Week one rarely reveals as much as we say in the first full weekend of the 2021 college football season. However, some of the top preseason favorites got off to slow starts. Could we see a player without a single vote in the preseason poll jump all the way up to number one? Before that, let’s take a look at some of the contenders in our 2021 week one Heisman rankings.
Can you believe that Spencer Rattler, Sam Howell, D.J. Uiagalelei, and JT Daniels combined for a total of two total touchdown passes? The struggle at the quarterback play paved the way for a new leader in the clubhouse. But, who would that be? Let’s take a look as we unveil our 2021 week one Heisman rankings.
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Note: Ties were broken alphabetically by player’s last name
| Ranking | Player | Position | Team | Points |
| 1 | Bryce Young | QB |  |
93 |
| 2 | Chris Olave | WR |  |
60 |
| 3 | Bijan Robinson | RB |  |
39 |
| 4 | Spencer Rattler | QB |  |
24 |
| 5 | Matt Corral | QB |  |
20 |
| 6 | Breece Hall | RB |  |
16 |
| 7 | Zach Charbonnet | RB |  |
7 |
| 8 | Sam Howell | QB |  |
6 |
| 9 | Kenneth Walker III | RB |  |
6 |
| 10 | Desmond Ridder | QB |  |
3 |
| 11 | Kyle Hamilton | DB |  |
2 |
| 12 | Mohamed Ibrahim | RB |  |
2 |
| 13 | Jameson Williams | WR | |
2 |
| 14 | Jordan Davis | DL |  |
1 |
| 15 | Erik Ezukanma | WR |  |
1 |
| 16 | McKenzie Milton | QB |  |
1 |
| 17 | Riley Moss | DB |  |
1 |
| 18 | Kedon Slovis | QB |  |
1 |
Top Five Candidates
1. Bryce Young
QB | Alabama Next Game: 9/11 vs Mercer
Young went from not having a single preseason vote to number one in our first Heisman poll. He was dominant in Alabama’s opening weekend thrashing of Miami, FL with 344 passing yards and four touchdowns. An offense that many thought would struggle early in the season didn’t appear to miss a beat in game one. However, Young appears to have a light effort as Alabama hosts FCS Mercer on Saturday.
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2. Chris Olave
WR | Ohio State Next Game: 9/11 vs Oregon
Important to note, after a first-half struggle, Olave and the Buckeyes played excellent football in a 45-31 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night. Olave made the most of his touches gaining 117 yards on four receptions with two of them going for touchdowns. He will have another high-profile matchup this weekend as the Ducks come to town. But, could Olave possibly make it two Heisman’s in a row from the wide receiver position?
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3. Bijan Robinson
RB | Texas Next Game: 9/11 at Arkansas
The Texas Longhorns were one of the most impressive teams in week one of the college football season. Robinson was a huge key to that success as he totaled 176 total yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns in the 38-18 win over Louisiana. The tough non-conference slate continues for the Longhorns as they travel to SEC country to face Arkansas.
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4. Spencer Rattler
QB | Oklahoma Next Game: 9/11 vs Western Carolina
Oklahoma narrowly avoided a disastrous start to the season by defeating Tulane 40-35. Instead of continuing on his path to finish last year, Rattler reverted to his early-season form of a year ago by tossing two interceptions. The Sooners will need to get more consistent play of a Heisman frontrunner as they look for their first playoff win in 2021.
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5. Matt Corral
QB | Ole Miss Next Game: 9/11 vs Austin Peay
Corral and the Rebels got off to an outstanding start with a 43-24 win over Louisville on Monday night. Corral accounted for 436 total yards from scrimmage with a couple of touchdowns. Ole Miss looks to be much improved defensively early on which could be a big benefit to the Rebels for the trajectory of the season. In addition, Corral should be able to pad his stats easily against Austin Peay.
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