2021 Heisman Trophy Top 10 Finishers Revealed
The top 10 Heisman vote recipients were revealed Thursday night on The Top 10 Heisman Trophy Finalists Show Presented by Nissan that aired live on ESPN.
Six college standouts joined the already-announced top four finishers of (listed alphabetically) Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
They were fifth-place Alabama linebacker Will Anderson, sixth-place Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III, seventh-place Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral, eighth-place Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, ninth-place Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis and 10th-place Iowa State running back Breece Hall.
Hall is the only repeat top 10 finisher from 2020, when he finished sixth in the Heisman balloting.
This marks the first time since 2012 that three defensive players finish in the top 10 in the Heisman voting when Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o was second, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was sixth and Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones was 10th.
The last time more than one defensive player finished inside the top 10 was 2016 when Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers finished fifth and Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was seventh.
Alabama is the only school with two in the top 10 this year with Young and the fifth-place Anderson and follows its 2020 finish that saw three in the top 5 (wide receiver DeVonta Smith first, quarterback Mac Jones third, running back Najee Harris fifth).
At least one school has had multiple top 10 finishers for four straight years, Alabama having done it three times.
In 2019, Ohio State had three in the top six with quarterback Justin Fields third, defensive end Chase Young fourth and running back J.K. Dobbins sixth. Also in 2019, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was seventh and running back Travis Etienne was ninth.
In 2018, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was second while defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was eighth.
The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner will be announced during the televised Heisman Trophy Ceremony Presented by Nissan that will air Saturday (Dec. 11) at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.