College Football

RJ Young's top Heisman contenders: Who can catch C.J. Stroud?

Updated Oct. 12, 2022 5:15 p.m. ET

As we gear up for Week 7 of the college football season, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud looks like the clear-cut leader for the sports' most prestigious individual award, the Heisman Trophy. But a lot could change as we get set to enter the heart of conference play.

Michigan's Blake Corum has made a strong charge over the past couple of weeks, including an impressive 124-yard, one touchdown performance in the Wolverines' 31-10 victory over Indiana this past weekend.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Alabama QB Bryce Young, was among the early favorites to take home the award, but a shoulder injury caused him to miss the second half against Arkansas, as well as a 24-20 win over Texas A&M this past Saturday. How will that impact his chances?

FOX Sports college football writer RJ Young revealed his top five Heisman Trophy contenders on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Number One College Football Show."

Ohio State's C.J. Stroud leads RJ's Top five Heisman Contenders

FOX Sports’ RJ Young presents his top five contenders for the Heisman Trophy following Week 6 of the college football season.

1. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud

2022 Stats: 1,737 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, three interceptions.

Fun fact: Stroud is the only quarterback in the country to have three games with five-or-more touchdown passes this season.

What Young said: "He's played flawless football for most of the year, and if Ohio State had allowed him to play every single minute of every single game, the numbers that he’d be putting up would be even more ridiculous. He's the best player on the best team."

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The "Big Noon Kickoff" crew explains what makes Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud one of the best in the nation.

2. Michigan RB Blake Corum

2022 Stats: 735 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, four catches, 20 yards.

Fun fact: Corum is one of only two players in the country to have at least 700 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns this season.

What Young said: "He has been the dude that he flashed he could be all of last year. It's phenomenal what he's been able to do, and it's phenomenal what the offensive line has been able to give him. He’s taking what looks like short runs and turning them into not just explosive plays, but touchdowns. Things that are designed to go three, four or five yards, he’s turning them into explosive plays."

Blake Corum runs it in for a 1-yard touchdown as Michigan leads 7-0

Blake Corum ran for a 1-yard for a touchdown to give Michigan a 7-0 lead over Indiana.

3. Georgia QB Stetson Bennett

2022 Stats: 1,744 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, one interception, 106 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns.

Fun fact: Bennett is one of only three quarterbacks in the country to have more than 1,500 pass yards, 100 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

What Young said: "I go back and forth on this because it is very clear to me that Stetson Bennett is not the best player at the University of Georgia. If anything, Jalen Carter’s got a lot to say about that. But he handles the rock and he handles it well. He's able to really complement the rest of the offense in a way that I think Kirby Smart really loves. He has turned into a runner that I didn’t think was there, and he’s a guy who is playing with some confidence that I didn’t know he had."

Stetson Bennett runs for a 64-yard touchdown against Auburn

Georgia QB Stetson Bennett runs past defenders for a 64-yard touchdown against Auburn.

4. Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker

2022 Stats: 1,432 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, zero interceptions, 231 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns.

Fun fact: Hooker has now thrown 212 consecutive passes without an interception, which is a Tennessee program record. He is also the only QB in the country to start every game and have a completion percentage of 70% or better with zero interceptions.

What Young said: "If you can take care of the football, you can go at warp speed and do whatever you want, and Hendon Hooker is just that kind of quarterback. He's been outstanding for the last couple of years, but now that they are undefeated, 5-0 for the first time since 2016, I think we can talk about Tennessee the way that Phil Fulmer once wanted to talk about the Tennessee Volunteers."

Tennessee's Hendon Hooker finds Jabari Small for a 16-yard touchdown

Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker finds Jabari Small for a 16-yard touchdown to give the Volunteers a 24-14 lead over Florida.

5. USC QB Caleb Williams

2022 Stats: 1,590 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, one interception, 178 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns.

Fun fact: Williams is the only Power 5 quarterback to have 1500-plus passing yards and a TD-INT ratio of at least 10.

What Young said: "He is here because USC is undefeated and when he has been good, he's been great. For Caleb Williams to move up, I think he's just gotta get back on the horse, start putting up 300-yard, four TD games, and then we can start talking about him the way we talk about C.J. Stroud when he's on, Stetson Bennett when he's on, J.J. McCarthy when he's on."

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