Ranking the 10 best early Heisman Trophy candidates for 2023

Jordan Travis leading Florida State back would make him a Heisman favorite

Florida State finished the 2022 season as one of the most under-the-radar great teams in the country. Outside of an injury-plagued three-game losing streak, the Seminoles look to be finding their mojo under Mike Norvell and that should only continue to be the case after quarterback Jordan Travis announced he’s returning to Tallahassee.

Travis flourished this past year as he threw for 2,796 yards with 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions while also rushing for 367 yards and seven touchdowns (the third straight year he’s had seven rushing scores). And again, he did this for a team that finished 9-3.

Over November, you could count the number of quarterbacks who were better than Travis on one hand and you wouldn’t need all the fingers there. He’s a dual-threat player who has just been getting better, and we should be excited to see what he and the Noles have in store.

Cade Klubnik showed his Heisman Trophy potential for Clemson already

For so much of the 2022 season, Clemson fans were calling for Dabo Swinney to bench incumbent starter D.J. Uiagalelei in favor of former 5-star recruit Cade Klubnik. Stubbornly, we only ever seemingly got to see Klubnik when the Tigers were in serious trouble mid-game, which put the youngster in bad spots. But in the ACC Championship Game, Klubnik took over after two drives and we saw what fans had been clamoring for.

In relief, Klubnik submitted a masterclass effort in a drubbing of North Carolina as he went 20-of-24 for 279 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 30 yards and a score as well. He was dynamic, displayed special arm talent and simply looked like the goods.

Clemson needs to find a more consistent offense in terms of the scheme and coaching but they have their QB of the future in Klubnik. And now that he’s being given the opportunity, it could be special results on the field for the 2023 season in Death Valley.