We are halfway through the 2021 College Football season and the Heisman race is still as clear as mud. Malik Willis took a small step back in the Heisman rankings after throwing three interceptions against Middle Tennessee, but a dominant Flames win keeps him in contention.
Against the Blue Raiders, Willis threw for 222 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions (his first interceptions of the season), while also rushing for another 80 yards and a touchdown. While that may be a subpar performance for Malik’s standards, he still was able to accumulate three touchdowns and over 300 yards of total offense.
Vegas Insider updated their 2021 Heisman Odds after Week 6, here’s their top five:
- Bryce Young, QB-Alabama +185
- Matt Corral, QB-Mississippi +210
- CJ Stroud, QB-Ohio State +1000
- Kenneth Walker III, RB-Michigan State +1200
- Bijan Robinson, RB-Texas +1400
T-13. Malik Willis, QB-Liberty +8000
Bryce Young suffered his first loss of the season last week, at the hands of Texas A&M. Despite the loss, Young threw for 369 yards and 3 touchdowns which is a good enough performance to keep him at the top spot.
Corral had an insane week against Arkansas. The junior threw for 287 yards, 2 touchdowns, and rushed for another 94 yards and 2 touchdowns in the victory. Corral and Willis are the only two quarterbacks ranked in the top 30 nationally for both rushing and passing touchdowns.
CJ Stroud moved up a spot after week 6 and for good reason. Stroud threw for 406 yards and 5 touchdowns as Ohio State dominated Maryland. For the first time all season, we have running backs in the top five. Coming in at fourth is Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III. Walker went off for 232 yards and a touchdown against Rutgers over the weekend and has accumulated 912 yards and 9 touchdowns so far on the year.
Texas running back Bijan Robinson is fifth in the Heisman odds. Robinson ran for 137 yards and a touchdown in the Red River Showdown last Saturday. Robinson has rushed for 789 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season.
Malik’s Heisman odds dropped to +8000 this week. While three interceptions undoubtedly hurt his Heisman chances, they are his only three picks of the 2021 season. Halfway through the year, Willis has thrown for 1,327 yards, 13 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions. He also has rushed for 443 yards and another 6 touchdowns. The stats are there and if the Flames can keep winning, his chances will stay alive. If his three-interception performance remains an anomaly and the Flames don’t lose, Malik Willis will remain in legitimate Heisman contention.
