Heisman Hot Board Week 5: Matt Corral, Bryce Young lead the list

Entering the fifth week of the season, multiple names continue to trickle into conversation around potential Heisman winners. Two Heisman favorites, Matt Corral and Bryce Young, face off on Saturday, so this week’s list has an added factor of competition.

Charles Power and Matt Zenitz break down their top 6 Heisman picks below:

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Charles Power’s list

1. QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss

This week’s game against Alabama will likely decide the pecking order at the top. The Rebels had a bye week before the rematch from last year’s shootout win. Corral and Ole Miss’ uptempo offense should present a test for Alabama, while the Crimson Tide’s defense will be by far the best the Rebels have faced.

2. QB Bryce Young, Alabama

Young was on point again in Alabama’s easy win over Southern Miss. He’s continuing to settle in and plays beyond his experience level. This is a big game for his Heisman prospects against fellow SoCal native Matt Corral.

3. QB Jake Haener, Fresno State

Haener quarterbacked what to me, was the best game of the season in Fresno State’s thrilling win over UCLA in week 3. That game was not a one-off. The Washington transfer is playing at a high level and has the Fresno offense performing at a high level. The game is moving slow for the senior.

4. RB Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State

Walker is holding on as the top running back here, buoyed by his stellar start. He had a little tougher sledding against Nebraska last week, averaging just 3.21 yards per carry against the Huskers. If that continues, Walker could get jumped by one of the talented young backs who are having great seasons – Bijan Robinson (Texas), TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) or Zach Evans (TCU).

5. RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

Robinson has a showdown with another top sophomore back this week as the Horns play host to Zach Evans and TCU. The former five-star from Tucson, Arizona is averaging 145 yards from scrimmage per game and has already scored seven touchdowns. He’s a key cog in Texas’ recent offensive resurgence.

6. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan

This spot could go to TreVeyon Henderson or Taulia Tagovailoa, but we’ll stick with Hutchinson here until those other two continue their pace against Power Five competition. Hutchinson is tied for the nation’s lead in sacks with 5.5 and had a dominant showing earlier in the season against Washington’s Jaxson Kirkland, a top offensive tackle. Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton is nip and tuck with Hutchinson as the most impactful defender thus far.

Matt Zenitz’s Heisman list

1. QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss

In Ole Miss’ last game, a Week 3 win over Tulane, Corral became the first player in the SEC history with four touchdown runs and three TD passes in a single game. “He’s as talented as anyone we’ve seen run or pass (at quarterback) in a long time,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said heading into his team’s game against Corral and Ole Miss.

2. QB Bryce Young, Alabama

The former five-star recruit continues to live up to the hype for Alabama. Young and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett are the only FBS quarterbacks with more than 10 touchdown passes and fewer than two interceptions. Both have 15 TD passes and only one interception.

3. QB Jake Haener, Fresno State

Haener’s latest standout performance was a 378-yard, five-touchdown showing in a comeback 38-30 win over UNLV. Haener is ranked third nationally in passing yardage (368.4 yards per game). “Haener, a former highly ranked recruit and University of Washington transfer, is getting plenty of buzz among NFL West Coast scouts coming off back-to-back comeback victories over UCLA and UNLV,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy told On3. “One scout we spoke to said watching Haener lead Fresno back against a ranked UCLA team on the road is what sold him. Although he’s undersized (listed at 6 feet 1, 195 pounds), Haener has a gun for an arm and scouts who have spent time around the program say he has the ‘it’ factor.”

4. RB Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State

Walker had his least impactful game of the season during a 23-20 win over Nebraska (61 yards on 19 carries), but he’s been a driving force behind Michigan State’s 4-0 start. Walker leads the nation in rushing (138.5 yards per game).

5. QB Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

Tagovailoa has been arguably the best QB in the Big Ten. He’s eighth nationally in passing yardage (335.3 yards per game), third completion percentage (75.5) and has 10 touchdown passes with only one interception. Behind Tagovailoa, Maryland is off to its first 4-0 start since 2016.

6. RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

Robinson has been a huge part of Texas bouncing back from its Week 2 loss to Arkansas and scoring 128 points in its last two games — wins over Rice (58-0) and Texas Tech (70-35). Robinson ran for 127 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries versus Rice and then posted 137 rushing yards, 54 receiving yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech.