The Heisman Trophy chase is taking shape as the cream rises to the top as we head toward November with players looking to have their Heisman moment.
Typically, quarterbacks are the runaway favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, but that’s not the case this year. Entering the year, Sam Darnold, Lamar Jackson and Josh Rosen, with the benefit of a ridiculous season-opening performance, were all at or near the top of the hypothetical Heisman rankings. Fast forward to Week 9 as the leaves start to change and the weather gets crisp across many parts of the country, and it’s the running back that is dominating the list of Heisman hopefuls.
We thought last year was the Year of the Running Back with Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and others vying for the Trophy, but 2017 is really shaping up as the year the backs inherit the earth. At this point, if a running back doesn’t win the Heisman, it would be an upset on par with Troy beating LSU. It’s possible it will happen, but you wouldn’t expect it, nor would you bet on it to happen.
Let’s take a look at five Heisman hopefuls and assess where they stand headed down the home stretch.
Heisman Stock Report – Week 9
5. Josh Adams – Notre Dame, RB – Stock Rising
Adams has been a home run hitter for Notre Dame this year and he stepped up to the plate in a big way in the Irish’s win over USC. Adams finished with 191 yards and three touchdowns, including an 84-yard touchdown in the third quarter to put an end to any threat of a USC comeback. Adams is up to 967 yards on the year and is second in the country to Bryce Love with a 9.2 yards per carry average.
4. Jonathan Taylor – Wisconsin, RB – Stock Rising
With 126 yards in the 38-13 win over Maryland, Jonathan Taylor became the sixth freshman to reach 1,000 yards in his seventh game of the season, joining the likes of Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk and Adrian Peterson. If he keeps running the way he has and Wisconsin keeps winning, he could join the latter two as Heisman finalists.
3. Baker Mayfield – Oklahoma, QB – Stock Steady
Baker Mayfield threw for 410 yards and accounted for four touchdowns as Oklahoma overcame a 21-10 halftime deficit to beat Kansas State 42-35. The win was the 14th straight road win for the Sooners, but Mayfield did throw his second interception of the season in a subtle not that the redshirt senior is in fact, a mere mortal. In a year of great running back play, Mayfield has the best opportunity to win the Trophy.
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2. Bryce Love – Stanford, RB – Stock Steady
The nation’s leading rusher earned a week off after rushing for a remarkable 1,387 yards and 11 touchdowns in only seven games. Love is on pace to run for nearly 2,400 yards but could surpass that projection if he leads Stanford to the Pac-12 Championship Game if the Cardinal navigate a November schedule that includes Washington State and Washington in conference play.
1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State, RB – Stock Rising
Saquon Barkley went 69 yards to the house on his first carry of the game against Michigan, the owners of the No. 6 rush defense in the country. He finished with 108 yards and two scores and another 53 and a score through the air. The Heisman Trophy is his to lose and could probably spot the other candidates a loss and still be the prohibitive favorite.