The first five weeks of the college football season are complete and the contenders and pretenders are starting to emerge for the Heisman Trophy race. We've narrowed the list down to the Top 10 candidates, although the crop gets thin outside the Top 7.
Players like Baker Mayfield, Leonard Fournette and DeShone Kizer have suffered multiple losses already this year, tanking their Heisman chances. Much can, and will, change during the next few weeks. But for now, this is really Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and then everyone else.
With that in mind, here are our Week 5 Heisman Trophy Top Ten Power Rankings:
10. ATH Jabrill Peppers, Michigan Wolverines
Peppers is still very much on the outside looking in of the Heisman Trophy race, but he is at least worth mentioning. He's listed as a linebacker, but he's more of an athlete. He can play defensive back, return specialist and even offensive playmaker. He was great against Colorado, recording 9 tackles, a sack, 3 tackles for loss, a punt return TD and 204 all-purpose yards. However, he hasn't played as well since in terms of statistical impact. Peppers needs to play a lot more offense to have a real shot at winning, but if he puts up a few more games like the one against Colorado, he could get a few votes.
9. QB Jalen Hurts, Alabama Crimson Tide
As we saw last year with Derrick Henry, the best player on the best team can end up with the Heisman. Perhaps a version of that will be true for Jalen Hurts. It's probably a reach to put him at No. 8, but with the teams of name players like Kizer, Mayfield, Cook and Fournette struggling, there's an empty spot. And for a true freshman, Hurts has looked great. He's completing 62.2 percent of his passes, for 989 yards, 7 TDs and one pick. A dual-threat, he also has 276 yards and three scores on the ground. If Alabama keeps winning, Hurts will get a good chunk of the credit and maybe a few Heisman votes. Still, he's clearly behind the top group.
8. QB Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina Tar Heels
Trubisky is quietly putting up a very, very impressive season. After UNC lost the season opener to Georgia, they've rattled off wins in every game, including comeback efforts against Pitt and Florida State. Trubisky has been a major factor in that. He's completing a blistering 76 percent of his passes, 1,711 yards and 13 TDs. He's also added four rushing TDs. Trubisky could continue to rise in the rankings.
7. RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford Cardinal
Stanford's loss to Washington really hurts McCaffrey. He IS the Stanford offense and has to carry his team to wins. That wasn't the case against the Huskies, where McCaffrey had only 17 touches for a meager (by his standards) 79 yards and no scores. He has 91 carries for 485 yards and 3 TDs on the ground, while adding 17 catches for 149 yards and a score in the air. McCaffrey might not be able to recover from this loss.
6. QB Jake Browning, Washington Huskies
The Huskies' win over Stanford put the program and Browning in the national spotlight. Just a true sophomore, Browning is a talented QB. He's completing a blistering 70.7 percent of his passes for 1,114 yards, 14 TDs and 2 INTs. If Washington keeps winning, Browning could continue to rise. The future is bright in Washington and Browning is a major reason for that.
5. QB Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee Volunteers
Dobbs has recovered from a rough start and has inserted himself into the Heisman mix. With others falling and the Vols continuing to win in thrilling fashion, Dobbs has earned a spot in the Top 5. For the season, he's completing 57.9 percent of his passes for 1035 yards, 13 TDs and six picks. He's also a dynamic runner, posting 267 yards and five scores. Leading the Vols to the SEC title might be enough for Dobbs to take home some serious hardware.
4. QB Greg Ward Jr., Houston Cougars
Ward will keep his Top 5 spot if Houston keeps winning. The Cougars are the No. 6 in the country, and Ward is a huge reason why. He's very much in the mix, although he's clearly outside the Top 3. He's completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 1325 yards, 8 TDs and two picks. He's contributed 178 yards and five scores on the ground. A late season game against Louisville will be a key determinant for Ward's Heisman hopes.
3. QB J.T. Barrett, Ohio State Buckeyes
Barrett looks great so far. Whether it be against Oklahoma or the cupcakes the Buckeyes have also played, Barrett has torched defenses. He has only 888 passing yards and 205 rushing yards, numbers lower than most of the other candidates. But he has 14 passing TDs and 3 on the ground, which help make up for it. He's the clear No. 3 contender, but is behind the two QBs at the top.
T-1. QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals
Yep, we're going with a tie. Jackson has the numbers, but Deshaun Watson has the key win. Jackson is still putting up video game numbers and Clemson's defense only sort of limited him. With 1,625 passing yards, 688 rushing yards and 28 total TDs, Jackson is by no means done because of his loss. September Heisman favorites don't always hang around until November and Jackson could slide as the season goes on.
T-1. QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson Tigers
Watson came into the year as one of the Heisman favorites, but struggled early. While he's still make mistakes, he rallied his Tigers to beat No. 3 Louisville, the best win of any Heisman contender this year. He doesn't have the numbers Lamar Jackson does, but Waston has the win. This season, he's completing 60.8 percent of his passes for 1302 yards, 14 TDs and 7 picks. He has just 211 yards on the ground. Watson hasn't been as good as he was last year, but wins matter in the Heisman race.
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