In just over a month on December 10th, a new Heisman Trophy winner will be announced. And while I’m not a fan of what the Heisman race has turned into over the years (I think defensive players, as well as offensive players other than quarterbacks should get consistent serious consideration), it’s always something I loosely keep up with because I’m a fan of the sport. After ten weeks of college football this season, the top five odds for what will be the newest Heisman Trophy winner break down as follows:

C.J. Stroud, Ohio St., QB (+180)

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, QB (+280)

Caleb Williams, USC, QB (+700)

Blake Corum, Michigan, RB (+750)

Bo Nix, Oregon, QB (+800)

Drake Maye, UNC, QB (+1200)

My statement is that UNC quarterback Drake Maye deserves to be a front-runner for the Heisman race. How he has only the sixth best odds are beyond me. Let’s start with the numbers because numbers do not lie.

C.J. Stroud: 29 TD/4 INT/2,453 pass yards/67.9% completion/91.1 QBR/75 rush yards/9-0 record

Hendon Hooker: 21 TD/2 INT/2,533 pass yards/71% completion/89.1 QBR/355 rush yards/8-1 record

Caleb Williams: 28 TD/1 INT/2,742 pass yards/64.6% completion/85.4 QBR/287 rush yards/8-1 record

Blake Corum: 1,187 rush yards/17 TD/6 YPC/9-0 record

Bo Nix: 22 TD/5 INT/2,495 pass yards/73.3% completion/88.3 QBR/457 rush yards/8-1 record

Drake Maye: 31 TD/3 INT/2,964 pass yards/71.2% completion/89.6 QBR/513 rush yards/8-1 record

Now it’s tough to compare Maye against Corum numbers-wise because they are two different positions. But let’s compare him to the other four quarterbacks who currently have better odds at winning the Heisman. When it comes to passing touchdowns, Drake Maye has the most with two more than the next guy…and a whopping nine more than Oregon’s Bo Nix. He also leads the pack in passing yards and it really isn’t that close. His 2,964 passing yards is 222 yards better than the next guy, which is a full game’s worth for a lot of quarterbacks. The other three quarterbacks don’t even come close, being 400-500 yards behind.

Maye is second in completion percentage, trailing Bo Nix by just two points. He is also second in QBR, just 0.5 behind CJ Stroud. Then you look at rushing yards and Maye is right back on top with his total of 513. So when you add all the stats together, it’s pretty obvious that Drake Maye is deserving to be a front-runner. Like I said, numbers don’t lie.

Now, some people might say, “well he plays for UNC, therefore the competition he’s facing is nothing compared to what the other guys face.” Those people should know I’ve researched that as well and my findings might surprise them. NCAA.com has the top 50 teams ranked in Total Defense, so I used that list to see how many times these six Heisman contenders have played a team from that list this season. Here’s what I discovered:

CJ Stroud: Faced 6 top 50 defenses

Hendon Hooker: Faced 5 top 50 defenses

Caleb Williams: Faced 3 top 50 defenses

Blake Corum: Faced 3 top 50 defenses

Bo Nix: Faced 2 top 50 defenses

Drake Maye: Faced 5 top 50 defenses

So, anyone who wants to make the argument that UNC don’t face the same competition would be wrong. Only CJ Stroud has faced more top 50 defenses this season, and he’s only faced one more than Drake Maye. Hendon Hooker, who plays in the heralded SEC, has faced the same amount as Maye. I was shocked to learn that Blake Corum and Michigan have only faced three so far, but of course wasn’t shocked to find out the two PAC-12 guys have only faced two and three. So that puts that argument to bed.

There isn’t anything more for a Drake Maye naysayer to say. As of right now he deserves to be a front-runner. I know there is still plenty of more action to take place for all of these guys on the field, but right now Drake Maye has arguably been the best player in the country. Maye for Heisman.

Garett

It’s Time to View Drake Maye as a Legitimate Heisman Trophy Contender