Contender or Pretender?: Heisman Stock Watch Week 3
Brendan Smith
Another week, another time for Lamar Jackson to prove me wrong. Lamar, I am sorry that I disrespected you in the past (spoiler alert: no more disrespect this week). After a relatively boring week 2, we were treated with four Top 25 teams being upset, and a total of six Top 25 teams losing. In what seems to be a weekly thing now, another player forgot that scoring a touchdown means carrying the ball into the endzone, but his team was somehow (incorrectly?) awarded the ball again. Anyway, here are my top five Heisman candidates, featuring a new number 1.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
No surprise here. Lamar Jackson beat up on one of the best defenses in the country and totally proved me wrong. Jackson made the Florida State defense look like a high school junior varsity defense, racking up 362 total yards (216 passing, 146 rushing) and 5 touchdowns (1 passing, 4 rushing), en route to a convincing 63-20 beat down. On the season, Jackson has thrown for 913 yards and 8 touchdowns, while rushing for 464 yards and 10 touchdowns. For those keeping track, that is 18 touchdowns by Lamar Jackson for Louisville, now the number 3 team in the nation. With an absolute dismantling of a fellow ACC opponent, Lamar Jackson has become my number one Heisman candidate. Sorry for the spoiler.
Stock: Ascending
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
After a week off, McCaffrey and his Stanford Cardinal entered a battle with rival USC. Not only did they leave with a victory, but a convincing one (much to my dismay). In the 27-10 victory, Stanford limited USC to just 3 points in the first half. McCaffrey was once again the offensive star, carrying the ball 30 times for 165 yards and 1 touchdown and also caught the ball out of the backfield 4 times for 73 yards and another touchdown. In a game where quarterback Ryan Burns threw the ball just 15 times, McCaffrey delivered another spectacular performance, leading his team to an early-season Pac-12 victory. McCaffrey will continue to put up incredible numbers this season, as we can expect him to garner 30-40 touches every game.
Stock: Rising
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Finally, Clemson fans can exhale. Deshaun Watson had a good game. Well, not a full game, but hey, who’s counting? Watson picked apart FCS South Carolina State to pile up 152 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, and added 8 yards on the ground just for good measure. Still, Watson has yet to prove himself against top competition, and has underwhelmed against the likes of Auburn, and Troy, two teams that are not in any conversations about playoff contenders. So does this mean that DeShaun Watson is back? The answer is no, actually quite far from it really. Going out and beating up on an FCS opponent means nothing in the long run. The real test will be in two weeks, when Clemson welcomes Louisville and Lamar Jackson to Death Valley for an ACC showdown.
Stock: Holding
Greg Ward, Jr., QB, Houston
A week after sitting out Houston’s 42-0 victory over Lamar due to a shoulder injury, Greg Ward, Jr. went out and made the Cincinnati defense look silly, as he gained 326 yards through the air, and 76 on the ground, while throwing for one touchdown and rushing for two more. Quite a follow-up from his performance against Oklahoma, a game in which Ward, Jr. threw for 321 and 2 scores. While Cincinnati is far from a quality victory, Ward, Jr. proved his doubters wrong, as he was both healthy and effective in the game. While NFL scouts question what position he will play at the next-level, we get to enjoy the show Ward, Jr. puts on in college, and he could ride those performances to a Heisman finalist spot.
Stock: Rising quickly
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Rough day buddy. But that’s what Ohio State’s defense will do to you. Mayfield amassed just 226 passing yards, completing only 17 out of his 32 passes for two touchdowns. All this comes after backup QB Austin Kendall called out Ohio State’s “basic” defense during the week. Uh, yeah, so much for being basic. The Buckeyes limited Oklahoma to just 7 second-half points, and ended up with a 45-24 victory. The score actually makes this game seem much closer than it really was, as Mayfield looked average against Ohio State, which is an elite defense with four potential first-round picks this April. Mayfield desperately needs to rebound in two weeks(Oklahoma has a bye this week) against TCU to stay within my top 5.
Stock: Falling
My Top 5:
Lamar Jackson
Christian McCaffrey
Greg Ward, Jr.
Baker Mayfield
Deshaun Watson
Outside looking in: Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, J.T. Barrett
