The 2021 college football regular season is winding down, but that only means the Heisman race is reaching its peak. This year’s race is very muddled, with no clear standout in the eyes of many. However, a decent bet will be that a quarterback is the favorite, a receiver could get votes, a running back might sneak in and one defensive player (Jordan Davis? Will Anderson?) will get a token invite to New York. Oh, and the player will be from a Power 5 school. BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, the 1990 winner, is arguably the last winner from a traditionally non-power school, but BYU was ranked No. 4 going into the final game of the season and had won a national championship just six years prior. There will be plenty of candidates who will not even receive a vote, but that does not mean they should go unnamed. Here is just a small list of the best players who definitely will not win the Heisman. 

Matt Araiza P/K — San Diego State

Liam highlighted Matt Araiza in his Week 11 Player Spotlight, so I’ll quickly summarize here. His strong leg gives him good range on his field goals, but where he thrives most is blasting punts over the heads of returners. The ability to flip the field like he does, especially with the Aztecs’ great defense, is one of the key reasons the team is 9-1 and No. 19 in the College Football Playoff rankings. He also has the ability to aim punts and pin teams inside their 20-yard line, leaving opponents a lot of field to traverse. Araiza is the rare special teams player who could be a serious Day 2 pick when the NFL draft rolls around. 

Jake Haener QB — Fresno State

Sticking in the Mountain West Conference, the former Washington Husky has been dotting up defenses for the Bulldogs. The generously listed 6-1, 195-pound Jake Haener has been fantastic through 11 games, throwing for 3,467 yards on a 66.8% completion percentage with 28 touchdowns to nine picks. He even had a Heisman moment, leading his team into the Rose Bowl against then No. 13 UCLA and throwing for 455 yards and 2 touchdowns, the final one coming after a six-play, 75-yard drive in 40 seconds before tossing the game-winning score with 14 seconds left. All of this came after his body got mashed, resulting in a hip injury that continues to plague him. He is also dealing with a foot injury, but despite that he is still gutting out performances that based on the circumstances alone should have him at the Heisman ceremony. 

Bailey Zappe QB — Western Kentucky

The Houston Baptist transfer was interviewed earlier this season on our YouTube channel after following his offensive coordinator Zach Kittley to Western Kentucky. Kittley is now the co-offensive coordinator for a high flying Hilltoppers’ team that is averaging 41.4 points per game, good for seventh in the nation. With an FBS-leading 4,170 passing yards with 42 touchdowns to seven interceptions through 10 games, Bailey Zappe is the leader of this potent offense. Even more impressive is his total stats against Power 5 opponents Indiana and Michigan State. He put up 853 yards with 6 touchdowns, completing passes at a fantastic 71.3% clip. Receiver Jerreth Sterns is second in the nation with 1,368 yards, along with 111 catches and 11 scores. Sterns, who also transferred in from Houston Baptist, has been a beneficiary of this success, but my next two are candidates who have been slightly more impressive in my eyes. 

David Bell WR — Purdue

With 75 receptions, 1,106 yards and five touchdowns through 10 games, it is even more impressive when realizing David Bell has put up these numbers as the only legitimate threat on a Boilermakers’ offense that would otherwise be helpless. His performances against big-time opponents only solidify that he is one of the best players in the country. Going up against then No. 2 Iowa on the road, he hauled in 11 grabs for 240 yards and a touchdown. In the upset win over then No. 3 Michigan State, he once again caught 11 passes for 217 yards with a score. At No. 4 Ohio State last week, despite the team getting blown out, Bell had 11 receptions for 103 yards. If Bell was on a top team, the argument could be made that he would not be getting fed the ball so much, but just watching him play makes it clear that he would be getting more Heisman buzz at a better program.  

Deven Thompkins WR — Utah State

With 77 receptions for a nation-leading 1,441 yards to go along with eight touchdowns for the surprising 8-2 Aggies, the tiny Deven Thompkins is a bolt of lightning for the Logan, Utah team. Listed at 5-8″ and 155 pounds, he is a dynamic threat whenever he gets the ball. Short passes or go routes, his blazing acceleration and good long speed strikes fear into defensive coordinators.

Lew Nichols III RB — Central Michigan

Battling for the top rushing spot, Lew Nichols III has rushed for 1,516 yards with 14 scores, averaging 5.7 yards per carry for the 7-4 Chippewas. In his last two games he’s come on strong, totaling 434 yards with seven touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry. Best of all, he has yet to fumble this season. Watching him in #MACtion games has been entertaining to say the least with his blend of long speed and power making him one of the better runners in the nation. 

Tyler Linderbaum C — Iowa and Ikem Ekwonu OL — North Carolina State

Offensive linemen don’t stand a chance of getting a Heisman, though Ohio State linemen John Hicks and Orlando Pace finished in the top five, with Pace placing fourth in 1996 and Hicks Jr. finishing as the runner-up in 1973. But if anyone could do it this year, it would be either Tyler Linderbaum or Ikem Ekwonu. Watching both of these big men move around the field like gazelles with rhino power is pure artwork that should be put in the Louvre. Just go look up videos of these two throwing aside defensive linemen, destroying linebackers, or sending a defensive back into a black hole.  Both should be first-round picks in the upcoming NFL draft and hopefully, maybe, in a long shot, some brave Heisman voter will put one or both of these players on their ballot.