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After six weeks of college football, fans already have a general idea of which teams and players can dream big this season. That includes those who are aiming for the Heisman Trophy.
The reigning winner of the award, Alabama's Bryce Young, recently suffered a shoulder injury that made him miss a game. He remains a contender, alongside Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. USC's Caleb Williams and Tennessee's Hendon Hooker have also climbed the rankings amid undefeated starts to 2022.
While all should earn many votes, there are some other names that could sneak into the conversation and take away votes from them, perhaps affecting who wins it.
With that being said, here are four sneaky Heisman Trophy candidates after Week 6 of the 2022 college football season.
4. Adrian Martinez, Kansas State
One of the most surprising teams of the 2022 college football season, the No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats find themselves at the top of the Big 12. Perhaps the biggest reason for the Wildcats' emergence is quarterback Adrian Martinez.
In the team's 5-1 start, he has completed 62.3% of his pass attempts for 900 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Although those numbers are not impressive on their own, Martinez's running abilities are what make him special. He has 90 carries for 546 yards and nine scores. For comparison, he has 86 completions.
Nice @MartinezTheQB pic.twitter.com/9M1PDr44io
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 1, 2022
In the last decade, mobile quarterbacks have won the Heisman and made it into the NFL. Lamar Jackson, Marcus Mariota and Cam Newton received the honor before being drafted.
If Kansas State keeps its strong season going and Martinez gets more yards and touchdowns through the air, he could gain even more attention.
3. Blake Corum, Michigan
The No. 5 Michigan Wolverines are making a statement for a spot in the College Football Playoff. The team is focusing a lot on the run game, which is one of the most prolific in the nation thanks to running back Blake Corum.
He is third in the country with 735 rushing yards across six games while scoring 11 times. Additionally, he already has three games with at least 100 yards on the ground.
BLAKE. CORUM. 🙌
Down at the 1 for @UMichFootball 🔥 pic.twitter.com/W12fLhN6us
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 8, 2022
His biggest game came against the Maryland Terrapins in Week 4. Corum had 30 carries for a whopping 243 yards and two touchdowns. Due to sacks and tackles for loss, the rest of the team combined for zero rushing yards in the contest.
Corum's elite performances are making him a Heisman sleeper. The last running back to win the award was Derrick Henry in 2015. The current Tennessee Titan is just one of three running backs to win the award award this century, which makes Corum's case tougher. Still, if he keeps it up, Corum could be a Heisman finalist come December.
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2. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Another team that is a pleasant surprise in the 2022 college football season is the No. 11 UCLA Bruins. The team is 6-0 and second in the Pac-12 behind the USC Trojans. One of the players responsible for the Bruins' perfect start is quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
In six games, “DTR” has completed 74.8% of his passes for 1,510 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two picks. He also has 42 carries for 231 yards and four scores.
BRUINS ON TOP 🐻
Dorian Thompson-Robinson keeps it himself for the @UclaFootball TD 💪 pic.twitter.com/KP6QdspoC6
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 8, 2022
Most importantly, Thompson-Robinson is showing he is not afraid of big moments. Against No. 15 Washington, he had a season-high 315 passing yards for three touchdowns, plus 53 rushing yards. Then, in the following week versus No. 11 Utah, he had 299 passing yards for four touchdowns and one pick. Those two upset wins played a crucial role in UCLA's success this season.
Should the Bruins battle for the Pac-12 title until the end of the year, they could make it to one of the New Year's Six bowls. If that happens, Thompson-Robinson should stay in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy.
1. Stetson Bennett, Georgia
Despite leading the Georgia Bulldogs to a national championship last season, their first since 1980, Stetson Bennett seemed to be omitted from most lists of the best college quarterbacks in 2022.
After a perfect 6-0 to start the season and the No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll, Bennett is getting more attention. He has completed 116 of his 168 pass attempts, a completion rate of 69%, for 1,536 yards and five touchdowns against just one pick. He also has 42 rushing yards for four touchdowns, which matches his scores on the ground from his previous three seasons combined.
Stetson Bennett wasn't going down without a touchdown 😤 pic.twitter.com/xfo5TJVC11
— ESPN (@espn) September 3, 2022
Not only is Bennett having another solid season, but the Bulldogs are once again on pace for another CFP appearance and potentially back-to-back national titles. However, he still has a long shot at winning the Heisman Trophy. According to FanDuel, his odds are +4000, 10th-best among all quarterbacks.
But if Georgia keeps playing at a high level and wins the SEC, the Bulldogs will most likely continue to be the No. 1 team in the country by the end of the season. That should give Bennett more national recognition and respect, which could result in real Heisman contention.
