2023 Heisman Finalists: Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. Headed to New York

This year's Heisman Trophy will be awarded to one of these four players: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.

The quartet was announced as the finalists for the honor on Monday night.

Harrison is the one player among the finalists who is not a quarterback, and could join Devonta Smith as the only receivers to win the award in the last 30 years.

As of Monday evening, Daniels is the clear frontrunner. BetMGM has the LSU signal caller at -1,400 to win the award, followed by Penix (+900), Nix (+2,200) and Harrison (+20,000).

With that, here is a rundown of the four finalists, with their statistics and cases below.

Jayden Daniels

Daniels, arguably the most electrifying dual-threat quarterback in the country, has been a human highlight reel throughout the season for the 9-3 Tigers.

The 22-year-old is completing 72.2% of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions. On their own, his passing statistics are undoubtedly impressive, but once you add in his rushing numbers — 1,134 yards and 10 more scores — Daniels' Heisman credentials get even more convincing.

But will LSU's lack of big-game success hurt him? The Tigers faced four ranked opponents this season (Florida State, Ole Miss, Missouri and Alabama), losing to three.

However, suffering multiple losses didn't hinder the candidacies of past dual-threat Heisman winners, such as Florida's Tim Tebow in 2007, Baylor's Robert Griffin III in 2011 and Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2016.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

Arguably the most talented wideout in the country, Harrison was the driving force of the Buckeyes’ offense all season long. The junior hauled in 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, as Ohio State finished the regular season 11-1.

Even if he doesn’t win, Harrison’s mere presence in the Big Apple will be historic. Since 2000, only four other receivers (Pittsburgh’s Larry Fitzgerlad in 2003, Alabama’s Amari Cooper in 2014, Oklahoma’s Dede Westbrook in 2016 and the Crimson Tide’s Devonta Smith in 2020) have been invited to the Heisman ceremony, with Smith being the only wideout to win the award since Michigan’s Desmond Howard — who doubled as a return specialist — won it in 1991.

The 21-year-old was stellar throughout the season, but it is notable that two of his best performances came in arguably Ohio State’s two most important games — home against Penn State on Oct. 21, and on the road against Michigan on Nov. 25. In those contests, Harrison pulled in a combined 16 catches for 280 yards and a pair of scores.

Bo Nix

A transfer and fifth-year senior like 75% of the finalists on this list, Nix played for three seasons at Auburn before transferring to Oregon in 2022. This has been Nix’s most productive season yet, throwing for 4,145 yards and 40 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. Nix has the second-highest QBR (91.0) in college football, behind only Daniels.

Oregon has spent much of the past three decades ranked, but fell short of the playoffs this season after a loss to Washington in the Pac-12 title game. Nix, however, has been a bright spot for Ducks, earning career highs for nearly every stat and leading the Ducks to a 11-2 record — also the highest of his career.

Nix also broke an unusual record, becoming the quarterback with the most starts in college football history — as a result of winning the starting job as a true freshman at Auburn and getting an extra year of eligibility for this season. He and the No. 8 Ducks will face No. 18 Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl on New Years’ with a chance to end the season, and his college career, strong.

Michael Penix Jr.

Penix, who transferred to Washington from Indiana in 2022, has been a crucial part of turning the Huskies from middle of the pack to the team’s first playoff appearance since 2016. Last season, Penix led the Huskies to a 11-2 record, earning Comeback Player of the Year.

Now, he has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in college football. He returned to Washington as a fifth-year senior for the 2023 season, and along with head coach Kalen DeBoer, Penix led the program to the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Penix’s inclusion as a Heisman finalist was expected: Washington has pushed hard for the 23-year-old quarterback, who finished eighth in Heisman voting last year, as a Heisman candidate all year. Penix has thrown for 4,218 yards and 33 touchdowns this season, coming up clutch in big moments (especially against Top-25 opponents) and proving his worth as a 2024 NFL draft prospect.

Penix is the only finalist on an undefeated team, and the only one in the playoffs. He also defeated Nix and Oregon not once but twice this season, in two thrillingly close games.