Has any Washington player won a Heisman Trophy? Michael Penix Jr. sets out to achieve historic record for the Huskies

The 2023 college football season has been one of the most controversial as finalists for both the College Football Playoff and the Heisman Trophy have found opposition from fans. However, one team has managed to avoid all the debate, booking its place as one of college football's best.

The No. 2 Washington Huskies (13-0) capped off an undefeated regular season with a Pac-12 championship win over the Oregon Ducks. And they achieved this feat led by an extraordinary quarterback in Michael Penix Jr.

The senior year quarterback provided fans with one of the most compelling Heisman Trophy races of recent times, going up against fellow conference QB Bo Nix, LSU star Jayden Daniels and OSU standout receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

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Has any Washington player ever won a Heisman Trophy?

No, throughout the program's extensive 134-year history, no Washington Huskie has ever won a Heisman Trophy. Although the program boasts three Hall of Famers, including defensive tackle Arnie Weinmeister, running back Hugh McElhenny and most recently, quarterback Warren Moon, none of them won the Heisman Trophy while playing in Washington.

Looking at the Huskies players who got closest to winning the prestigious award, we have defensive lineman Steve Emtman, who finished fourth in 1991, which is also the highest a Washington player has come in the Heisman rankings.

QB Jake Browning, currently playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, finished sixth in 2016, while RB Greg Lewis came seventh in 1990 and QB Marques Tuiasosopo was eighth in the Heisman rankings of 2000.

This only makes Michael Penix's nomination much more significant, as the 23-year-old can achieve a feat unheard of before this season.

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How does Michael Penix Jr. stack up against other finalists?

With the Heisman voting expected to be very close until the finish line, here are the stats for all four candidates:

	Michael Penix Jr.	Bo Nix	Jayden Daniels	Marvin Harrison Jr.
All-purpose yards	4,200	4198	3947	1211
Touchdowns	36	46	50	14
Interceptions	9	3	4	-
Completion Rate	65.7	77.2	72.2	-

Apart from the stats, Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison and Bo Nix have won the Offensive Player of the Year awards for their respective conferences. As far as the Pac-12 is concerned, Michael Penix holds a 2-0 head-to-head record over Bo Nix.

All four contenders have strong cases to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy, and fans will be eager to hear if their favorite player has their name on the trophy this season. The ceremony will occur on Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. ET and be shown live on ESPN.