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Joel Klatt weighs in on Heisman Trophy finalists, suggests B1G trio belonged over Stetson Bennett
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Joel Klatt isn’t holding back on his thoughts on the Heisman Trophy finalists.
The Fox Sports analyst made it known that while he respects the decision of the voters to include Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, other players might have had a stronger resume at lesser programs. Several B1G names Klatt listed included Michigan running back Blake Corum, Illinois running back Chase Brown, and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Bijan Robinson, Chase Brown, Zach Charbonnet, Marvin Harrison Jr….and others…Again, Bennett is a good player and perfect for Georgia…But hardly a Heisman finalist
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) December 6, 2022
Being a Heisman Finalist is a very big deal for both the player and the program…Proving to recruits that they can accomplish those types of lofty goal at your program in your system is vital
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) December 6, 2022
Bennett was 1 of 4 finalists selected for Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony following his 13-0 season at Georgia. The 3 other finalists listed were TCU quarterback Max Duggan, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Bennett finished the year with 3,425 passing yards and 27 total touchdowns against 6 interceptions. Among SEC quarterbacks, he ranked 2nd in passing yards, trailing only Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers. In passing touchdowns, Bennett ranked 5th (20), finishing behind Rogers (4), Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker (27), Alabama’s Bryce Young (27) and Arkansas’ KJ Jefferson (22).
Hooker, who led the Vols to their best finish since 2007, suffered a torn ACL in Week 13’s loss against South Carolina and will miss the remainder of the season. College Football Twitter openly expressed their dismay for voters leaving him off the ballot after posting quality numbers in Knoxville.
Corum, who suffered a knee injury in the 2nd half win over Illinois, announced last month that he would have season-ending surgery and would miss the College Football Playoff. He finished 10th nationally in rushing yards (1,463) and tied for 4th in rushing touchdowns (18) with Texas’ Bijan Robinson.
Brown finished with a career-best 1,643 rushing yards in 2022, 2nd-most among FBS runners behind UAB’s DeWayne McBride. He ranked 39th in rushing touchdowns with 10.
Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Tradition who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.