Bryce Underwood Completes Electrifying Season With Historic Heisman Victory
In a landslide victory that many saw coming months ago, Coastal Carolina’s Bryce Underwood was officially crowned the 2027 Nissan Heisman Memorial Trophy winner. While he narrowly missed breaking Joe Burrow’s all-time point percentage record of 93.8% from 2019, Underwood’s 93.3% share still ranks second in history, miles ahead of Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein, who finished a distant runner-up.
“I dreamed of hoisting this trophy wearing maize and blue three years ago,” Underwood began, reflecting on his high school pledge to Michigan before his stunning transfer to Coastal. “But fate has a way of changing in ways you never expect. From the very first visit I had with Coach Vaughn in Conway, I knew there was something special here — something worth betting my future on. And now? We’ve made history together. And I don’t think our story is over yet.”
Underwood’s 2027 stat line is the stuff of video games: 3,617 passing yards, 57 passing touchdowns, just 10 interceptions, plus 1,292 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns. His 81 total touchdowns shattered Bailey Zappe’s FBS single-season record of 65, and he now sits just five shy of Zappe’s single-season passing TD record of 62 — with the College Football Playoff still ahead.
“You want explosive, 60-yard strikes? He’s got it,” said Desmond Howard during ESPN’s ceremony coverage. “You want Houdini scrambles where he turns nothing into a touchdown? He’s got that too. This wasn’t just a Heisman season — this was a masterclass in how to dominate a football field. If he keeps going in the postseason, we might have to rewrite half the record book.”
Howard added, “Five more passing touchdowns to break Zappe’s record? In this offense, with these weapons? That’s not just attainable — that’s probable.”
Pat McAfee, never one to pass on a good line, jumped in: “Probable? C’mon, Dez. He might do it in ONE GAME! If I were a betting man — and I know Coach Vaughn is listening — I’m tripling down on him breaking that record before we even hit the national championship.” McAfee’s jab at Vaughn drew laughs in the studio, a nod to the recently closed NCAA and IRS investigations that dominated headlines earlier this season.
The Heisman capped off a trophy haul for Underwood, who also collected the Maxwell, Walter Camp, and Davey O’Brien Awards. Coastal’s season-end hardware table was crowded — freshman MLB Walt Reyna swept the Bednarik, Nagurski, and Butkus Awards, while cornerback Jo’Ziah Edmond earned national honors of his own. Wideouts Dazmin James and Trishtin Glass both finished as runners-up in their respective categories, solidifying the Chanticleers’ place among the most decorated programs in the nation this year.
One glaring absence from that list? The Bear Bryant Coach of the Year award — which went instead to Tulane’s Jon Sumrall.
“You know, while we’re talking about awards, I gotta bring this up,” Nick Saban said as ESPN’s coverage neared its close. “Coach of the Year goes to Jon Sumrall — good coach, great season — but they lost in the AAC Championship Game. Meanwhile, Kade Vaughn goes undefeated, breaks records, gets his team into the playoff, and he’s watching someone else walk off with that trophy. I’ve been around long enough to know — that’s hard to swallow.”
Pat McAfee didn’t hesitate to pile on. “Yeah, Coach, that’s not just a snub — that’s a straight-up message. You think the NCAA forgot about Vaughn dancing circles around them in that investigation? No way. They couldn’t get him on sanctions, so they’re gonna ding him anywhere they can. You don’t go 13-0 in the Sun Belt, win the league, put a kid on the Heisman stage, and not get Coach of the Year unless there’s some politics in play. And this, my friends, is politics with a capital P.”
Saban nodded, summing it up with the gravitas of someone who’s been on both sides of that equation. “You can say you don’t like his methods or his style, but you can’t take away the results. The man’s figured out how to win, and at the end of the day, that’s what this sport is supposed to be about.”
Bryce_Underwood_2027_Passing_Stats
| Comp/Att | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | YPA | YPG |
| 270/406 | 66% | 3,617 | 57 | 10 | 8.9 | 278.2 |
Bryce_Underwood_2027_Rushing_Stats
| Att | Yards | AVG | TD | AVG/G | BTK |
| 156 | 1,292 | 8.3 | 24 | 99.4 | 38 |
2027_Season_Awards
| Award | Player | School |
| Heisman | QB Bryce Underwood | Coastal Carolina |
| Maxwell | QB Bryce Underwood | Coastal Carolina |
| Walter Camp | QB Bryce Underwood | Coastal Carolina |
| Bear Bryant Coach of the Year | Jon Sumrall | Tulane |
| Davey O'Brien | QB Bryce Underwood | Coastal Carolina |
| Chuck Bednarik | MLB Walt Reyna | Coastal Carolina |
| Bronko Nagurski | MLB Walt Reyna | Coastal Carolina |
| Jim Thrope | CB Jo'Ziah Edmond | Coastal Carolina |
| Doak Walker | HB Zay Wilbon | USC |
| Fred Biletnikoff | WR Case Holleron | SMU |
| Lombardi | DT Eddrick Houston | Ohio State |
| Johnny Unitas | QB Eli Holstein | Pittsburgh |
| Defensive End of the Year | DE Lugard Edokpayi | Coastal Carolina |
| Outland | C Seuseu Alofaituli | Miami |
| John Mackey | TE Nate Roberts | Ohio State |
| Broyles | DC Jeremiah Johnson | Coastal Carolina |
| Dick Butkus | MLB Walt Reyna | Coastal Carolina |
| Rimington | C Seuseu Alofaituli | Miami |
| Lou Groza | K Josh Deal | Missouri State |
| Ray Guy | P Nico Bonitto | Navy |
| Jet Award | HB Jason Patterson | Kentucky |
| Shaun Alexander | WR Daniel Lombardo | Ohio State |
