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It is the pinnacle of personal achievement for a college football player and many of the all-time greats have won it over the years.
From great players like Matt Leinart and Roger Staubach to quarterbacks like Bo Jackson and Barry Sanders, the list of Heisman Trophy winners reads like a who’s who of football. of the college.
After the announcement of the 2023 finalists – Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. – here’s everything you need to know about the ceremony.
The winner of the 2023 Heisman Trophy will be announced on Saturday, December 9 at 8 pm ET from the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.
Viewers can follow the broadcast on ESPN in the US.
A career in football was always a possibility for Marvin Harrison Jr. who is his father.
His father is Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison and as a child he carried on the ‘rocky, powerful receiver’ family with joy.
The six-foot-four, 21-year-old enjoyed a successful campaign in 2023, finishing with 1,211 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns — tying him for second in the nation for most. welcome.
In his three seasons with the Buckeyes, he became one of the most effective pass-catching weapons in all of college football, placing him in lofty company in the program’s history books.
According to the state of OhioHarrison Jr. is sixth all-time in receptions (155), sixth in receiving yards (2,613), first in 100-yard games (15) and third in touchdowns (31) in program history.
Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire/AP
Harrison Jr. running into the end zone for a touchdown during Ohio State’s game against the University of Wisconsin Badgers.
On Friday, he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award – given to college football’s top receiver – and has already been awarded the Big Ten Conference’s gongs. Offensive Player of the Year and Wide Receiver of the Year.
He is the first player with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons for Ohio State. His streak of eight games with a reception and 8 100-yard games this season are both school records.
If Harrison Jr. wins. on Saturday evening, he will become the eighth Heisman candidate in Ohio State history, making the Buckeyes the best in college football.
Even though he is reported that uncertainty remains about declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, Harrison Jr. has established himself as the cream of the crop among the public in the college game.
Bo Nix jumped right in last time.
In his fifth and final season of eligibility as a member of the Oregon Ducks, Nix is enjoying his best season yet, leading his No. 8 program to an impressive 11-2 record and a opportunity in the Fiesta Bowl against the Liberty Flames.
In his second year with Oregon, the 23-year-old quarterback leads the nation with his 77.2% completion percentage, which means he is within touching distance of Mac Jones’ NCAA single-season record of 77.4% he did it in 2020 with one last game. remaining
Nix ranked second in the nation in most passing statistics in college football — including passing yards per game, passing yards, passing yards and total touchdowns — as he completed “one of the greatest seasons in history.” programs,” according to Oregon’s website.
David Becker/AP
Nix looks to pass against Washington in the first half of the Pac-12 Championship.
Nix’s Heisman nomination was the culmination of a college football career after transferring from Auburn to Oregon.
Although Nix – the most experienced starting quarterback in NCAA history with 60 career starts – played only two seasons with Oregon, he ranks third in program history. in passing yards (69), third in rushing touchdowns (20), fifth. in completions (630), fifth in passing yards (7,738) and the finalist for the Heisman is tied for seventh in wins (21).
He is looking to become the second member of the Ducks to win the award after Marcus Mariota did it in 2014.
Jayden Daniels – another transfer student who arrived from Arizona State in 2022 – seems to be the best player in college football this season and he is being rewarded.
The 22-year-old has already been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches, as well as the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the top quarterback in college football. model results on and off the field. .
He is in high company at LSU, joining the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and former LSU star. Joe Burrow the SEC Offensive Player of the Year Award recipient.
Vasa Hunt/AP
Daniels runs with the ball during the first half of LSU’s game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Daniels enjoyed a stellar 2023 season for the Tigers, leading the nation in quarterback scoring.
He led the nation in total offense with 412.2 yards per game, as well as passing touchdowns (40), a touchdown Bite (50) and rushing back (1,134). He finished with 4,946 yards of total offense this season.
According to LSUDaniels’ 412.2 yards per game are more than 85 Division I teams and his 50 touchdowns are more than 91 teams this year and have the highest passing grade. (208.01) in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) – the highest. college football – history.
But another transfer student – who arrived from Indiana at the end of December 2021 – Michael Penix Jr. helped lead the Washington Huskies to a remarkable season.
The Huskies finished 13-0, a Pac-12 Championship to their name and a spot in the College Football Playoff, where they will face the Texas Longhorns on January 1 at Sugar Bowl.
All the while, Penix Jr. is in the lead. from the front end, orchestrating the team’s offense with his big arm, leading the nation in passing yards. Penix Jr. finished with 4,218 passing yards and 33 touchdowns in 2023.
Ric Tapia/AP
Penix Jr. drive to pass in the Pac-12 Championship game against Oregon.
He boasts a 24-2 record in his two seasons as the team’s starter as he tries to give Washington its third. said National Championship.
Penix Jr. is also aiming to become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Washington history. He joins Steve Emtman – who was voted out in 1991 – as the only Huskies to be named finalists.