1. Young will need to stay healthy.
Every year preseason Heisman candidates are eliminated because of their health.
Luckily for Young, he plays the quarterback position, so while health is never guaranteed in college football, he’ll have the best chance to stay on the field.
Missing just one game could spell the end of Young’s case. Especially considering C.J. Stroud will be back for another year and wants a trophy of his own.
Trevor Lawrence in 2020 is a perfect example of this. During that season, Lawrence was off to a hot start throwing 17 touchdowns and just 2 picks through the first six games.
But then he tested positive for COVID-19, and had to sit out 2 games. In one of those games, Clemson lost to Notre Dame.
When Lawrence returned, he wasn’t able to dominate like he had at the beginning of the year. He finished 2nd in the Heisman voting behind Alabama Football wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
If he was able to play in the full 12 games, and have his signature moment in South Bend, then maybe he would have secured the Heisman.
The good thing for Young is that he was healthy for all 15 games last year despite being sacked 39 times (26 more than Stroud) and doesn’t take unnecessary risk by running around recklessly.
His game is built off of pocket awareness and his poise in the pocket is his most valuable trait.
The offensive line for Alabama will need to protect him better next year though. Last year, Young was sacked 4 times or more in a game five times. That includes 7 times in the Iron Bowl where he struggled for most of the game until the end of the fourth quarter.
Next year, Young will hope to not have his Heisman moment running for his life. And it’s better for his health that he doesn’t.