Pac-12 football: Ranking the top 2023 Heisman Trophy candidates

Welcome to a new feature on the Hotline: Our weekly look at the Pac-12’s leading Heisman Trophy candidates via a power ranking of the top 10 players in the conference.

Consider this one Heisman voter’s view of the field, which is packed with candidates for the first time in forever.

The rankings are based on a subjective assessment of individual performance, value to the team and quality of competition.

Essentially, the Hotline evaluates Heisman candidates using the top category within John Wooden’s famed Pyramid of Success: competitive greatness, which Wooden defines as the ability to “be at your best when your best is needed.”

And yes, we consider defensive players.

1. Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter
Key stats: 14 receptions, seven tackles, one interception … and 274 snaps
Comment: The two-way wonder has made an impact on both sides of the ball in both of Colorado’s wins. We aren’t convinced he can play 130 or more snaps per game each week without a regression in performance or physical breakdown. But for now, Hunter’s unprecedented performance is truly the stuff of Heisman lore.

2. USC QB Caleb Williams
Key stats: 12 touchdowns, no interceptions, 78.6 completion percentage
Comment: Williams has approached perfection in the early stages of his trophy defense, but the stat that separates him from other Pac-12 quarterbacks is an otherworldly 12.5 yards per attempt (tops in the nation). His primary obstacle might be voter fatigue. There hasn’t been a back-to-back winner since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in the 1970s.

3. Oregon QB Bo Nix
Key stats: Five touchdowns, no interceptions, 77.5 completion percentage
Comment: Nix had an impressive, albeit easy opener as the Ducks scored 81 points against Portland State. His position here is based on a sublime fourth quarter in Oregon’s escape at Texas Tech. Nix directed three scoring drives and completed 8-of-9 passes for 68 yards. “Be at your best when your best is needed.”

4. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
Key stats: Six touchdowns, no interceptions, 77.5 completion percentage
Comment: Sanders has navigated the transition from the FCS level without a hitch. We don’t think much of TCU’s defense. But Nebraska has a solid unit, and Sanders carved up the Cornhuskers. A sustained candidacy hinges, in part, on Hunter’s performance. There’s a real threat of splitting the vote.

5. Washington QB Michael Penix
Key stats: 429.5 yards per game, 11 yards per attempt, 73.1 completion percentage
Comment: Alone among the quarterbacks on this list, Penix has an interception to his name. (The horror!) But that’s not the reason he’s slotted fifth. In fact, Penix’s only shortcoming is that he has been merely terrific and not stupendous. If UW keeps winning, he has a great shot to reach New York City.

6. USC WR/KR Zachariah Branch
Key stats: 41.7 yards per kick return, 22.6 yards per punt return
Comment: The freshman receiver/returner has made an incredible impact in limited opportunities, averaging 19.4 yards per touch with touchdowns in three different disciplines. But anyone looking for comparisons to USC’s you-know-who has come to the wrong place. That’s not fair to Branch.

7. WSU QB Cameron Ward
Key stats: Five touchdowns, no interceptions, 70.4 completion percentage
Comment: We’d like to see Ward’s completion rate in the mid-70s, but this placement doesn’t adequately reflect his performance in leading the Cougars to a blowout win over Colorado State and an upset of No. 19 Wisconsin. Any other year, Ward’s impact thus far would warrant a spot in the top five.

8. Utah S Cole Bishop
Key stats: 15 tackles, one interception, one fumble forced
Comment: With Clark Phillips III off to the NFL, Bishop assumes the starring role in Utah’s chaos-causing defense. He registered 11 tackles in the win over Florida, and his late interception at Baylor set up the game-winning touchdown. For our money, there is no better defensive player in the conference.

9. UCLA DE Laiatu Latu
Key stats: 5.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks
Comment: Latu was a first-team all-conference pick in 2022 and entered this season as one of the nation’s top edge rushers. He hasn’t disappointed, with tackles-for-loss and sack numbers that rank third and first in the FBS, respectively. When Laiatu isn’t collapsing the pocket, he’s occupying linemen and freeing up teammates.

10. WSU Edge Ron Stone
Key stats: Eight tackles, two sacks, two fumbles forced
Comment: The relentless senior was at his best when his best was needed: Both sacks and forced fumbles came in the upset of Wisconsin and resulted in Stone winning the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week award. He doubles as an emotional leader of a defense supercharged by the perception that WSU was snubbed in the realignment game.

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