Heisman Trophy Trust reveals four finalists

The four Heisman Trophy finalists for the 2021 season were revealed Monday night on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. Each of the four candidates will be invited to New York, New York, for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, which takes place this Saturday.

Voting ballots for the Heisman Trophy were sent to 870 college football media members, 57 Heisman Trophy winners and one overall fan vote. The trust has recognized finalists since 1982. Before that, only a winner was announced

Ahead of Saturday, here’s the first look at the finalists for college football’s greatest individual award.

2021 Heisman Trophy finalists

Bryce Young, Quarterback, Alabama

The Heisman Trophy race has featured plenty of twists and turns this year, and it wasn’t until the SEC Championship Game that Young truly set himself apart as the odds-on favorite. Young picked apart Georgia’s top-ranked defense in the 41-24 victory, completing 26 of 44 passing attempts for 421 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding 40 rushing yards and a touchdown. If Young wins, he’ll be the second consecutive Alabama player to take home the honor, following wide receiver DeVonta Smith last year.

Aidan Hutchinson, Defensive End, Michigan

Hutchinson made a late-year push for the Heisman Trophy, aided by his supernatural performance against Ohio State. He helped the Michigan Wolverines upend Ohio State for the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era with seven total tackles and three sacks. In the process, he helped Michigan reach the College Football Playoff, while also breaking the program’s single-season sack record (he currently has 14 with at least one game left on schedule). Hutchinson is the third defensive player in Michigan Wolverine history to be named a finalist, with Jabrill Peppers (finalist, 2016) and Charles Woodson (winner, 1997) holding the other two spots.

CJ Stroud, Quarterback, Ohio State

For quite some time, Stroud was actually the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, but that all changed after the loss to Michigan. Heading into that rivalry, he had thrown 11 touchdowns in a two-game span, while completing 63 of his 73 passing attempts — all without throwing an interception. His hard-to-believe, six-touchdown performance against Michigan State saw him tie a school record by throwing all six scores in the first half alone. After Ohio State had a finalist in 2018 (Dwayne Haskins) and two in 2019 (Justin Fields and Chase Young), Stroud broke the program’s one-year hiatus without a top-four candidate.

Kenny Pickett, Quarterback, Pitt

Pickett went from three-star recruit, barely in the class of 2017’s top 50 quarterbacks, to Pitt legend and soon-to-be first-round pick. And it all happened for good reason: Pickett completed 60.6% of his passes for 4,319 passing yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions, all while rushing for 241 yards and five touchdowns. His performance was enough to win ACC Offensive Player of the Year as well as ACC Player of the Year honors, as he led the Panthers to an 11-2 record and their first-ever ACC Championship. It’s been a long time since Pitt had a Heisman Trophy finalist, and the last one happened to be pretty darn good: Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.

Odds to win college football’s greatest individual award

Heading into Monday night’s announcement, the Heisman Trophy picture had already become a bit more clear, as Bryce Young was a heavy favorite to win the distinction after his excellent SEC Championship game performance.

BetMGM updated its Heisman Trophy odds on Monday morning, and while there are only four finalists, the sportsbook offered lines for eight candidates. Here are the latest betting lines, provided after conference championship play:

Bryce Young, Alabama: -5000

Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan: +1600

CJ Stroud, Ohio State: +3000

Kenny Pickett, Pitt: +3000

Matt Corral, Ole Miss: +5000

Kenneth Walker, Michigan State: +5000

Will Anderson, Alabama: +5000

Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati: +15000