Heisman Watch: Caleb Williams still favorite after Week 1, Travis Hunter grabs headlines in Colorado’s win over TCU

Week 1 of college football has wrapped up, and boy, what a week it was. College football has a way of constantly reminding us why we miss the sport so much in the offseason. Colorado started things off with a bang, upsetting No. 17 TCU on the road. Indiana gave Ohio State a run for its money, and North Carolina regained the Duke’s Mayo title over their southern counterparts.

It’s way too early to tell how the season will pan out, but here are a few players who got their names onto Heisman watch lists this week, and a few who did not quite meet preseason expectations.

Stock Up

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

Hunter did it all for the Colorado Buffaloes in their historic upset of No. 17 TCU to kick off the season. With 119 receiving yards (and, as his coach pointed out, several dropped deep balls) and an interception, Hunter made a massive impact on both sides of the ball. Whether that is a sustainable form of play for him at this high level has yet to be seen, but Hunter is leaping onto Heisman watch lists across the country after that performance. His quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, is also rising on the odds boards.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

Penix’s performance against Boise State shouldn’t be written off as a given simply because the Broncos aren’t a Power 5 team. They have one of the top defenses in the Mountain West and could have given the Huskies a run for their money if it wasn’t for Penix — he finished the game with 450 passing yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Washington is going to look very interesting this year.

Stock Down

Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State

McCord was fine for OSU. Just that — fine. The Buckeyes ended up winning 23-3 over Indiana, which doesn’t betray quite how close that game felt for the first half. McCord was 20-for-33 for 239 yards and an interception. Yes, they made it work against the Hoosiers. But come time for Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame? The QB play may be a concern this season.

Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina

Rattler won’t even have the chance to try to prove himself to the Heisman voters if his offensive line can’t step things up. He was sacked nine times in the Gamecocks’ loss to North Carolina, but still went 30-for-39 for 353 yards. Rattler has been around the block a few times now, but his veteran presence and experience won’t matter if he can’t get a play off.

Here are the latest odds to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy after Week 1 from DraftKings Sportsbook, updated at 5:00 p.m. on September 5: