The top-five Heisman Trophy candidates from last week are all coming off byes, so the rankings do not change ahead of a huge weekend of college football.
1. Joe Burrow | LSU QB | Senior | Last week: 1
As stated a week ago, Joe Burrow is clearly in the driver’s seat for the Heisman Trophy entering November. The only question is whether he’ll be leading the No. 1 team in the country (or a lower ranking) when the initial College Football Playoff Rankings are released tomorrow night. This Saturday at Tuscaloosa will also likely be huge for Burrow’s NFL draft stock, so expect him to be on his A-game, as he has been all year.
Season stats:
78.8% | 2,805 PASS YDS | 30 PASS TD | 4 INT
52 CAR | 125 RUSH YDS | 3 RUSH TD | 2.4 AVG
2. Jalen Hurts | Oklahoma QB | Senior | Last week: 2
A major slip-up by Burrow against the Crimson Tide defense could open the door for Jalen Hurts to re-take the No. 1 spot in the Heisman race despite the Sooners coming off their own loss to Kansas State a couple of weeks ago. Hurts should put up more eye-popping dual-threat numbers this Saturday evening against Iowa State before a potential top-ten matchup versus Baylor in Waco on November 16.
Season stats:
73.9% | 2,469 PASS YDS | 21 PASS TD | 3 INT
103 CAR | 801 RUSH YDS | 13 RUSH TD | 7.8 AVG
3. Tua Tagovailoa | Alabama QB | Junior | Last week: 3
Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be ready for this weekend’s showdown against LSU, and he might have to play to have a strong chance at the Heisman Trophy in a crowded field. Tua is used to playing through injuries, and—if he suits up—he’ll have an opportunity to silence some doubters in the biggest game of the season to this point.
Season stats:
74.7% | 2,166 PASS YDS | 27 PASS TD | 2 INT
18 CAR | 30 RUSH YDS | 2 RUSH TD | 1.7 AVG
4. Chase Young | Ohio State | Junior | Last week: 4
There’s a realistic scenario where Chase Young rises into the No. 1 or No. 2 position in the Heisman watch by next week. The Ohio State star will have to continue his dominance this Saturday against Maryland, but he should have plenty of energy to get after the passer and make more impact plays after a week off.
Season stats:
29 TKL | 15.5 TFL | 13.5 SACK | 5 FF
5. Justin Fields | Ohio State QB | Sophomore | Last week: 5
It’ll be interesting to see where Justin Herbert and Oregon are ranked tomorrow night, and he’s certainly someone to keep an eye on after a four-touchdown performance in a rout of USC. It’s close, but Justin Fields holds the No. 5 spot in the rankings partly because of his added production on the ground.
Season stats:
68.8% | 1,659 PASS YDS | 24 PASS TD | 1 INT
76 CAR | 319 RUSH YDS | 9 RUSH TD | 4.2 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
Looks like we need a Bama win.
I am ready for tomorrow’s ranks.