Bryce Young

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud are among the semifinalists for the 2022 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Here's the full list for the Walter Camp Football Foundation's watch list:

• Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh, RB 
• Will Anderson Jr., Alabama, LB 
• Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia, QB 
• Brock Bowers, Georgia, TE 
• Chase Brown, Illinois, RB 
• Zach Charbonnet, UCLA, RB 
• Blake Corum, Michigan, RB 
• Jayden Daniels, LSU, QB 
• Max Duggan, TCU, QB 
• Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State, WR 
• Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, QB 
• Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee, WR 
• Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB 
• Michael Mayer, Notre Dame, TE 
• Bo Nix, Oregon, QB 
• Michael Penix Jr., Washington, QB 
• Bijan Robinson, Texas, RB 
• Noah Sewell, Oregon, LB 
• C.J. Stroud, Ohio State, QB 
• Tuli Tuipulotu, USC, DL 
• Caleb Williams, USC, QB 
• Bryce Young, Alabama, QB

Young is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, but the Walter Camp Award wasn't among the accolades he collected in 2021. The Crimson Tide star was a finalist and lost out to Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III.

Young is probably sitting in pole position for the 2022 honor.

The junior has thrown for 2,443 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions while running for 157 yards and three scores. Beyond the raw numbers, he has elevated a Crimson Tide team that doesn't have the kind of talent advantage it has enjoyed in recent years.

At 8-2, Alabama is already out of the College Football Playoff race. Its record would undoubtedly be worse were it not for Young. His ability to turn something into nothing has been a saving grace at times.

Should Ohio State remain unbeaten, Stroud will be a strong candidate for college football's top individual awards, though.

The third-year quarterback is leading FBS in quarterback rating (188.2) while throwing for 2,750 yards, 34 touchdowns and four interceptions. That's despite the Buckeyes missing their best wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, for most of the season.

Ohio State has the largest margin of victory (31.2 points per game) in the country largely because its offense eventually overwhelms its opponents.

Penn State trailed OSU by just two points, 16-14, entering the fourth quarter on Oct. 29. The Buckeyes then dropped 28 points over the final 15 minutes and coasted to a double-digit victory. Stroud went 26-of-33 for 354 yards and one touchdown in that game.

Ohio State plays Maryland on Saturday and finishes with No. 3 Michigan on Nov. 26. Given the likely stakes of the Michigan game, Stroud could definitively tips the scales in his favor over Young and the rest of the field that day.

Bryce Young did everything in his power to carry Alabama to a 30-24 victory over Mississippi at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday.

Looking to get back on track after last week's overtime loss at LSU and trying to avoid losing three games in a season for the first time since 2010, Young threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns.

It wasn't the best statistical day for the junior quarterback, but it was apparent throughout the game he was elevating the offense. His best play of the day was a touchdown pass to Ja'Corey Brooks on 3rd-and-goal that tied the score at 24 late in the third quarter.

Young's most important play was a 10-yard scramble on 3rd-and-6 from the Alabama 45-yard line to extend a drive with 6:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The first down allowed the Crimson Tide to take four more minutes off the clock and kick a field goal to turn a three-point game into a 30-24 advantage.

The response to Young's performance was positive and in stark contrast to what fans had to say about the play-calling from Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien.

This has certainly been an unusual season for Alabama. Head coach Nick Saban isn't accustomed to seeing his team struggle in the various ways this year's group has. The defense was a mess in losses to Tennessee and LSU.

The offense has been inconsistent, even in wins over Texas and Texas A&M. The win over the Aggies did come with Young unavailable because of a sprained right shoulder.

In four games since returning from that injury, Young has thrown for 1,241 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. He's completed 59.6 percent of his attempts during that span.

Saturday's win may have been somewhat bittersweet for the Crimson Tide. LSU clinched a berth in the SEC Championship Game thanks to the loss by Ole Miss.

Next up for Alabama will be a glorified tune-up against Austin Peay on Nov. 19 before the Iron Bowl against Auburn at Bryant–Denny Stadium in two weeks.

Your eyes may not be deceiving you if you think the Alabama offense is noticeably below the standard it has set in recent years.

ESPN's Matt Miller spoke with an NFL general manager who said Crimson Tide star Bryce Young is "the only player on that offense with a Round 1 grade."

Young was the No. 3 player off the board in Bleacher Report's most recent mock draft. He was the only member of the Alabama offense off the board in the first round.

