Heisman Watch 2017: Is the race already over?

3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

Remember one season ago when Lamar Jackson was seemingly leading the Louisville Cardinals to the promised land in an eventual Heisman Trophy winning season? That teams around the dynamic quarterback was far superior than the one he’s currently saddled with under Bobby Petrino. With that being said, though, Jackson and the Cardinals came up well short in the rivalry finale to last season as Kentucky beat them. That was not so much the case this time around, largely thanks to Jackson.

In the 44-17 victory in favor of Louisville, Jackson simply went off. He completed 15 of his 21 passing attempts on the day for 216 yards and two touchdowns. While efficient, those numbers alone aren’t going to blow you away. However, when you factor in that the quarterback also ran 18 times of an addition 156 yards, what he was able to do looks substantially more impressive.

Jackson’s numbers aren’t quite on par with the gaudy stats that he put up as the Heisman winner last season. He’s thrown for five fewer touchdowns and rushed for four fewer scores than he did last season. However, he’s also been far more efficient, has three fewer interceptions, and has simply had to do more on his own this season than he did a year ago. He won’t be a repeat winner, but he is undoubtedly deserving of another trip to New York in 2017.