The 2019 Heisman Trophy race remains incredibly tight after the first week of October. Tua Tagovailoa remains in the top spot for the second straight week, but the rest of the top five again shifts slightly.
1. Tua Tagovailoa | Alabama QB | Junior | Last week: 1
The Crimson Tide had a bye over the weekend, but Tua Tagovailoa is still at No. 1 with impressive overall numbers (25 total touchdowns through five games) and no interceptions. Tua will look to do similar damage against his first ranked opponent this season when Alabama faces Texas A&M.
Season stats:
76.4% | 1,718 PASS YDS | 23 PASS TD | 0 INT
16 CAR | 45 RUSH YDS | 2 RUSH TD | 2.8 AVG
2. Joe Burrow | LSU QB | Senior | Last week: 3 (+1)
Last week, Joe Burrow dropped one spot on the Heisman race while he was on a bye, but 386 total yards and six total touchdowns (five passing) helps put him back up to No. 2. Another strong performance and a win this Saturday night against No. 7 Florida would likely help Burrow reclaim the top position, and there’s no reason to think he won’t continue playing well despite facing a tough defense.
Season stats:
78.4% | 1,864 PASS YDS | 22 PASS TD | 3 INT
29 CAR | 62 RUSH YDS | 2 RUSH TD | 2.1 AVG
3. Jalen Hurts | Oklahoma QB | Senior | Last week: 2 (-1)
He totaled four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing), but Jalen Hurts’ outing wasn’t quite as impressive as usual through the air (just 228 passing yards on 16 completions), and the Sooners had their lowest point total of the season (45 points). But Hurts might now have his best opportunity of the season for a Heisman statement, as he participates in the Red River Showdown this Saturday at noon ET.
Season stats:
75.2% | 1,523 PASS YDS | 14 PASS TD | 2 INT
57 CAR | 499 RUSH YDS | 7 RUSH TD | 8.8 AVG
4. Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin RB | Junior | Last week: 5 (+1)
Jonathan Taylor continues to show his all-around ability with more usage as a receiver this season, adding 29 receiving yards and his fourth receiving score of the year to go along with another four rushing touchdowns in Wisconsin’s 48-0 rout of Kent State. Taylor already has 16 total touchdowns this season, and he’s squarely in the mix with these top quarterbacks for the Heisman.
Season stats:
103 CAR | 745 RUSH YDS | 12 RUSH TD | 7.2 AVG
12 REC | 114 REC YDS | 4 REC TD | 9.5 AVG
5. Justin Fields | Ohio State QB | Sophomore | Last week: 4 (-1)
Justin Fields drops back down to No. 5 in this week’s Heisman Watch after Michigan State did a relatively good job of containing Ohio State’s offense on Saturday night. Fields and the offense started slow, and the sophomore quarterback ended up with just 206 yards passing; but a rushing score at the end of the game helped make it look like a better night and brought Fields’ touchdown total to 26 this season.
Season stats:
69.5% | 1,298 PASS YDS | 18 PASS TD | 1 INT
57 CAR | 283 RUSH YDS | 8 RUSH TD | 5.0 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.
Fields.