6 preseason Heisman Trophy favorites who have gone way downhill
By John Buhler
5. Drake Maye (North Carolina): +1800 to +10000 (-8200)
Like Williams, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye feels like a top-five lock in the upcoming NFL Draft. He has been the No. 2 quarterback on most people's draft boards throughout. However, back-to-back losses in ACC play to hapless Virginia and rebuilding Georgia Tech have us wondering how much dog actually resides inside of Luke Maye's kid brother. One won titles. The other plays football.
North Carolina may have a 6-2 record, but the Tar Heels went from a serious threat to make the final four-team College Football Playoff out of the ACC, to a team that may not even get to a New Year's Six bowl. If UNC is unable to get to even the Orange Bowl, some of this falls on Maye, in addition to head coach Mack Brown. Maye is a mega talent, but that talent may be marginalized vs. better competition.
Look for Maye to be a top-five pick by a team that does not know what it is doing ... like New England!
4. Sam Hartman (Notre Dame): +1400 to +10000 (-8600)
Age is a number, just like Sam Hartman's Heisman Trophy odds. The former Wake Forest star transferred to Notre Dame ahead of his sixth college season. While he may have lit the Navy Midshipmen up like a Christmas tree over in Ireland, a pair of losses to Ohio State and Louisville have certainly taken some of the wind out of the sails of Hartman's Heisman Trophy catamaran campaign.
Then again, we should keep an eye on Hartman and the Golden Domers the rest of the way. Marcus Freeman's team is every bit top-15 caliber. They may have two losses on the year, but they should be in the mix to make the New Year's Six. Hartman needs to play well down the stretch to improve his draft stock. If he really shines in November once the weather changes, he could crash the NYC party.
While September was good for Hartman's Heisman hopes, October really put it on the back burner.
3. Kyle McCord (Ohio State): +1600 to +12000 (-10400)
If there is any Heisman candidate with a Hail Mary left to throw, it would have to be Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord. He may have seen his Heisman odds drop from +1600 in late August to +12000 in early November, but he does play for the No. 1 team in the nation at the most important position. Ohio State does not win the playoff under Ryan Day, but his quarterbacks go to New York.
If McCord were to stop being a walking stiff out there, he could join the likes of C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields and the late Dwayne Haskins to have represented the Scarlet and Grey in recent years in New York at the quarterback position. This is only his first year as the starter, so he has time to improve. Next year may be his best opportunity, but McCord is not ready to cross off just yet, to be honest...
If Ohio State goes 12-0 and wins The Game over Michigan, McCord could find himself in New York.