Our 2019 Heisman Trophy concludes one day before kickoff of college football. Here’s the entire countdown:
#15: Michigan QB Shea Patterson
#12: Ohio State QB Justin Fields
#10: Ohio State RB J.K. Dobbins
#7: Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez
#2: Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor has over 4,000 rushing yards in two college seasons, and he’s the nation’s top Heisman candidate entering his junior year.
Why he can win it
Taylor’s rushing statistics from 2017 and 2018:
-2017: 299 carries, 1,977 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 6.6 yards per carry
-2018: 307 carries, 2,194 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns. 7.1 yards per carry
But in addition to putting up remarkable numbers, Taylor is simply an incredible player. Taylor has track-star speed in the open field, and he’s a beast of a runner that sheds arm tackles and runs defenders over. Every week, Taylor should have a gamebreaking highlight play, and he should have at least 300 carries, so there’ll be plenty of opportunities for him to do serious damage.
Why he won’t win it
Taylor hasn’t been heavily involved as a receiver to this point in his career (16 receptions through two years). Wisconsin isn’t a conference or Playoff favorite—they might have a few losses while other top Heisman candidates might be on undefeated or one-loss teams. Perhaps Taylor’s workload won’t be increased too much if the program has an eye toward keeping him healthy for the next level.
What must happen
Taylor must approach Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record (2,628 yards) while leading Wisconsin to a double-digit-win season.
Stat projection
318 CAR | 2,417 RUSH YDS | 23 RUSH TD | 7.6 AVG
14 REC | 137 REC YDS | 2 REC TD | 9.8 AVG
*NOTE: White Wolf is not affiliated with the Heisman Trophy. This article is a staff opinion and is not an official Heisman Trophy watch.
Great player.