ESPN analysts debate whether USC's Caleb Williams can win back-to-back Heisman trophies

When you have a Heisman trophy winner returning to school, that individual simply has to be the frontrunner for the trophy again the next season. For USC quarterback Caleb Williams, that is certainly the case, as he’s favored to repeat as the winner. However, he’s no sure bet and one ESPN reporter thinks someone new will break through and steal the honor away from the Trojan star this time around.

College football insider Heather Dinich joined ESPN’s First Take on Friday morning, and with Stephen A. Smith on vacation, somebody else had to provide the hot takes. Well, she obliged by emphatically stating that it’s not Caleb Williams who is most likely to take home another Heisman, but instead, a certain playmaker out of the ACC.

Here was her case:

“He is certainly capable of doing it but I’m not going to predict it to happen because it is an extremely packed and talented field of Heisman possibilities,” Dinich said of Williams’ repeat chances, before running through a few other options for the award.

“You look there at Oregon, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. from Washington, you want a running back… Blake Corum from Michigan. I really like Jordan Travis at Florida State, because think about this, Florida State beats LSU and Clemson and wins the ACC, guess who we’re talking about? That kid rushed for over 1,700 yards in his career — that’s more than any other Florida State quarterback in history. So Caleb Williams is going to see me later, he can tell me why I’m wrong.”

Strong stuff from Dinich there, who made it clear she is not predicting a repeat Heisman winner. On the other hand, fellow First Take guest Harry Douglas disagrees with Dinich and has Williams as his pick again.

“See, I’m picking Caleb Williams for the simple fact that… No. 1, the conference that he plays in and the other quarterbacks in the conference. So he’s going to have to go head to head against a lot of those guys,” explains Douglas.

“You mentioned Bo Nix, you mentioned Michael Penix Jr., who I think has the opportunity to win the Heisman with his two 1,000-yard receivers coming back in Washington. But Caleb Williams is a guy who passed for over 4,500 yards last year, 42 touchdowns, five interceptions, and had 10 rushing touchdowns.”

Plus, says Douglas, he gets back a lot of receiving talent and even gets some new weapons to play around with.

“His receiving corps, outside of Jordan Addison, they have three or four guys coming back. They also have a transfer, Dorian Singer, that came from Arizona that’s gonna also jump into the mix of things. So I think Caleb Williams has a strong opportunity to repeat.”

There you have it from the pair of college football analysts: one who believes Williams will not repeat, and another who gives it a strong chance.