A DI staffer presents a way-too-early Heisman Trophy forecast.
By Adam Hensley
For any sport, the off-season remains prime speculation season. Hype surrounding teams and specific players grows.
The race for the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious individual accolade, sparks debate during this time of year. Various names rise into conversation for the nation’s top player, so without further ado, a way-too-early Heisman Trophy forecast:
Lamar Jackson (Quarterback, Louisville)
Jackson accumulated video-game statistics last season, kept the Cardinals in the hunt for the college-football playoffs during the first 10 games of the season, and won the 2016 Heisman Trophy, so there isn’t any reason to believe he doesn’t have a shot at adding a second trophy to his collection.
The dual-threat quarterback threw for 3,543 yards, ran for 1,400, and churned out 51 touchdowns.
Jackson was the most electrifying player in all of college football last season, regardless of position. The Cardinals enter 2017 as one of the favorites to win the ACC, thanks to Jackson’s Heisman-level of play.
Sam Darnold (Quarterback, USC)
He only started 10 games, but Darnold proved to be the real deal on one of college football’s largest stages, the Rose Bowl.
Darnold threw 5 touchdowns in a 52-49 shootout win for the Trojans. Not only did he lead the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Rose Bowl history, the sophomore set the Rose Bowl record for touchdown passes, points (32), and yards (474).
Last season Darnold threw for 3,086 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also threw at least 2 touchdowns in USC’s final nine games. During a two-game stretch in the midseason (wins against Arizona and California), Darnold totaled 10 touchdowns, sparking his hot streak.
Baker Mayfield (Quarterback, Oklahoma)
Mayfield improved in almost every statistical category from 2013-2016, and 2017 could follow that pattern.
The Sooners won 22 games over the past two seasons, and that’s mainly due to Mayfield’s better play. He’s thrown for more than 7,600 yards and 76 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Sooners, including a 3,965-yard, 40-touchdown season last year.
The main question mark about his upcoming campaign lies in the coaching staff. Bob Stoops stepped down as the Sooners’ head coach this off-season, and Lincoln Riley took over the coaching duties.
Depending on what tweaks Riley makes to Stoops’ system and how well Mayfield adjusts — there’s not a lot of doubt about his ability to learn a new system. The move from Texas Tech to Oklahoma went as smoothly as any move in football could go, and he could be a name to look for as the Heisman Trophy race narrows as the season progresses.
Saquon Barkley (Running Back, Penn State)
Quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman race since 2006. Only two non-quarterbacks (Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry, former Alabama running backs) have won the award during that time span. Since 2006, nine quarterbacks have won the Heisman.
Barkley looks as if he could break that trend. The multidimensional back piled up the rushing yards (1,496), receiving yards (402), and touchdowns (18 on the ground, 4 receiving touchdowns).
The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year tied for seventh in the country with his rushing touchdown totals.
Dark Horse: Nick Fitzgerald (Quarterback, Mississippi State)
Fitzgerald didn’t get the recognition he deserved last season because of Mississippi State’s 6-7 season, but with his first full season under his belt, he could be in for a massive 2017 season.
In 2016, he threw for 2,423 yards and 21 touchdowns, but his ability on the ground (1,375 yards, 16 touchdowns) is why he slips into the Heisman watch. His 16 rushing scores led the SEC.
In a win against Ole Miss, Mississippi State’s last regular-season game, Fitzgerald scored 5 touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing) and ran for 258 yards — a glimpse of what the junior is capable of doing on a regular basis.
