The list of contenders for the 2022 Heisman Trophy is officially down to four: Quarterbacks Caleb Williams (USC), Max Duggan (TCU), C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) and Stetson Bennett (Georgia) have been announced as the finalists.

Oddly enough, three of the four leading candidates lost their final game ahead of the postseason. USC and TCU fell in their respective conference championships, and Ohio State lost to Michigan in its last regular-season game.

However, the body of work for Williams, Duggan and Stroud is nonetheless impressive. They're all deserving finalists, along with Bennett from SEC-winning Georgia.

Williams remains the favorite to hoist the Heisman, but we're running through the candidates and breaking down why each one has a chance to win college football's most prestigious individual honor.

The winner will be announced Saturday, Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. ET.

 

Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia

Two things can harmoniously exist with regard to Stetson Bennett's resume for the Heisman.

He's a much-improved passer whose greatest strength is efficiency and the only finalist who won a conference title. Bennett has made impactful, evident progress since last season.

As with Stroud, Bennett's stats are lower because of Georgia's dominance. Bennett, who posted a finalist-high 68.1 completion rate, has thrown 35 passes in the fourth quarter all year, whereas Williams has 80 attempts.

That, more than anything, would be the reason to vote for Bennett over the other candidates.

Simultaneously, it's not a powerful case historically.

Bennett accounted for fewer touchdowns (27) than any other finalist by nine-plus scores. The context of a run-focused UGA offense is valuable, but voters have regularly been drawn to gaudy stats.