These five players are most likely to leave New York as college football's most outstanding player.
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Can Bryce Young become the first Heisman Trophy winner to win it twice since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin did so in 1974-75? Young led the Crimson Tide to a Southeastern Conference championship and set Alabama single-season records for passing yards (4,872) and touchdowns (47) during the 2021 campaign, but he fell short of helping Alabama win its seventh national title under head coach Nick Saban.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
In his last game, C.J. Stroud set Rose Bowl records with 573 passing yards and six touchdown passes, leading Ohio State back from a 14-point deficit to defeat Utah in a 48-45 thriller. He threw for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and just six interceptions as a redshirt freshman in 12 games last season.
Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California
In the span of a few months, Caleb Williams went from Oklahoma's backup quarterback to the star signal caller for the Sooners. Now he's followed head coach Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles, where he'll suit up for the Trojans in 2022. Williams threw for 1,912 yards, 21 touchdowns and four picks while rushing for 442 yards and six more scores as a true freshman last season. Not bad for a guy who didn't play high school football as a senior in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
A Doak Walker Award semifinalist in 2021, Bijan Robinson carried the football 195 times for a team-leading 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 26 catches for 295 yards and four touchdowns. If he makes a lasting impression in an early season clash with Alabama, Robinson could help his chances of becoming the first Heisman Trophy winner from Texas since Ricky Williams in 1998 and first running back since Alabama's Derrick Henry in 2015.
Devin Leary, QB, North Carolina State
Consider Devin Leary this year's dark horse candidate. Leary set a single-season school record with 35 passing touchdowns, breaking the previous mark of 34 set by Philip Rivers in 2003. He went 228 straight passes without throwing an interception last season. In fact, he's only had seven in two seasons. Now, if he could just get the Wolfpack to a New Year's Six bowl.
