Heisman stock watch 2021: Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III runs way into race

The SEC quarterbacks may lead the way, but Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III and Michigan’s Blake Corum are setting the stage for their own elimination game. Here are the risers and sliders in the Heisman race after Week 3.

Alabama’s Bryce Young passed his first road test in The Swamp, while Ole Miss’ Matt Corral continues putting on a passing clinic, the SEC quarterbacks turning this Heisman Trophy race into a duel ahead of their Oct. 2 showdown in Tuscaloosa.

September has already claimed a number of would-be contenders — it’s been fun, D.J. Uiagalelei and Sam Howell, and Spencer Rattler is on the brink of joining you. But before we completely resign ourselves to an all-SEC dash for the award, the Big Ten, and specifically a pair of running backs from The Great Lakes State are commanding attention as party-crashers.

A running back has finished better than fifth once — Stanford’s Bryce Love, the runner-up in 2017 — following Alabama’s Derrick Henry winning the trophy in 2015. Oregon’s CJ Verdell threw his hat into the ring in Week 2 as the seemingly the position’s best hope, but Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III and Michigan’s Blake Corum are changing that notion.

The backs are first (Walker) and second (Corum) among all Power-5 players in rushing yards (493 and 407, respectively), with Corum’s seven touchdowns tied for the FBS lead, while only six runners from the major conferences have hit the end zone more than Walker with five.

Get a pen, pencil or tell Siri. Like the SEC’s quarterback clash, the Big Ten’s running backs are going to have a chance at a campaign-defining game of their own with a showdown Oct. 20 in East Lansing.

Heisman stock watch: Which candidates are heating up, which ones are falling off?

Buy: Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State

Michigan State has never truly challenged for a Heisman. The best finish in school history is third, shared by running backs Walt Kowalczyk in 1957 — the year of a landslide win by Texas A&M’s John David Crow — and Sherman Smith in 1963 — the stage for another runaway victory, this time by Navy’s Roger Staubach — and in the era of finalists (1982-on) it has had just one (Lorenzo White in 1985 and ’87). Since 1989, the Spartans have had only two top-10 finishes, coming via Javon Ringer (10th in 2008) and Connor Cook (ninth in 2015). With 493 yards, Walker is on pace to challenge for a 2,000-yard regular season with three marquee games on the schedule in that previously mentioned date with No. 19 Michigan, No. 10 Ohio State (Nov. 20) and No. 6 Penn State (Nov. 27). Only 18 players have ever had 2,000 yards by the voting deadline, with six of them winning and just one of the last four to reach that plateau at a Power-5 program finishes lower than fourth in the voting. Maintain this level of production and Walker is going to be a force.

Buy: Bryce Young, Alabama

Blue-chip prospect turns into weekly blue-chip stock in terms of this watch. The sophomore is the only quarterback in the nation to have double-digit touchdown passes without having thrown a single interception. He had three more scoring strikes in the top-ranked Crimson Tide’s win at Florida and now gets a tune-up against Southern Miss before the clash with Corral and Ole Miss. He’s distributing the ball effectively, hitting eight different receivers against the Gators and handled the hostile atmosphere quite well. If there’s a knock against the front-runner right now, it’s that he’s not utilizing his legs enough when the opportunity presents itself. With the defensive fronts of the Rebels and Texas A&M to follow after this weekend, how much Young works to further establish that part of his game will be worth watching.

Sell: Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

He picked up a Dodge Ram TRX and a Dodger Charter Scat Pack in a name, image and likeness deal, but the Heisman? It may be slipping away. The first three weeks have been a roller coaster ride for one of the summer’s darlings, with Rattler’s resume so far including two narrow wins over FBS teams in which he’s combined for two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He ranks 32nd nationally in pass efficiency (158.6) and 35th in yards per game (253.7), this after throwing for over 3,031 yards in 11 games as a freshman. Rattler is on pace for nearly identical numbers (3,044 and 27 scores) while playing a full season. He and the Sooners are still undefeated and while Oct. 2 opponent Kansas State has cracked the Top 25 and Iowa State remains at No. 14, the Big 12 schedule isn’t exactly a gauntlet. There is plenty of time for Rattler to provide the eye-opening kind of numbers that were expected from him.

Buy: Matt Corral, Ole Miss

Back on Dec. 1, 1951, Showboat Boykin ran for seven touchdowns in an Ole Miss win over Mississippi State, and all seven of those scores came on the same play, a delay through the middle of the line. There was plenty more variety in Corral’s day as he racked up seven touchdowns, running for four and throwing for three more, in a rout of Tulane, in which he had 403 yards of offense … and he did it in less than three quarters of work. The Rebels quarterback now ranks third in FBS and second among Power 5 players with 388 total yards per game and, is also second among major conference passers with a 187.7 rating in tossing nine touchdown passes without a pick. He and Ole Miss now get a week off to prep ahead of a trip to Alabama. Corral threw for 365 yards and two scores in a 15-point loss to the Crimson Tide last year, and with the nation’s top-ranked team racking up five interceptions while allowing just 124 yards through the air, we’re close to finding out just how real his candidacy really is.

Sell: CJ Verdell, Oregon

A week after pushing his way into the Heisman chatter, Verdell didn’t exactly do a lot to strengthen his case. To be fair, the Ducks didn’t need him to do too much. He ran for 54 yards on 11 carries and had four receptions for 34 yards and a score in a 48-7 rout of FCS opponent Stony Brook. He’ll have a chance to increase his stock as Oregon turns its attention to the Pac 12 portion of the schedule, and with those aforementioned running backs out of Michigan schools entering the fray, there’s more of an onus to do exactly that. This week’s opponent will give Verdell that chance, ranking 101st overall and next to last in the conference against the rush (182 ypg), allowing a season-high 254 yards to San Diego State in Week 2.

Buy: Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

We’ll save the dissertation on whether a player from outside the sport’s power structure is ever going to win another Heisman for another day. It wasn’t always pretty, as Ridder and Cincinnati cleared the first hurdle in their bid to crash the College Football Playoff party by winning at Indiana. Ridder had issues early with an interception and a mere 94 yards at the break but threw a second-half touchdown and had a rushing score to go with 255 yards of offense. Now, Ridder and Co. get a bye week ahead of facing 12th-ranked Notre Dame, a game that figures to define the season for player and program. Take down the Fighting Irish and he’ll be poised to challenge for Cincinnati’s best Heisman finish since Mardy Gilyard was ninth in 2009.

Sell: C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

An AAC opponent in Tulane that came into Columbus ranking 96th against the pass, allowing 249 yards per game, should have provided the platform for Stroud to put together a dominant performance. Instead, he threw for a season-low 185 yards and finally threw a touchdown pass with 3:07 to play in a game that, until the final three minutes, was closer than anyone could have expected. TreVeyon Henderson stole the thunder — breaking Archie Griffin’s single-game school rushing record for a freshman with 270 yards and three scores — which could be a boon for Stroud down the line with defenses having another established element to prep for, but the Buckeyes quarterback keeps losing ground in this trophy chase.

Buy: Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

Little bro is stepping out of Miami Dolphin quarterback Tua’s shadow, now ranking third in FBS in completion percentage (75.5), 10th in yards (965) and has thrown for seven scores sans an interception. He torched Illinois for 350 yards this past weekend, and granted it was an Illini defense that went into the week 122nd vs. the pass at 311.7 ypg, but he’s now fourth among Power 5 passers in yards against major-conference opponents at 341 per game. A date with fifth-ranked Iowa looms, but first, Tagovailoa gets a pesky Kent State defense that had eight interceptions and is 16th in pass efficiency defense (105.1).