Week 3 was a big one for the Heisman race. We saw a lot of contenders from last week dropout and some new players who are making their case. Some of these new players have reignited their campaign while others are just now making their case. The number of contenders are possibly higher than they were at any other time this season. It's going to be difficult to rank all of them, but we'll do our very best.
Five players from last week dropped off the rankings. The most notable player is Deondre Francois, the Seminoles QB. He was fourth last week and drops off after accounting for less than a 100 yards and throwing a pick. Two other QBs also dropped off, including Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer, both of whom lost to ranked teams (although Kizer had a much better performance than Mayfield did). Two running backs also dropped off: Dalvin Cook of Florida State and Royce Freeman of Oregon. Both backs had subpar games over the weekend.
We have a number of honorable mentions to look at, and all four of them are quarterbacks. Let's give some love to Brad Kaaya of Miami (Fl), Tommy Armstrong Jr. of Nebraska, Josh Dobbs of Tennessee, and Tyler O'Connor of Michigan State. They'll need strong performances going forward in order to bolster their campaigns.
10. Seth Russell, Baylor (Last Week: NR)- Russell finds himself back on our Heisman watch after a strong performance against Rice. He threw for three touchdowns and more than 330 yards and Baylor is now ranked at 16.
9. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: NR)- Fournette's been a little inconsistent thus far this season, but he's now on the rise after running holes through the Bulldogs defense. He ran for 147 yards and two scores while also picking up some receiving yards.
8. Greg Ward Jr., Houston (Last Week: NR)- Ward tumbled after suffering a shoulder injury, but he looks to become a serious contender once again. He threw for 326 yards and one score while also rushing for 73 yards and two scores.
7. Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State (Last Week: NR)- Pumphrey has recently come out of nowhere to become a serious Heisman contender. He may not play for a big-name team, but he is the nation's leading rusher.
6. Nick Chubb, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- Chubb takes a slight hit after his lackluster performance against Missouri. He ran for only 63 yards, but the Bulldogs are undefeated and are very much in contention for a playoff spot. If Georgia continues to do well, it will be great for Chubb.
5. Jabrill Peppers, Michigan (Last Week: NR)- Peppers is the only defensive player who has made the list thus far this season. But Peppers is more than just a defender: he's also a skilled returner. Against Colorado in Week 3, he returned two kicks for 81 yards and four punts for 99 yards and a score. Add to the fact that he got 9 tackles in the game, and you have the making of a true superstar.
4. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 6)- Watson barely played against South Carolina State, but in he did still go 12 for 15 while throwing three touchdowns. Watson has yet to have an outstanding game this season, but he's been very consistent. If he wants to go back to New York this year, he'll need to step it up a little bit.
3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- The Buckeyes star has been excellent thus far this season. In OSU's route of #14 Oklahoma, Barrett threw for 152 yards and four touchdowns while also adding 74 yards on the ground.
2. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: 1)- McCaffrey had himself a game against USC on Saturday. He racked up 260 all-purpose yards and two scores while Stanford cruised to a win. The Cardinals are now ranked #7.
1. Lamar Jackson, Louisville (Last Week: 2)- Jackson continues to be the most outstanding player in college football today. In Louisville's dismantling of #2 Florida State, Jackson threw for 216 yards and a score while adding 146 yards and four scores on the ground.
Thanks for reading everyone. Check back next week for the newest Heisman edition.
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