Who Will Be Notre Dame Football’s Next Heisman Contender?

With Jeremiyah Love getting to New York City as a Heisman finalist, who are the next Notre Dame stars that could make a run at the prestigious award?

Projecting Notre Dame’s Next True Heisman Threat

CJ Carr is the most obvious choice for this award, given the quick start to his collegiate career. As a redshirt freshman, Carr totaled 2,741 passing yards to go along with 24 touchdowns through the air and 6 interceptions. He added 3 touchdowns on the ground in goalline situations. He absolutely has the chops to become a Heisman Contender next season; he just needs a bit more consistently eye-popping games.

Unquestionably, his best game was against Arkansas, when CJ completed 73% of his passes for 354 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He had plenty of other very solid games, but he needs more games like this to be considered a true Heisman contender.

The Question Mark

The Irish will have some question marks at their premier offensive weapon positions, such as the starting running back and the star wide receiver. They have a plethora of talent, but nobody seems poised to be the guy as of right now.

Jaden Greathouse played sparingly this year, dealing with injuries. Aneyas Williams was behind two potential NFL running backs. Finally, Malachi Fields, their biggest offensive transfer portal addition, is off to the NFL as well.

My guess on who the playmaker is that could earn a spot at the table is a transfer wide receiver. Aneyas Williams, if he stays with the Notre Dame football program, should get his workhorse opportunity. That said, should the Irish land a big-time receiver like Nick Marsh or another player yet to enter the portal, my safe bet is on the transfer.

The Defender

Manti Te’o has been there, done that as far as being on the defensive side of the ball and a Heisman contender and finalist. It’s rare to see defenders reach this level, but he absolutely deserved it.

While Leonard Moore is the easy choice, given he’s the best defender in college football, it’s a massive long shot. Teams will likely shy away from throwing the ball towards the supremely talented cornerback. Given that, I wouldn’t necessarily expect gaudy numbers for Moore.

A linebacker stepping into the spotlight, such as Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa or a safety like Adon Shuler, could make a lot of sense, too, given their freedom to roam the field. Still, with KVA on the mend and Adon Shuler a safety, it seems pretty unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility.

Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame have plenty of star talent to lean on next year. Will one of them make the Heisman ceremony in December? Time will tell.