Heisman Trophy Blind Résumés
Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson made a point this week to recognize the stellar play of quarterback Sam Hartman:
Hartman has been fantastic this season, but how does he stack up vs the nation's top signal callers? Depicted below are the numbers of Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young, Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, and USC's Caleb Williams– the four quarterbacks with the highest Heisman trophy odds. Hartman's stats are mixed in amongst the anonymity. Can you tell which QB doesn’t belong?
| Player | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | Passer Rating | Comp % | INTs | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs | Team Record | Top 25 Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 2,023 | 28 | 203.9 | 70.0 | 4 | -9 | 0 | 7-0 | 0 |
B | 2,093 | 18 | 190.8 | 70.6 | 1 | 315 | 3 | 7-0 | 2 |
C | 1,755 | 21 | 173.4 | 64.2 | 3 | 71 | 1 | 6-1 | 0 |
D | 1,906 | 18 | 162.7 | 66.1 | 3 | 137 | 3 | 6-1 | 0 |
E | 1,971 | 19 | 162.3 | 63..9 | 1 | 235 | 3 | 6-1 | 0 |
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Based off of the stats, players A and B have arguably the two best cases, based off of the undefeated records and impressive stats across the boards. QBs C, D, and E all play for 6-1 teams, and their passing stats are pretty comparable.
Let's reveal who's who, as well as each player's odds (via FanDuel) to win the award:
Player A: C.J. Stroud (+100)
Player B: Hendon Hooker (+200)
Player C: Sam Hartman: (+5000)
Player D: Bryce Young: (+2500)
Player E: Caleb Williams (+1200)
Hartman is viewed as a total long shot to take home the award. But when you look at the numbers blindly, it's clear that he belongs in the conversation. Hartman also missed the season opener against VMI, where he could've padded his stats a bit too.
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Narratives, team records and marquee wins make a huge difference in Heisman voting. But, other than Hooker's Tennessee Volunteers, none of those teams have beaten a team currently ranked in the top 25 at this point. And if you're looking for a , Hartman has bounced back without a hitch from a scary off the field injury just a few months ago in August.
From an odds standpoint, there is validity to the idea that the books are forecasting that Wake is by far the least likely of the schools in question to win a conference championship. With Clemson in control of the ACC Atlantic, Hartman and Wake can add to their resume if they win out, but a CFB Playoff appearance is likely still a long shot.
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The good news for the Hartman for Heisman campaign is the national media is starting to correct their previous oversight. Hartman received a third place vote in The Athletic’s “Heisman straw poll” to finish 10th overall, and he finished 7th in ESPN’s latest Heisman watch.
Nevertheless, with several opportunities for ranked wins in Wake Forest’s final six games, there’s plenty of time for the Demon Deacons’ all-time passing leader to further build his case. And it's clear that at the very least he deserves to be in the conversation.
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