by On Saturday night, the Heisman Trophy ceremony will take place in NYC where the best player in the nation will hoist the most prestigious award in college athletics.
While the Heisman is given to the most polarizing player in the sport, history has told us that it’s one of the few postseason awards that is rarely given to Group of Five players.
With that being said, we took the time to give you our 2023 G5 Heisman nominees. Below are a list of guys who have lit up the stat sheets, had historic seasons, and came up big for their respective teams every single week.
Commish: QB Kaidon Salter, LIBERTY
Salter is a dynamic dual-threat quarterback to keep on your NFL draft radar in the ensuing cycles. One of the most productive signal callers in the entire country, Salter accumulated 2,750 passing yards, 31 touchdowns (6th in FBS), and a 182.4 QBR that ranks third in the nation this season, trailing only Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. He also leads the most potent rushing attack in the country (302.9 YPG) with 1,064 yards and 12 more touchdowns on the ground. The redshirt sophomore will put his talents on full display when the Flames take on #8 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Snade: QB Jordan McCloud, JAMES MADISON
The Dukes pieced together a magical season in the Sun Belt despite being scrutinized by the NCAA. McCloud led the charge with 3,413 yards (14th in FBS), 32 touchdowns (5th in FBS), a 68.9% completion rate (12th in FBS), and eight additional scores on the ground. He also posted the second-highest QBR among G5 quarterbacks with 167.3. The leader of a James Madison team that had one of the best college football stories in recent memory had one heck of a season under center.
Dom: RB Ashton Jeanty, BOISE STATE
Jeanty is arguably the best all-around player in the G5 and one of the top running backs in college football. The Mountain West Player of the Year finished the regular season ranked sixth nationally in all-purpose yards (second in all-purpose yards per game) and led the conference in scrimmage yards by over 300 yards. He’s also the first FBS player since 2019 to finish a season with over 1,000 rushing and 500 receiving yards. Jeanty did all of this despite missing three games.
Clay: RB Kimani Vidal, TROY
Good heavens, Vidal was a stat machine in 2023: 1,582 yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 198 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. I don’t think I have to say more, BUT I WILL. Vidal kicked it into full gear in the Sun Belt Championship by rushing for 233 yards and five (yes, FIVE) touchdowns as he powered Troy to a Sun Belt title. Hats off, Kimani!
KKarp: WR Ricky White, UNLV
The former Michigan State wide receiver’s decision to transfer out west to Vegas has proven to be a terrific one. Following a breakout 2022 campaign, White unlocked his full potential this season, catching 81 passes (T-12th in FBS) for 1,384 yards (4th in FBS) and seven touchdowns while making up 46% of UNLV’s receiving yardage, 36% of the receptions, and a little over half of the receiving touchdowns. No one has been able to stop the first-team All-MWC standout all year long.
Other Receiving Votes:
QB Joey Aguilar, App State
QB Diego Pavia, New Mexico State
RB Peny Boone, Toledo
QB Preston Stone, SMU
QB Michael Pratt, Tulane
DE Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
RB Ismail Mahdi, Texas State
WR LaJohntay Wester, Florida Atlantic
Be sure to comment who you think deserves the G5 Heisman Trophy down below!