Preseason Heisman Trophy watch 2019
Newsday (TNS)
With the 2019 college football season just around the corner, here’s a look at which players could take home the Heisman Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding player in college football.
— Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, QB, Jr. Last year’s Heisman runner-up threw for 3,966 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for five scores in 15 games. Tagovailoa led last year’s Heisman watch for most of the season, but an ankle sprain slowed him down in the final weeks.
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, QB, Soph. Lawrence had a sensational freshman season with 3,280 yards, 30 touchdowns and four interceptions — including a 347yard, three-score performance in the national championship game — despite splitting time with Kelly Bryant for Clemson’s first five games.
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, RB, Jr. Taylor rushed for 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2018, a year after bursting onto the scene as a freshman with 1,977 yards and 13 scores. He’ll remain the focal point of Wisconsin’s offense with Jack Coan a potential candidate to start under center.
Jake Fromm, Georgia, QB, Jr. Fromm has been one of the nation’s top quarterbacks since taking over as the starter at Georgia in his freshman season. He’s coming off of a sophomore year in which he threw for 2,761 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions in 14 games.
Justin Herbert, Oregon, QB, Sr. Herbert returned to school after a junior season that saw him throw for 3,141 yards, 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 13 games. He’ll have some consistency this year, with all but one player returning on offense for Oregon.
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, QB, Sr. A quarterback who transferred to Oklahoma has won the Heisman in each of the last two seasons. Can Jalen Hurts follow in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray’s footsteps? Hurts, who transferred from Alabama after graduating a year early, put up strong numbers in each of his first two seasons with the Crimson Tide before being supplanted by Tua Tagovailoa as the starter.
Travis Etienne, Clemson, RB, Jr. Trevor Lawrence grabbed most of the headlines, but Etienne was a crucial cog in
HEISMAN,
Clemson’s offense, rushing for an ACC-best 1,658 yards and an NCAA-best 24 touchdowns in 15 games. His 7.2 yards per carry led the ACC and were third in the nation. In the past 10 seasons, only two running backs have won the Heisman.
Justin Fields, Ohio State, QB, Soph.
Fields, a dual-threat quarterback with a strong arm, was one of the jewels of the 2018 recruiting class alongside Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. However, he saw little playing time as a freshman at Georgia and transferred to Ohio State to replace Heisman finalist Dwayne Haskins.