B/R's 2022 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Top Contenders Entering Week 3

The shift from preseason expectation to actual performance is slowly beginning to adjust the 2022 Heisman Trophy discussion.

Two games, by no means, is a sample size worthy of certainties. No contender is fully eliminated from the race, even if the opening two weeks of the season haven't been great.

Still, an early team loss has put some candidates—such as Texas A&M running back Devon Achane and Wisconsin back Braelon Allen, for example—at a deficit compared to other potential contenders.

Although the tiers are subjective, they're focused on players listed with the strongest preseason odds while steadily introducing others who have excelled so far.

Players listed here aren't necessarily expected to stick in the Heisman discussion, but they've performed well to date.

Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State: Following the dramatic win over LSU, Florida State had an idle weekend. Verse has collected seven tackles with four in the backfield (three sacks) and a blocked kick in two FSU victories.

Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota: Given that Minnesota has only played New Mexico State and Western Illinois, we're not rushing to crown Ibrahim. Nevertheless, the veteran back has excelled in his return from an Achilles injury with a pair of 130-yard, two-touchdown games.

Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: With a nod to freshman back Omarion Hampton, Maye is UNC's top player. The quarterback has a 74.2 completion rate and has thrown for 930 yards and 11 touchdowns to one interception for the 3-0 Tar Heels. Maye also has 146 yards and a score on the ground.

Spencer Sanders, QB, Oklahoma State: Sanders is off to a quality start, throwing for 674 yards and running for 111 in a pair of OSU victories. He's totaled nine touchdowns and tossed one interception in 79 attempts.

Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse: Another day, another solid showing from Tucker. He tallied 112 rushing yards and a touchdown in Syracuse's rout of UConn. Tucker has produced 312 yards from scrimmage and three scores in two games.

More to know: Arkansas RB Raheim Sanders, Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh, Illinois RB Chase Brown, Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson, Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Purdue WR Charlie Jones

These players had higher expectations, but an early loss, injury or minimal stats are holding back their candidacy.

Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia: He's an elite NFL prospect, for sure. However, two games with a combined total of two tackles certainly isn't helping Carter move closer to Heisman recognition like his predecessor Jordan Davis.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State: After a hamstring injury knocked him out against Notre Dame, Smith-Nijba didn't play in Week 2. The returning All-American receiver has an uphill climb back to contention, especially since his quarterback is considered a front-runner.

Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M: In the loss to Appalachian State, Achane rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff to the house. Team result: Bad. Individual performance: Not bad. If the Aggies bounce back, Achane still has a case.

Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin: Team success is a greater barrier for Allen. As prolific as he probably will be, Wisconsin's home loss to Washington State isn't encouraging for the rest of the season. Allen managed 110 yards on 23 touches in the letdown.

They're not favorites to win the Heisman. But a rise in this discussion wouldn't be close to a shock, either.

KJ Jefferson, QB, Arkansas: While leading the Razorbacks to solid wins against Cincinnati and South Carolina, Jefferson has been steady. He's posted a 76.6 completion rate with 385 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in 47 attempts, adding 123 yards and two scores as a runner.

Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida: The definition of why we prefer tiers. Following the fantastic win against Utah, Richardson struggled in a loss to Kentucky. He completed just 14 of 35 passes for 143 yards and only picked up four rushing yards. Neither buying nor selling his Heisman stock.

Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State: Vaughn followed up his productive opener with 145 yards and two touchdowns against Missouri. He's jumped to 271 yards and three scores on the young season.

Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee: After accounting for 233 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1, Hooker guided the Vols to a valuable triumph at Pitt. He went 27-of-42 for 325 yards and two scores, tossing the winning touchdown to star wideout Cedric Tillman in overtime.

Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest: Welcome back to Hartman, who returned from a one-game absence due to a blood clot. We initially didn't know how long he'd be sidelined. Hartman, though, had a terrific debut with 300 yards and four touchdowns in Wake's blowout win at Vanderbilt.

More to Know: Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs, BYU QB Jaren Hall, Kentucky QB Will Levis, Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke, Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, Mississippi State QB Will Rogers, North Carolina State QB Devin Leary, Penn State QB Sean Clifford, Texas RB Bijan Robinson

Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama: The bad news is he committed several penalties in the victory at Texas. The good news is Anderson still had five tackles with two for loss, including a key sack in the fourth quarter. So far, he's more a strong candidate than a front-runner.

Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia: Bennett's candidacy soared with a brilliant game against Oregon. Then, he went 24-of-34 for 300 yards and accounted for two touchdowns in a painless win over Samford. The early returns are excellent.

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State: The continual question will be whether Henderson can actually unseat quarterback and teammate C.J. Stroud. Regardless, he rushed for 91 yards against Notre Dame and collected 87 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries opposite Arkansas State.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: Two favorable matchups, two terrific days. Gabriel topped 10 yards per attempt in both outings, throwing for 233 yards and accounting for three scores against UTEP and tallying 296 passing yards with three touchdowns versus Kent State.

Jordan Addison, WR, USC: As with Henderson, one reasonable concern is whether a top non-QB can catch a star QB teammate. Addison had five catches for 54 yards and two scores against Rice. He then scorched Stanford's secondary for 172 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions in Week 2.

Cameron Rising, QB, Utah: The loss to Florida stung, but Rising totaled 307 yards in that contest and bounced back immediately. He shredded Southern Utah for 254 yards and three touchdowns on just 23 pass attempts.

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama: Young obliterated Utah State's defense for six total touchdowns and carried the Crimson Tide to a hard-fought victory at Texas. He guided a pair of go-ahead scoring drives in the fourth quarter, finishing with 251 offensive yards and a touchdown.

C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State: No issues for Stroud in Week 2. The second-year starter picked apart Arkansas State for 351 yards and four touchdowns on 24 attempts, propelling the Buckeyes to a relaxed win.

Caleb Williams, QB, USC: Through two games, Williams is 39-of-49 for 590 yards—a stellar 12.0 yards per attempt—with six touchdowns and zero interceptions. He's chipped in 72 rushing yards for a USC offense that is second nationally at 8.62 yards per play.