Fans have grown used to Alabama reloading every year after losing its best players to the NFL. Head coach Nick Saban has been more than willing to dip his toe into the transfer portal as well. Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams made an immediate impact during his lone season in Tuscaloosa in 2021.

Whether it's down to coaching or a relative lack of talent, the 2022 Alabama offense simply lacks its usual explosion.

At times, Young's singular creativity has been the team's saving grace.

His 20-yard run inside the final minute set up Will Reichard's go-ahead field goal in a 20-19 win over Texas. Last Saturday, he somehow evaded the LSU pass rush to find Ja'Corey Brooks for a 41-yard touchdown pass, which gave Alabama a 21-17 lead over LSU in the fourth quarter.

Young's value was evident in the Tide's 24-20 victory over Texas A&M. With the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner sidelined, Jalen Milroe went 12-of-19 for 111 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Saban was questioned about offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien on Monday but declined to offer much insight. Blaming O'Brien for the state of the offense would be a bit harsh because the comment from the NFL GM speaks for itself.

There isn't a wealth of game-breaking talent in the passing game. This isn't 2019, when Alabama had a wideout room that included DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and Jaylen Waddle.

All Saban can do is course correct once the season is over.

When it became clear a run-heavy pro-style offense wasn't cutting it any more, Saban hired Lane Kiffin and watched as Alabama adapted to an uptempo spread style. In this case, it may not be a strategic shift but rather taking a different approach toward recruiting and the transfer portal.

The No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide were upset by the No. 10 LSU Tigers 32-31 in overtime on Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, and the loss dropped Nick Saban's squad to 7-2 on the season.

Quarterback Bryce Young completed 25-of-51 passes for 328 yards and one touchdown against one interception in the loss. He also had four carries for 10 yards.

Jahmyr Gibbs led all running backs with 15 carries for 99 yards. He also caught eight passes for 64 yards. Ja'Corey Brooks, meanwhile, led all receivers with seven catches for 97 yards and one score.

The Alabama offense put together a respectable evening, but the team's defense could have been much better as it allowed 367 yards of total offense and essentially fell apart in overtime.

This is the earliest a Saban-led team has put up two losses in a season since 2007, and his team will likely not be making an appearance in the College Football Playoff this year, which sparked shock among those on Twitter:

If Alabama doesn't make the College Football Playoff, it will make an appearance in a bowl game.

The Crimson Tide will face No. 11 Ole Miss next weekend before closing out the season against Austin Peay and Auburn.

Will Levis has been a controversial NFL draft prospect for fans who have seen his inconsistent play for Kentucky, but ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. is undeterred because of the senior quarterback's tantalizing physical traits.

In his latest big board update, Kiper has Levis ranked as the No. 2 quarterback prospect and No. 4 overall player in the 2023 class, one spot ahead of Alabama's Bryce Young.

When 2023 draft rankings began rolling out, Levis' name being included among the top-10 players caught many off guard.

ESPN's Todd McShay projected Levis to go No. 8 overall in his way-too-early mock draft released in May.

"Levis needs to find more consistency, but he has a live arm and a big 6'3", 232-pound frame," McShay wrote. "He has thrived in the quick game at Kentucky, with a lot of run-pass options and screen-type stuff, but there are some Josh Allen-like traits here for new Giants coach Brian Daboll.

Even though McShay threw out the Josh Allen comparison, Kiper actually cited Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford as a projection for Levis.

The main difference in evaluation between Levis and Young appears to be size. Levis is listed at 6'3" and 232 pounds on Kentucky's athletic website. Young comes in at 6'0" and 194 pounds, according to RollTide.com.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic noted NFL scouts expect Young's measurements will be closer to 5'10" and 190 pounds, and only two quarterbacks drafted in the past 25 years have been under six feet tall and 200 pounds (Seneca Wallace and Joe Hamilton).

Kiper wrote Young's arm strength is "more than good enough for him to be a great signal-caller at the next level."

Young is easier for casual draft observers to get a feel for because Alabama is on national television every week. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner also plays with a higher level of talent than Levis ever has in his college career.

Levis had a chance to elevate himself last week when Kentucky took on Tennessee in Knoxville. He turned in his worst performance of the season with just 98 yards passing, no touchdowns and three interceptions in a 44-6 loss.

No one will argue the Wildcats are on the same level as Tennessee as far as talent, but it would be nice to see a prospect who has a lot of questions about his ability to lead an NFL offense at least put up a strong fight under the national spotlight.