Advertisement

On 'College GameDay,' Kirk Herbstreit says he'd vote Will Anderson for the Heisman Trophy

erik hall, the tuscaloosa news
·2 min read

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit put his support for the 2021 Heisman Trophy behind Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. during Saturday morning's "College GameDay" broadcast from Columbus, Ohio.

"Will Anderson, to me, on Alabama would be the guy I'd probably put on my ballot right now just because he's so dominant of a player," Herbstreit said.

Anderson has 67 tackles and 12 1/2 sacks through 10 games for Alabama.

David Pollack said he'd vote for Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III.

Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN's 'College GameDay' speaks during the broadcast at the University of Cincinnati for the first time before the Bearcats face the University of Tulsa game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.
Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN's 'College GameDay' speaks during the broadcast at the University of Cincinnati for the first time before the Bearcats face the University of Tulsa game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.

"It's such a lackluster race," Desmond Howard said. "I'm trying to find three guys that I feel strongly about that I want to put on the ballot. Which to me is not what the Heisman race is about. We shouldn't be trying to search guys and looking through statistics and trying to find. We need somebody that's going to take control of this award."

Howard won the 1991 Heisman Trophy.

ESPN's Chris Fowler touts Will Anderson Jr. for Heisman Trophy

On Friday, ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler posted a video to Instagram where he touted Anderson for the Heisman as well.

"Will Anderson has had relentless, consistent production on Alabama," Fowler said. "Only a sophomore, a true sophomore, and he has stepped up and not only led the country in tackles for loss and sacks. And he's on a historic tear at Alabama — not quite Derrick Thomas-level, but those records might never be broken for single-season sacks. But Anderson's been tremendous and he's also provided leadership on an Alabama defense that desperately needed it. It wasn't really on solid footing early in the season. Anderson has stepped up. It's rare to hear (Alabama football coach Nick) Saban praise a player so effusively as he has Anderson. It's not Nick's way. But as a sophomore, you can tell how appreciative he is of what Anderson is doing."

Thomas played linebacker at Alabama from 1986-88. He recorded 27 sacks during the 1988 season.

Texas A&M quarterback Lance Pavlas (12) is sacked for a 4-yard loss by Derrick Thomas (55) of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 1, 1988. The action is from the first quarter of the game, dubbed the "Hurricane Bowl" at College Station, Texas.
Texas A&M quarterback Lance Pavlas (12) is sacked for a 4-yard loss by Derrick Thomas (55) of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 1, 1988. The action is from the first quarter of the game, dubbed the "Hurricane Bowl" at College Station, Texas.

Anderson and Alabama face Arkansas on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Alabama, ranked No. 2 in the USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, comes into the matchup 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC. Most recently, Alabama beat New Mexico State 59-3 on Nov. 13.

The No. 22-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks enter the game 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC. On Nov. 13, Arkansas beat LSU 16-13 in overtime.

Here's more Alabama, Arkansas football news:

Oct 2, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (31) pressures Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral (2) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated Ole Miss 42-21. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (31) pressures Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral (2) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated Ole Miss 42-21. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Sports

Entering Saturday, Alabama leads the all-time series 24-7 vs. Arkansas. Sam Pittman is the Arkansas Razorbacks football head coach.

Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kirk Herbstreit says he'd vote Alabama's Will Anderson for the Heisman