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First look at the top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2019

By Cody Williams

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 07: Alabama Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa poses with the Heisman Trophy at the New York Stock Exchange on December 7, 2018 at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 07: Alabama Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa poses with the Heisman Trophy at the New York Stock Exchange on December 7, 2018 at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 15: D’Eriq King #4 of the Houston Cougars rushes for a touchdown in the second quarter defended by Roderic Teamer Jr. #2 of the Tulane Green Wave at TDECU Stadium on November 15, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 15: D’Eriq King #4 of the Houston Cougars rushes for a touchdown in the second quarter defended by Roderic Teamer Jr. #2 of the Tulane Green Wave at TDECU Stadium on November 15, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

8. D’Eriq King, QB, Houston

Much of the talk regarding the Houston Cougars in the 2018 college football season seemed to center around defensive tackle Ed Oliver, and for good reason. The big fella on the defensive line is going to be a top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and all eyes were on him because of the impact that he’s going to have at the next level. Even still, Houston quarterback D’Eriq King made sure to put himself on the map this year in the meantime.

Had Houston had a little more team success and had King been a bit more consistent himself, the Cougars quarterback could’ve been a top-five Heisman candidate in the 2018 season. Overall, King finished the year with 2,982 passing yards while completing 63.5 percent of his throws. Along with that, King threw 36 touchdowns on the season with only five interceptions.

What really bolsters King’s stock is his ability as a runner, which he also put on display in the 2018 season. The junior signal-caller rushed the ball 111 times on the year for 674 yards and ran into the end zone himself 14 times on the year. That was 50 total touchdowns for the dual-threat quarterback, which can’t be ignored.

The Houston quarterback will be coming back for another year and, with a full year of experience as the starter under his belt, he should only be better. Given what he was able to do in terms of production in the 2018 season, King improving will have him in the 2019 Heisman Trophy mix.

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