Who are the 2018 Heisman Trophy candidates?
The landscape of college football changes annually, so let’s take an early look at who the 2018 Heisman Trophy candidates will be.
Whenever it comes to college football — or really sports in general — there is always a propensity for fans and analysts alike to look ahead. As soon as a National Champion or award winner is crowned, it’s all about who will compete for the honor next season. That’s especially true when it comes to something like the Heisman Trophy.
One thing that’s for certain is that there will be new blood in the Heisman Trophy race come the 2018 college football season. The three finalists for the award in 2017 — Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Bryce Love — will all likely be heading to the NFL. The same can be said for other candidates from throughout the season such as Saquon Barkley and perhaps even Sam Darnold.
Thus, it’ll largely be a new crop of players heavily in the mix competing for the most prestigious individual award in college football. That makes it somewhat hard to prognosticate as to who will be the guys that are vying for the award come 2018. However, in the ever-present interest of looking ahead, that’s what we’re going to try and do.
Assuming that guys like Darnold and other juniors that seem bound for the NFL Draft do indeed leave, these are five of the leading 2018 Heisman Trophy candidates.
5. Deondre Francois, QB, Florida State
When Deondre Francois went down at the end of Florida State’s season-opener against Alabama, the hopes for the Seminoles went down with him. Not only were they losing a leader and ultra-talented player, but it seemed to deflate the entire team on both sides of the ball. Thus, that’s why they ended the campaign with just a 6-6 overall record and are heading to the Independence Bowl as opposed to vying for a College Football Playoff berth.
With that said, Francois should be back for next season as he recovers from a torn patella tendon. We don’t particularly know how long it will take the quarterback to get to 100 percent, and there will be a different vibe around FSU next season with Jimbo Fisher leaving and making way for new head coach Willie Taggart. However, what we can say for sure is that Francois at 100 percent is undeniably a Heisman-caliber talent.
His numbers as a freshman were truly electric in the 2016 season. He completed only 58.8 percent of his throws, but looked better than that would indicate as he threw for 3,350 yards, 20 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Meanwhile, you can’t discount his mobility either as he found the end zone five times with his legs.
As he returns from the injury, you have to believe that Taggart’s offense will go through the quarterback. There’s no doubt that Francois will be out to prove himself coming back from the missed 2017 season, and that could very easily put him in the Heisman conversation if he’s able to get back to full strength and deliver.