While there is no change at the top, there are some fresh faces in the top five Heisman rankings. While it may very well be the year of the running back, two quarterbacks may have something to say about that. Without further ado, here are my Heisman rankings after seven weeks of college football.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Saquon Barkley and the Nittany Lions were off this past week, but there is no change at the top of the rankings. Barkley still appears to be on track to become just the third running back to win the Heisman Trophy since 2009.
Stock: Holding
Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
Bryce Love is quickly making this a two back race for the top spot in Heisman voting. Coming off a commanding 49-7 victory over hapless Oregon where he ran for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns, Love still leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,387 (next closest is 1,094). With a well-deserved bye week, Love will be tasked with preparing for another favorable matchup against Oregon State on October 26. Oregon State is allowing an average of 278 rushing yards per game, so look for Love to continue his outstanding production.
Stock: Rising
Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
Just when we all thought he was out, Mason Rudolph pulled himself right back in. After a subpar performance in a loss against TCU, Rudolph rebounded, throwing for six touchdowns in his last two games. Against Baylor this past weekend, Rudolph exploded for 470 total yards (459 passing, 11 rushing) and 4 total touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing). Rudolph now sits second in the NCAA in passing yards with 2,368, and has added 25 (19 passing, 6 rushing) touchdowns. Rudolph rides his recent hot streak into a showdown with Texas, who is still not back by the way. Texas has not been great against the pass this year, allowing an average of 265 passing yards per game. Rudolph should improve his status this weekend.
Stock: Rising
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
The fall from grace continues for Baker Mayfield. A week after losing to Iowa State, it looked like Oklahoma was going to be handed their second straight defeat, this time at the hands of Texas. The Sooners did pull out a close 29-24 victory as Mayfield threw for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he did throw his first interception of the season. Mayfield’s numbers have come back down to Earth after an otherworldly start to the season. Still, Mayfield leads the country in QBR, and has only thrown one interception, which keeps him in contention for the Heisman. This week, Mayfield will square off with Kansas State and look to get back on track.
Stock: Falling slightly
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
2017 seems to be the year of the running back for Heisman contenders. Jonathan Taylor, just a freshman, appears in the rankings for the first time this season. His numbers have become too good to ignore. Against Purdue last weekend, Taylor ran the ball 30 times for 219 yards and a touchdown, bringing his season totals to 986 yards and 10 touchdowns on 127 carries. Taylor has been a workhorse all year for the Badgers, with his lowest amount of carries (9) coming in a blowout opening week victory over Utah State. Taylor has scored at least one touchdown in every game, while also rushing for at least 80 yards in every game. A matchup with Maryland should keep Wisconsin undefeated, and cement Taylor’s Heisman candidacy.
