Heisman Watch 2023: Top Contenders in Race for College Football's Biggest Honor

The college football season is winding down and the competitors who will vie for the prestigious Heisman Trophy are becoming clear.

The field is led by quarterbacks, unsurprising given the headlines and attention paid to them, but this year, they are joined by a generational talent at wide receiver who has spent the last two seasons establishing himself as the most dominant at his position since Calvin Johnson.

Who are the contenders and what about them makes them candidates for the sport's biggest individual honor?

Find out with this look at the young Heisman hopefuls.

Bo Nix saved his best for last.

Oregon's senior quarterback is in the midst of the best season of his career, with 3135 yards, 29 touchdowns to two interceptions, and the third-best QBR in the nation at 87.3.

His rating (184.7) is his highest, too.

Moreover, the Ducks sit second in the Pac-12 at 6-1 and should the team win out, could have a chance to play in the College Football Playoffs.

And he is already receiving award considerations.

Head coach Dan Lanning told ESPN's Paolo Uggetti about the changes Nix has made to his own game that have helped him establish himself as a favorite to take home college football's most prestigious individual honor.

"There's probably not a more self-aware person in the world than Bo Nix. And he knows his strengths, he knows his weaknesses, he can identify his thoughts. He's out there and is able to lead and communicate with other players on our team."

The fifth-year player's ability to identify elements of his game that are not working, and willingness to work with the coaching staff to change them, have him playing elite-level football.

Arguably the best quarterbacking in all of college football, even.

There are others who are flashier, or have stolen headlines because of their prominence in the sport, but it may be the resilient Nix who takes the Heisman, thanks in large part to his ability to adapt, overcome, and better himself.

If Jayden Daniels played for a one or two-loss LSU team, he would probably be the front-runner to win the Heisman.

As it is, the dynamic playmaker is still one of the best players in the nation and a quarterback that has matured under head coach Brian Kelly.

In his second season under center for the Tigers, Daniels has already thrown for more yards than any other year in his collegiate career. He also has a career-high completion percentage of 71.4, has eclipsed his career passing yard high with 3164 through the air, nearly doubled his career-high touchdown total with 30, and has thrown just four interceptions.

Add to those numbers 918 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns, including an explosive 85-yarder against Florida, and you have a player that has done it all for the Tigers offense.

Unfortunately for Daniels, he faces an uphill battle based solely on his team's record, though it is not completely implausible for him to win the Heisman despite three losses on the season.

Ricky Williams (1998), Robert Griffin III (2011), and Lamar Jackson (2016) all won the Heisman despite playing for teams with three losses or more.

It can be done but history still favors players whose teams were legitimate contenders for a national title.

The Washington Huskies are unbeaten in 2023 and a great deal of that can be attributed to quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who has been nothing short of phenomenal for the Pac-12 leaders.

Penix has completing 68 percent of his passes, has tallied 28 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He has added two rushing touchdowns.

His 3533 passing yards lead the nation, a stat that cannot be denied when discussing an award based on individual achievement.

His numbers are not to those of others competing for the award but his presence and leadership are undeniable. He has been a key contributor in victories over USC and Utah and will have a huge test against Oregon State Saturday night.

If he rises to the occasion and can extend Washington's record to 11-0 on the season, he will only continue to assert himself in the conversation.

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best player in college football and it is not even particularly close.

He is a game-changer, a player who can take over a game and beat any opponent on any field. He is dynamic, has great hands, and a knack for finding the endzone. He is simply phenomenal and his last two games may ultimately determine if he collects the hardware that reflects his superior play.

With two games to go in Ohio State's regular season, Harrison is exactly 200 yards off his career high of 1263 yards. He is also just two touchdowns away from the 14 he posted a season ago. He has also carried twice for 26 yards and a rushing touchdown.

He will absolutely have a chance to tie the touchdown mark against a bad Minnesota team but it is the showdown against Michigan that will decide his Heisman fate.

How Harrison performs in that game, and if he can take it over in the same way he has others, will be the difference between winning the award that would solidify him as the best college player of his era and not.

A season ago, he caught seven balls for 120 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State's 45-23 blowout loss to the Wolverines. The outcome will have to be different, at least closer, for him to overcome the rest of the field and become just the third wide receiver in 20 years to win the prestigious award.