Who are the 2021 Heisman Trophy candidates?

2021 Heisman Trophy candidate No. 1: Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma

I mean, this one was pretty obvious, right? There were some, like with Howell, who put Spencer Rattler among the possible Heisman Trophy candidates for the 2020 season. Given the fact that the Oklahoma Sooners had produced two winners and one finalist in the three years prior, it’s not hard to see where the thought process that led people to that conclusion came from.

Rattler, however, did not exactly come out like gangbusters in his redshirt freshman year. The young quarterback had some hiccups, especially with throwing interceptions, which is ultimately what led to the Sooners’ two early losses on the year. But what can’t be ignored is the fact that both he and Oklahoma got substantially better as the year went on.

All told, Rattler finished his redshirt freshman season with the Sooners completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also rushing for six scores in only 11 games. Given how his starting career began, that’s an impressive progression for a young quarterback.

Though there are some departures to consider in Norman, the overall cast of weapons will be quite strong for Rattler to work with in the 2021 season. And with the hiccups hopefully out of the way, it’s not too much pressure being put on him to say that he should be considered the Heisman Trophy favorite for next season at this point.

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