2021 Heisman Trophy winner: Alabama QB Bryce Young takes award, Tide become sixth team to go back-to-back

Young is the fourth Alabama player to win the Heisman since 2009

By Shehan Jeyarajah

Dec 11, 2021 at 9:35 pm ET • 2 min read

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Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has won the 2021 Heisman Trophy, giving the program back-to-back winners and four overall in program history, all of which have come since 2009 under coach Nick Saban. Young is the first Crimson Tide quarterback to take home college football's top honor.

A sophomore, Young won the award by a sizable margin over Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett and Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud for the Heisman, the other three finalists. Hutchinson became the third defensive player to finish second in the Heisman voting and the latest since Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o in 2012. Te'o finished with 1,706 points -- just 323 behind winner Johnny Manziel -- and 321 first-place votes.

Young had a truly masterful season for the Tide, leading them to a 12-1 record and SEC Championship Game victory. Alabama enters the forthcoming College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed. Young ranks fourth nationally with 4,322 yards passing and trails only Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe with 43 passing touchdowns.

Heisman winners require Heisman moments, and Young was the linchpin of Alabama's run to a playoff berth. He saved his signature performances for the biggest stages. Young led an incredible 97-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive in the Iron Bowl to take Auburn to overtime, a game Alabama eventually won 24-22. One week later, against Georgia in the SEC title game, Young completed 26 of 44 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns against the top defense in the nation. This despite the Tide entering a game as underdogs for the first time in more than five years.

Young is the rare Heisman winner who is guaranteed to return to college football in 2022 as he is not yet eligible for the NFL Draft. The last Heisman winner to return and play another season of college football was Louisville QB Lamar Jackson in 2017.

With Young returning, Alabama is now in position to potentially become the first program to capture three straight Heismans. DeVonta Smith won the 2020 Heisman, becoming the first wide receiver to take the award since 1991. Only Yale (1936-37), Army (1945-46), Ohio State (1974-75), USC (2004-05) and Oklahoma (2017-18) have previously gone back-to-back. Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin is the only player to win consecutive Heismans.