With just two weeks remaining in the college football regular season, it appears that the Heisman Trophy race will come down to the wire. With no particular favorites, it seems that each contender is merely hopeful that he’ll come away on top. At this point in the season, five players seemingly stand out above the rest.
Fernando Mendoza: QB, Indiana
Although not standing above and beyond in any statistic, Mendoza has been consistent this entire season. In his first year as a Hoosier, Mendoza has lead the team to the #2 ranked team in the country and an 11-0 start. His 30 passing touchdowns is good enough for 1st in the country, while changing the entire perspective on Indiana football. Hingham High School senior Jake Lopes says, “Mendoza has been, without a doubt, the best quarterback in college football this season. He’s not just a great player, but a great leader and easily deserves to win this award.” Mendoza continues his Heisman run on November 28th in Indiana’s final game of the season against Purdue.
Julian Sayin: QB, Ohio State
In terms of efficiency, Sayin has been at the top of the game. His completion percentage sits at 80.1%, which is far higher than the second highest at 74%. In his first season as a starter, he has flourished with two of the best receivers sharing the field with him. The issue with Sayin is that he is surrounded by the best players in college football, yet he struggles to stand out in any significant passing statistics aside from completion percentage.
Marcel Reed: QB, Texas A&M
Marcel Reed has been a dark horse so far this season in the Heisman race. Similar to Mendoza and Sayin, Reed has led his Aggies to an undefeated start to the season. His Heisman moment came last week against South Carolina where he came back from a 30-3 halftime deficit to win a crucial SEC matchup. In order for Reed to have a chance, he must keep his team undefeated and limit his turnovers. His arm talent alone is as good as anyone elses in football and he plans to continue to make a name for himself as the playoffs near.
Jeremiyah Love: RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love was one of the favorites for the Heisman coming into this season. He has all of the tangibles of an NFL running back, with speed and physicality. Although Love started slow, he has clearly been the best running back in college football since. He has break away speed as seen with his 94 yard touchdown run against Boston College and has been consistent all season, scoring a touchdown in each of their last nine games. Unfortunately for Love, the Heisman tends to be awarded to the best QB in the country, unless someone at another position has a historic season, which is not the case for Love.
Jacob Rodriguez: LB, Texas Tech
Jacob Rodriguez seems to be the fan favorite in the race as the lone defensive player. Rodriguez has been the star defensive player on one of the nations best defenses. Hingham High School senior Matt Griffin says, “Rodriguez is my favorite player in football. He stands out defensively and deserves to at least be in the conversation for the Heisman award.” Rodriguez leads all linebackers in interceptions with 4 and is looking to propel his team into the playoffs with just two games remaining. On top of this, Rodriguez punched in a rushing touchdown this past week to boost his Heisman odds.
