5 reasons Lamar Jackson will repeat as Heisman winner

After winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson has his eyes on a repeat, and here are the reasons why he will do it.

It has not been since 1975 that a player has repeated as the Heisman Trophy winner. That man is Archie Griffin, who was a standout running back for the Ohio State Buckeyes. While it has not happened in over 40 years, there is reason to believe that 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson will repeat in 2017, as he is one of the more dominant college football players we have seen in a long time.

While the last two Heisman winners turned pro after winning the award, Jackson will head back to campus for another try at the award. The sophomore became the first player in the history of the Louisville program to win the Heisman on Saturday, and you can be assured, the Heisman campaign is back on in full force. Jackson accounted for 51 touchdowns this past season, dominating from Week 1 on, putting together one of the more prolific seasons in college football history.

Here are five reasons why Jackson will grab the coveted Heisman Trophy once again next December.

5. The Clemson Tigers are losing their stars

The biggest defeat of the Louisville season came at the hands of the Clemson Tigers, who needed overtime to knock  them off back on October 1. In a nationally televised game, the two undefeated teams did battle down in Death Valley, with the Tigers winning 42-36. Jackson accounted for over 450 yards of total offense, though the loss would loom large, as they finished behind Clemson for a shot at the ACC Championship Game.

In 2017, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson will likely be playing in the NFL, as will star wide receiver Mike Williams. Losing those two players will be huge for the Tigers, who are currently playing in their second straight College Football Playoff. Jackson and the Cardinals should be able to win that matchup next season, as it will be at home, and they won’t have to deal with the quarterback who tossed for five touchdowns against him.

Winning on Saturday night was pretty impressive considering the Cardinals lost three games this season. Louisville lost their last two games of the season, including an embarrassing loss against the Kentucky Wildcats. Still, Jackson had done enough to seal his victory prior to the two-game slide. Not having a Watson-led Tigers team on the schedule will likely mean the Cardinals will make a run at an undefeated season, which would help him as he tries to repeat for the Heisman.