First look at the top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2019
It’s never too early to look ahead to next year in college football, so who will the top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates be for the 2019 season?
On Saturday night following the final college football regular season game of 2018 between Army and Navy, the 2018 Heisman Trophy was handed out. Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray were the three finalists up for the award and invited to New York City. But in the end, it was Murray that took home the hardware.
There’s no doubt that Murray was deserving of the award after what he was able to accomplish in the 2018 season and the success that his team had, of which he was such an integral part. He no doubt deserves to relish in such a victory and celebrate in the best ways possible. However, for us as fans, it’s never to early to accept what has happened but then look ahead to what’s to come.
Though bowl season still lies ahead in the 2018 college football landscape, what’s next in the world of the most prestigious individual award in college football is looking ahead to the 2019 Heisman Trophy. Tua certainly figures to be a part of that mix, but it’s likely that Murray and Haskins will not as they will head to MLB and the NFL, respectively.
Tagovailoa won’t be alone, of course. Every year, college football is filled with players that take major steps forward or progress naturally and posit themselves into the Heisman Trophy conversation. The 2019 season will be no different, so we’ll dive into some of those players with an early look at 10 of the top 2019 Heisman Trophy candidates.
10. Adrian Martinez, QB, Nebraska
In Scott Frost’s first season as the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he made a bold decision in naming true freshman Adrian Martinez the starting quarterback. However, the year got off to a rocky start for both the first-year signal-caller and the Cornhuskers. Martinez was injured early in the season, missing a game and playing two shortened games, and the Huskers also lost their first six games of the season.
Having said that, Martinez ultimately garnered experience once he got healthy and started to impress as the year went on. The Nebraska quarterback rounded into form on the year to ultimately throw for 2,617 yards on 64.6 percent passing with 17 touchdown passes and only eight picks. What’s more, the dual-threat passer also rushed for 629 yards on the year with eight more touchdowns.
From his time with the UCF Knights, we know that Frost has the ability to put together some highly potent offensive schemes and get the most out of his quarterback. With a player that has the talent of Martinez, the prospect of what the head coach could accomplish moving forward is quite enticing.
If Martinez is able to stay healthy in the 2019 season and he’s also able to take a step forward, the Nebraska quarterback should be able to at least insert himself into the Heisman conversation in the 2019 season. He’s the type of dual-threat quarterback that can put forth both the passing and rushing numbers to really sway voters.