The Heisman Trophy is unique in that it represents not only the most prestigious individual award in college football — perhaps the entire American sports lexicon — but also its most controversial.
The trophy, officially, is "awarded to the outstanding college football player ... whose performance epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work." Though that could be true of any number of players and positions in the sport, it most often boils down to this: the most talented quarterback in the country — a point of consternation among many fans who enjoy the sport.
The same is true this season, with all four Heisman Trophy finalists — Caleb Williams of USC, Stetson Bennett of Georgia, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Max Duggan of TCU — all playing that most important (and awarded) position in football.
The fact that all of the finalists play the same position helps make comparisons that much easier. So, which of Williams, Bennett, Stroud and Duggan had the best seasons?
Though there is empirical evidence to suggest which players had the "best" season, each was outstanding in their own way: Williams was the leader among an influx of transfers who helped elevate USC from a middling (sometimes flailing) Pac-12 team to a fringe College Football Playoff challenger.
Bennett is the unquestioned leader of the top team in the country, on the cusp of leading the Bulldogs to a second consecutive national championship. Stroud directed an aerial arsenal made for one of the most terrifying offenses in the country. And Duggan was the driving force of a TCU team that scratched out five ranked victories — and five one-score victories — en route to the Horned Frogs' first ever Playoff berth.
In that sense, each of the Heisman finalists, three of whom will play in the College Football Playoff, are deserving of the Heisman Trophy. Even so, The Sporting News looks at their respective seasons to compare and contrast their stats for the 2022 Heisman Trophy campaign:
Heisman finalists stats comparison
Caleb Williams stats
Passing
| Games | Completions | Attempts | Pct. | Yards | TDs | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 296 | 448 | 66.0 | 4,075 | 37 | 4 |
Rushing
| Games | Rushes | Yards | YPC | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 109 | 372 | 3.4 | 10 |
MORE: The case for and against each 2022 Heisman Trophy finalist, from Stetson Bennett to Caleb Williams
Stetson Bennett stats
Passing
| Games | Completions | Attempts | Pct. | Yards | TDs | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 269 | 395 | 73.7 | 3,425 | 20 | 6 |
Rushing
| Games | Rushes | Yards | YPC | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 47 | 184 | 3.91 | 7 |
C.J. Stroud stats
Passing
| Games | Completions | Attempts | Pct. | Yards | TDs | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 235 | 355 | 66.2 | 3,340 | 37 | 6 |
Rushing
| Games | Rushes | Yards | YPC | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 35 | 74 | 2.1 | 0 |
MORE: Heisman Trophy odds 2022: Favorites, sleepers to win the Heisman
Max Duggan stats
Passing
| Games | Completions | Attempts | Pct. | Yards | TDs | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 239 | 368 | 64.9 | 3,321 | 30 | 4 |
Rushing
| Games | Rushes | Yards | YPC | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 112 | 404 | 3.6 | 6 |
