at the Heisman ceremony in December:

Kenneth Walker, Michigan State

If there is one player who seems likely to be a Heisman finalist and contend for the award, it’s Walker. He has been the most consistent skill-position player in the country, and he plays for a program – Michigan State – which gains more attention than, as a point of comparison, Wake Forest or Pittsburgh in the ACC. Walker had a strong season opener against Northwestern and has continued to deliver for a surprising, overachieving Michigan State team. As long as he plays reasonably well against Ohio State this coming Saturday, he should have a place at the Heisman ceremony, though whether he wins the award outright is still very uncertain.

Will Anderson, Alabama

The best player on Alabama is not a quarterback, a running back, or a wide receiver. Alabama won the Heisman last year when receiver DeVonta Smith captured the award. Alabama running backs Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry have won the award in the past 12 years. Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones have been Heisman finalists in the past five years. Yet, this time, it might be a linebacker who represents the Crimson Tide in New York at the Downtown Athletic Club. Anderson has stood out on the Alabama defense as a leader and playmaker. When the Alabama offense has struggled, Anderson has been the guy who held the defense together and made sure the Tide did not lose, a key example being an ugly 20-14 win over LSU a few weeks ago. That’s the kind of game which has elevated Anderson’s stock as a Heisman candidate.

Sam Hartman, Wake Forest

Is the ACC going to be represented at the Heisman ceremony? With no Clemson players being on the radar, it’s still possible. Sam Hartman has led Wake Forest to a 9-1 record. If he leads the Demon Deacons to the ACC championship with a 12-1 record, he will probably go to New York. If he loses at least one game, he might not become a finalist. If he loses twice, he certainly won’t be a finalist. The pressure is on.

Brennan Armstrong, Virginia, or Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

We are using an “A or B” format for this fourth and final selection because Pittsburgh and Virginia play each other this week, the winner being the likely ACC Coastal Division champion. Whoever wins this game will likely face Sam Hartman and Wake Forest in the ACC Championship Game. This might not eliminate Heisman candidates, but it will certainly affect the odds of which player can actually win the trophy. Winners advance, losers move to the back of the line.