Ohio State running back Archie Griffin is the only player to ever win two Heisman Trophies and he did it in consecutive years back in 1974 and 1975.
Williams, who won the 2022 Heisman Trophy, is the co-favorite at 4-1 at most sports books in New York and around the country to join Griffin in that exclusive club.
Williams, who is all but certain to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, became the third Heisman winner to be coached by USC coach Lincoln Riley. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray both won the award while being coached by Riley at Oklahoma University.
If Williams comes close to duplicating his 2022 numbers with the Trojans those 3-1 odds will look like a steal for New York bettors.
In ’22, Williams completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns and just five interceptions. That equated to a college quarterback rating of 168.5. He became the eighth Trojan to win the award.
This season he’s off to another great start. In three games he’s completed 55 of 70 passes for 878 yards with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Who else is in the running for the 2023 Heisman should Williams somehow falter? Here are the next best contenders. It’s not a coincidence they are all quarterbacks.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas (4-1)— Ewers was 10-1 before the season, but a great start including a win over Alabama has moved the Longhorns QB to co-favorite status. A transfer from Ohio State, Ewers has completed 54 of 89 passes for 740 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions in his first three games. Ricky Williams was the last Longhorn to win the award when he did in 1998.
Michael Penix, QB, Washington (9-2) — Penix has been a riser on the Heisman odds board and is now the third choice among oddsmakers. In three games for Washington he has completed 84 of 113 passes for 1,332 yards with 12 touchdowns and an interception. He would be the first Washington player to win a Heisman.
Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame (7-1) — Hartman transferred to South Bend from Wake Forest where he became the ACC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,701 yards with 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions his last year at Wake. In his first four games for ND he has completed 64 of 90 passes for 1,061 yards with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. Notre Dame has had seven Heisman winners, but the last was Tim Brown in 1987.
Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State (14-1) — Travis, a Louisville transfer, has put the Seminoles back into title contention and top 10 status. Last year he completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,214 yards with 25 touchdowns and four interceptions for a 160.3 rating. This season he has completed 53 of 84 passes for 739 yards with eight touchdowns and one interceptions in three wins. Three Seminoles have won the award, the last was Jameis Winston in 2013.
Sheduer Sanders, QB, Colorado (14-1) — Sanders, the son of head coach Deion Sanders, aka Coach Prime, is the talk of the nation after three weeks. The Buffs are 3-0 and Sanders has completed 107 of 136 passes for 1,251 yards with 10 touchdowns and just one interception. Rashaan Salaam, back in 1994, is the only Colorado player to win a Heisman.