There are some really talented guys in the national eye right now. Voters will have their hands full with the Jameis Winstons, Everette Golsons and Todd Gurleys of the world. Lists like this will give you the full national scope of elite players to watch.
Do I think these should be in the mix of Heisman discussion? Yes. But, as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friend.”
To put it in some perspective, the only QB on the list that is even in the top five of passing is Texas A&M’s Kenny Hill – who I would put atop of my list this early in the season. Winston’s not in the top 40, Golson and Marcus Mariota barely make the top 25, Trevor Knight just misses the top 15. The only QB in the country in the top 40 of both categories, is Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, and only by a nose.
Something can be said for strength of schedule, your team’s success, so on and so forth. All of that will come with time. Some teams are still playing cupcake games with tests ahead, other teams may just be finding themselves at the beginning of the season.
This is merely a list of five guys who – via their performance the first few weeks – have earned at least a glimmer of the early Heisman spotlight.
#1) Clint Trickett QB – West Virginia. The senior has been putting up video-game numbers. Through his two wins and one loss (Alabama opening weekend), Trickett has thrown for 1224 yards, eight total TD’s and only one INT. To stack that against his competitors, he is only 336 yards away from doubling Notre Dame’s Everette Golson and 390 yards ahead of Oklahoma’s Trevor Knight. Trickett will have a chance to jolt himself on to the national stage with a big matchup vs. #4 ranked Oklahoma this weekend.
#2) James Conner RB – Pittsburgh. How the nation’s leading rusher is flying under the radar is beyond me. Conner has 544 yards and eight touchdowns for the 3-0 Panthers, and doesn’t look to be slowing up. He ran for 244 yards against Boston College in week two – you know, that Boston College who beat up on USC last week? I don’t think Pittsburgh will win out, but every game on the schedule is pretty winnable, and if they win all – or a majority – of those games, and Conner keeps his stats up, there is a strong chance we will see his name at the year’s end; the guy is a workhorse, not a dark horse.
#3) Bo Wallace QB – Ole Miss. I’m a Rebel fan, so this could be a homer call, but call it what you please. Dr. Bo puts up numbers. He’s thrown for 1023 yards and nine TD’s through his first three games. A lot of Wallace’s stats may be a product of Hugh Freeze’s air raid offense, but you can’t ignore the production. Currently #10 in the AP Poll, Ole Miss may flame out a bit before this is said and done, but Wallace – and the Rebels – will certainly have chances in the spotlight to make a Heisman statement. Their next chance comes October 4 in Oxford against Alabama. Wallace also has four picks on the year, so his decision-making will be interesting to watch going forward.
#4) D.J. Foster RB – Arizona State. Similar to Connor, Foster has also led his team to a 3-0 start behind his 510 yards and five TD’s. The numbers are good enough to earn him the third spot on the nation’s totem poll of running back leaders. Arizona State has some big tests coming in the next few weeks with UCLA, USC and Stanford. Foster will have some tough sledding against some stout defenses, but if he trudges through, the nation will take notice. Currently, Foster is contributing to a backfield that is averaging over 300 yards per game.
#5) Eric Kendricks LB – UCLA. I probably could have put another two or three offensive guys ahead of Kendricks on the list, but what fun is that? Defensive guys need love too, and Kendricks is putting together quite the year, granted the brevity. He’s the nation’s fourth leading tackler with 38 combined. He’s also recorded an interception and a forced fumble. Kendricks will have a good test with the aforementioned D.J. Foster lining up in the backfield next week. Currently, as a defensive player, Kendricks doesn’t have the numbers to be in the mix, but the potential and foundation are very present.
Just Missed: South Carolina QB Dylan Thompson, Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, Alabama WR Amari Cooper, Baylor WR KD Cannon
*Section Photo credit to Paul W. Gillespie, The Capital; Featured Photo (above) credit to Tommy Gilligan, USA Today Sports
