Fournette remains Heisman favorite, but Cook is in mix
LSU star Leonard Fournette continues to lead the pack of Heisman hopefuls, but FSU’s Dalvin Cook is among the players who could still catch him.
Check out our latest Heisman watch:
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
The Buzz: Fournette had a season-high 31 carries Saturday against Florida while rushing for 180 yards and two more touchdowns. It was his eighth straight game with at least 100 yards rushing. Fournette leads the nation in rushing yards (1,202) and is tied for first in rushing touchdowns (14). Six of those scores were from 20 yards or farther. He’ll face a Western Kentucky team with a rushing defense that is ranked No. 77 in the country, but it has only allowed three players to rush for 100 yards this season.
Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
The Buzz: Dalvin Cook could be one of the biggest challengers to Fournette’s run at the Heisman if his hamstring holds up. Cook’s 955 yards rushing ranks No. 5 in the country, but he’s averaging more than 41 yards per touchdown run — better than both Fournette (27) and Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott (28) — making him one of the best big-play athletes in college football right now. His challenge this week — besides staying healthy — is facing a Georgia Tech defense that ranks next to last against the run.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
The Buzz: Elliott is one of the few athletes who are playing far under the Heisman radar and yet are critical to their team’s success. While Fournette and Cook continue to steal the spotlight, Elliott keeps churning out a solid rushing season. The junior wrapped up another strong weekend after rushing for 153 yards — his 12th straight game with at least 100 yards dating back to last season. He’ll face a tough assignment this week against a Rutgers defense that has only allowed two 100-yard rushing performances this season.
Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
The Buzz: Much like Elliott, Boykin’s impact on TCU’s success is immeasurable. The senior quarterback is responsible for nearly 70 percent of the team’s total offense this season, accounting for 2,979 of the team’s 4,313 yards of offense. He’s on pace to have more than 5,000 yards of total offense and 50 total touchdowns. The Horned Frogs have a bye before West Virginia comes to Fort Worth for a Thursday night showdown.
Seth Russell, QB, Baylor
The Buzz: Few offenses are playing at as high of a level of success as Baylor. The Bears lead the country in scoring offense (64 points per game) and total offense (719 yards per game) and much of that success rests on the shoulders of Russell. The junior quarterback is averaging more than 11 yards per play this season — one of only three players to average more than 10 yards per play — and his 27 passing touchdowns is best in the nation. He’ll face an Iowa State defense this week that has allowed 11 plays of at least 40 yards this season.