Heisman rankings – Week 3: Tua has record day for Alabama

Tua Tagovailoa went where no Alabama quarterback has gone before in Week 3, bolstering his already strong early candidacy for the 2019 Heisman Trophy.

From the moment that Tua Tagovailoa took over for Jalen Hurts in the National Championship Game two years ago, the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback has wowed fans at almost every turn. He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last year and, through two games, was trailing only Jalen Hurts in the early 2019 race for the award. In Week 3, though, he did something we’d never seen.

As the Tide opened up SEC play with a big win over South Carolina, Tua was unstoppable as he accrued 444 passing yards and five touchdowns through the air. That effort made him the first player in the illustrious history of the Alabama program to throw for over 400 yards and five touchdowns in a single game. Put simply, it was a Heisman-worthy performance.

The question for Tagovailoa at this point, though, is if he can catch Oklahoma quarterback and former teammate Jalen Hurts. Since taking over for the Sooners, Hurts has been a juggernaut and the pace-setter in the early 2019 Heisman Trophy race. And after another strong performance in Week 3, it may take him faltering for even someone like Tua to catch him.

While those two players are dominating the conversation at this point, there are still many others knocking at the door. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow continued to look good after his breakout one week ago while Ohio State has a trio of players that are making their mark. Meanwhile, Texas signal-caller Sam Ehlinger isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, either.

But before we get into the Heisman rankings, it’s worth noting some guys who just missed out. Georgia running back D’Andre Swift continues to impress but just hasn’t been needed to carry a heavy load yet, which keeps him out. Meanwhile, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been shakier than expected out of the gate, which keeps him in question at this point. There are certainly more right outside the top 10 as well but those are the two biggest of note.

With that out of the way, though, let’s get into the top 10 rankings for the 2019 Heisman Trophy race after Week 3 of the college football season.