B/R's 2023 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Penix Storms in Front After Week 7

After edging ahead in Heisman Trophy odds one week ago, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is officially the clear favorite.

On Saturday, Penix padded his resume with a late touchdown pass to lift the seventh-ranked Huskies past No. 8 Oregon. USC signal-caller Caleb Williams, meanwhile, plummeted in the conversation because of a three-interception day in a blowout loss at Notre Dame.

Two candidates also exited the conversation, too.

Cam Ward dropped out because of Washington State's lopsided loss to Arizona, and an ankle injury is set to sideline Georgia tight end Brock Bowers for several weeks.

The list is thinning every week. And as of Week 8, everyone is chasing down Washington's star quarterback.

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Beck threw for a season-low 261 yards in Georgia's win over Vanderbilt, scoring once both as a passer and runner. He's firmly in the "good, not great" category as UGA enters an idle weekend. Next Saturday, the Dawgs take on rival Florida.

Blake Corum, RB, Michigan: It's almost time to drop Corum. He leads the nation with 12 rushing scores, but he's scampered for a relatively modest 546 yards. Michigan heads to rival Michigan State this weekend. As always, a win matters most. But his candidacy is losing steam.

Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame: Although the Fighting Irish steamrolled USC, Hartman had a pretty quiet game. Notre Dame didn't need anything more—which is fine!—but it was hardly a signature performance from Hartman, who finished 13-of-20 for 126 yards with two scores. Following an idle weekend, the Irish host Pitt to close October.

Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State: As the Buckeyes cruised past Purdue, McCord collected 276 yards and three touchdowns. He's set to face a terrific Penn State defense this Saturday. McCord had an unassuming day in the early win at Notre Dame, so his resume would benefit from a loud performance in a marquee game.

Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: The moment has arrived. Allar, who totaled four touchdowns in a rout of Massachusetts, is ready to lead Penn State into a showdown at Ohio State. Although a loss wouldn't truly eliminate the Nittany Lions from the Big Ten or College Football Playoff races, only a victory can propel them closer to those goals—and elevate Allar's potential to compete for a Heisman.

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: Although the Longhorns had an idle weekend, Ewers dips one tier because of movement elsewhere. His excellent day in the upset of Alabama is still valuable, and the Longhorns absolutely have a path to a one-loss record. But he's soundly in "prove-it" territory as Texas opens its latter half of the season at Houston.

Caleb Williams, QB, USC: Well, that was atrocious. Notre Dame smashed USC, and Williams tossed three interceptions in the blowout loss. His perception has taken a substantial hit. Now, the good news is USC has plenty of marquee games remaining. Washington, Oregon and UCLA are on the November slate, but nemesis Utah looms on Saturday.

Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State: Travis dealt with another injury scare, leaving the clash with Syracuse because of an issue on his non-throwing hand. But he returned, accounted for three touchdowns and guided the 'Noles to a 41-3 rout. Florida State hosts No. 16 Duke this weekend.

Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: The ever-productive Daniels threw for 325 yards, rushed for 93 and tossed three scores in LSU's smackdown of Auburn. While he can hardly afford a third LSU loss, Daniels' season numbers—an FBS-best (by a wide margin) 2,809 offensive yards with 26 total touchdowns—remain impossible to ignore.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: His statistical output is well behind that of Daniels, for example, but a 6-0 record helps McCarthy's case. He completed 14 of 17 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over Indiana. As long as the Wolverines keep winning, McCarthy will be a candidate at least until they travel to Penn State on Nov. 11.

Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: Miami made it difficult for Maye early, but a sizzling second half propelled UNC to a key ACC triumph. Maye threw for 273 yards and four scores, and the Heels improved to 6-0. They welcome Virginia to town on Saturday.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: After an idle weekend, the Sooners host UCF. Gabriel enters the contest with 2,086 total yards and 21 touchdowns to two interceptions.

Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: Although the Ducks fell to Washington, Nix assembled a decent game. He hit 33 of 44 passes for 337 yards with two scores in the 36-33 loss. Nix lacks a so-called Heisman moment, but future games with Utah, USC and Oregon State may provide that opportunity.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

For the first time in 2023, the leading tier is a one-man show.

Penix's heroics—a winning score with 1:38 to play, capping a 302-yard, four-touchdown game—opposite Nix and Oregon combined with Williams' dud at Notre Dame reshaped the perception of the Heisman race.

Gabriel held a Tier 1 position in last week's update, yes. Either he or Daniels likely sits atop Tier 2 right now, too.

But it feels improper to group Penix, Gabriel and Daniels together. Penix (2,305 yards) has a slight production edge on Gabriel (2,086) with only one fewer touchdown and much higher per-play efficiency. Plus, the Huskies' 6-0 record is superior to LSU's 5-2 mark.

Washington hosts Arizona State this weekend as Penix begins his moment as the undisputed Heisman favorite.