Why TCU quarterback Max Duggan deserves to be in the Heisman race
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Days before he helped lead the dramatic comeback over Top 10 Oklahoma State, TCU quarterback Max Duggan was asked about the brewing Heisman Trophy chatter surrounding him.
His response?
“I just want to win. I’m not worried about any personal accolades or anything like that. I just want to see TCU win, I want to see the guys have a good time and make sure we finish the season on top,” Duggan said.
It’s that type of attitude that has endeared him to his teammates and the city of Fort Worth itself. It’s also one of many reasons Duggan should be among the contenders for the most prestigious award in college football.
Forget long shot candidate, Duggan wasn’t even supposed to be the starter for No. 8 TCU. We’ve seen the story before on this level. The longtime starter is eventually pushed out by a newer face deemed to have more upside.
Except Duggan didn’t quit, leave school or ask for a transfer.
He stayed.
In part to graduate and earn a degree from TCU, but mainly to do what he could to make sure TCU had the best season possible.
When starting quarterback Chandler Morris was injured in the season opener at Colorado, the door opened for him to again be the team’s quarterback.
And just as Morris earned the job in the preseason, Duggan earned the right to keep the job with how excellent he’s been playing.
He stood battered with his face still visibly red from the physical second half against the Cowboys last Saturday. At one point, it appeared Duggan hurt his shoulder late in the fourth quarter. Was there any chance he wouldn’t finish off the game?
“No,” Duggan said firmly. “You get dinged up after every game, you’re never going to be 100%. I’ll be all right.”
His signature play from the 43-40 comeback win came just before Kendre Miller’s game-winning touchdown run. Duggan rumbled toward the end zone, lowered his shoulder and stretched out in an attempt to get the ball past the goal line. It was a moment that left some of his teammates in awe.
“Max is a great quarterback throwing the ball, but the stuff he does with his feet he’s close to a running back. When he took off, there was nothing I could do, but turn and block. He got up, pointed and said some words then it was on from there,” Horned Frogs star receiver Quinton Johnston said.
Take this into perspective. Oklahoma State was probably the least efficient game Duggan has played all year, yet Duggan gritted out 286 yards in the air with 57 on the ground. He posted a quarterback rating of 81.8 and scored three touchdowns against a Top 10 team.
That’s what his floor has been this year as he’s been putting up video game numbers under Sonny Dykes. Dykes is a coach that knows a thing or two about prolific quarterbacks.
“Max Duggan continues to play football as good as any quarterback I’ve been around,” Dykes said. “He just does everything he can to help your football team win. He got hit a bunch, he’s just a tough guy and I’m so proud of him.”
Remember that’s coming from a coach that developed a No. 1 pick in Jared Goff and had another signal caller drafted in the third round. He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to quarterback play.
But if that isn’t enough, let me lay out the full case as to why Duggan should among the leading contenders for the Heisman.
The numbers
6: Duggan is sixth nationally in passer efficiency just behind fellow contenders such as Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.
16-1: Duggan has thrown 16 touchdown passes to just one interception. Only two quarterbacks have thrown for more touchdowns in six games. The 16-1 touchdown to interception ratio is among the best in the country.
69.5: The senior quarterback is completing almost 70% of his passes and is on pace to break TCU’s season record for completion percentage.
10: Duggan has thrown 10 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards. That’s the most by a Power Five quarterback according to Pro Football Focus.
3: Duggan has led TCU to three straight ranked wins, the first time in school history.
19.0: With Duggan leading the way, 19% of TCU’s offensive plays have gone for at least 15 yards, which qualifies as a big play. The Horned Frogs lead the country in that category.
The narrative
Collegiate or professional, narratives always play a factor in the Heisman or the MVP races. The story of a player’s season is often just as important as his numbers.
Well Duggan’s gone from being the starter to backup to now one of the best quarterbacks in the country in a short amount of time. It doesn’t happen if he doesn’t decide to remain at TCU.
His decision not to transfer and to remain with the Horned Frogs has been told. Now, thanks to his play on the field, more of the national college football audience is starting to learn more about his journey.
“I think it is incredibly rare to find a young person that has the fortitude to face adversity. This is a guy that has not quit, has battled adversity both in his own life personally and now in his career as a college quarterback,” Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt said on Twitter. “He just keeps playing, he just stays the course.”
That’s what Duggan kept doing against Oklahoma State, Kansas and SMU. He stayed the course no matter what adversity arose during the game.
In another universe, Duggan could be enjoying this same performance at any other Power Five program, but he decided to remain at the school he chose out of high school and honored it as a four year commitment.
Now in his potentially last year, he comes through when his team has needed him the most. Forget saving the season, Duggan has the Horned Frogs thinking of new possibilities like a Big 12 title and a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl or more as a result.
You couldn’t write a better script for a movie or use a character that’s more fitting than Duggan.
The Heisman field
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud: 113-of-160 passing, 1,737 yards, 24 touchdowns, 3 interceptions. 10 carries, 4 yards
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker: 119-of-170 passing, 1,817 yards, 15 touchdowns, 1 interception. 59 carries, 287 yards, 3 touchdowns.
USC QB Caleb Williams: 147-of-230 passing, 1,971 yards, 19 touchdowns, 1 interception. 61 carries, 235 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Alabama QB Bryce Young: 125-of-186 passing, 1,657 yards, 16 touchdowns, 3 interceptions. 22 carries, 150 yards, 3 touchdowns.
UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 122-of-163 passing, 1,510 yards, 15 touchdowns, 2 interceptions. 42 carries, 231 yards, 4 touchdowns.
Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei: 137-of-213 passing, 1,665 yards, 17 touchdowns, 2 interceptions. 81 carries, 337 yards, 4 touchdowns.
UNC QB Drake Maye: 162-of-231 passing, 2,283 yards, 24 touchdowns, 3 interceptions. 84 carries, 378 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Michigan RB Blake Corum: 146 carries, 901 yards, 13 touchdowns. 7 receptions, 35 yards.
TCU QB Max Duggan: 116-of-167 passing, 1,591 yards, 16 touchdowns, 1 interception. 43 carries, 261 yards, 4 touchdowns.
Previous TCU Heisman contenders
Sam Baugh: Finished fourth in 1936 Heisman voting.
Davey O’Brien: Won the 1938 Heisman.
Jim Swink: Finished second in 1955 Heisman voting.
Kenneth Davis: Finished fifth in 1984 Heisman voting.
LaDainian Tomlinson: Finished fourth in 2000 Heisman voting.
Andy Dalton: Finished ninth in 2010 Heisman voting.
Trevone Boykin: Finished fourth in 2014 Heisman voting and tied for ninth in 2015.
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 4:45 AM.
