2023 Heisman Trophy voting results: Full breakdown with regional vote distribution & final ranking of the candidates

Heisman Trophy Football
How did the Heisman Trophy voting wind up?

The 2023 Heisman Trophy was exciting, with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels winning the award. While the decision was not too much in question, the breakdown of the voting seems to be the more intriguing aspect to see how each player wound up.

Let's take a deeper dive into the 2023 Heisman voting and see how voters made the decision.


How did the 2023 Heisman Trophy voting look like?

According to Deloitte, below is the breakdown of the top 10 Heisman candidates and the voting breakdown.

RankingNameSchool1st Place Votes2nd Place Votes3rd Place VotesTotal Points
1Jayden DanielsLSU503217862,029
2Michael Penix JrWashington2923411431,701
3Bo NixOregon51205322885
4Marvin Harrison JrOhio State2078136352
5Jordan TravisFlorida State8192385
6Jalen MilroeAlabama484573
7Ollie Gordon IIOklahoma State122431
8Cody SchraderMissouri12229
9 Blake CorumMichigan321528
10J.J. McCarthyMichigan17421

They also broke down the Heisman Trophy finalists points per each region. Jayden Daniels was the top selection in each region, except in the far west, where Michael Penix Jr edged him out.

NameNortheast PointsMid-Atlantic PointsSouth PointsSouthwest PointsMidwest PointsFar West Points
Jayden Daniels334318433379286279
Michael Penix Jr272272251292287327
Bo Nix142121148145129200
Marvin Harrison Jr5488254010639

Did the Heisman Trophy voters get it right with Jayden Daniels?

The betting odds for the 2023 Heisman had Jayden Daniels as a heavy favorite since the finalists were announced. However, there was a reason for that: Daniels was far and away the best college football player in the country.

It's tough to argue against his performance, as he led the country with a 95.7 QBR and had 50 total touchdowns (40 passing, 10 rushing). The top four Heisman finalists were placed correctly: Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr, Bo Nix and Marvin Harrison Jr.


Who should be the favorite for the 2024 Heisman Trophy?

A lot of people will immediately jump to what's next. With all four finalists likely to make the leap to the National Football League, there are going to be a crop of players in the way-too-early Heisman conversation for next season.

Remember that many were convinced that Caleb Williams would win back-to-back Heismans at this time last season, so things can change on a dime.

One player to keep an eye on would be Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. It's expected that the offensive line will improve throughout the offseason. He threw for over 3,000 yards and a 27:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a terrible offensive line.

Another player could be Quinn Ewers if he decides to stay in college football next season, as it's rumored he's leaning that way. With the experience factor and the uptick in competition with the program joining the SEC, expect Ewers to be a top candidate for the sport's highest individual honor.

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