Alabama Football: Three reasons Will Anderson Jr. won’t win the Heisman

Most college football fans are aware of how difficult it is for a defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. It has only happened once in history, as Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson brought home the award in 1997. Additionally, no one has ever claimed the award playing strictly on the defensive side of the ball. Even Woodson played limited snaps on offense and had his “Heisman moment” as a punt returner.

Only a handful of defenders in the modern era have played their way into the Heisman conversation. Defensive linemen such as Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh and Ohio State’s Chase Young finished as finalists. Others, including South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney and Alabama football greats Jonathan Allen and Quinnen Williams, have also run roughshod through college football in recent years.

Call me biased, or a prisoner of the moment, but I thought Will Anderson Jr. had a better season in 2021 than any of them. He was the most explosive, disruptive, and unblockable defensive player I have seen in this century. Still, he was not even invited to the Heisman ceremony. Even more blasphemous, another defensive player that plays a similar position was honored in his place.

It is common knowledge that the Heisman voters lean heavily towards the offensive side of the ball. Anderson Jr. didn’t win the award in 2021, and I’m not sure what else he could do to top that performance. The fact that he wasn’t even named a finalist felt like the voters were sending a message: it’s not happening, whether he deserves it or not.