Lamar Jackson has been tough to catch on the field this season, and he could be even tougher to catch in the race for this year’s Heisman Trophy. The Louisville quarterback has been head and shoulders the best player in college football for the first seven weeks of the season, and the award looks like his to lose. But if he does falter, who are the other players who are in line to take advantage?
Let’s take a look at the resume of each of the top five 2016 Heisman contenders according to the odds through the first seven weeks.
College Football News and Previews
- Ohio State vs. Rutgers NCAA Football Preview - September 30, 2017
- Clemson vs. Virginia Tech NCAA Football Preview - September 30, 2017
- Arizona State vs. Stanford NCAA Football Preview - September 30, 2017
2016 Heisman Trophy Odds Update
The Clear Front-runner
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville (-220)
Jackson hasn’t taken the field since losing that heart-breaker against Clemson, but he’s still the odds-on favorite to claim the Heisman. His performance in that loss (457 total yards, three total touchdowns) did nothing to downgrade his credentials, which are impeccable.
Jackson, who’s now accounted for 28 touchdowns, leads the nation in rushing touchdowns (14) and is fifth in the country in rushing yards per game. Jackson looks bound to add even more gaudy numbers in the coming weeks thanks to a very favorable five-week schedule. That stretch begins with a home game against Duke this Saturday.
The Closest Contenders
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (+350)
Watson’s Heisman case thus far is pretty simple: Clemson is still undefeated and he outdueled Jackson to beat Louisville. Those have made him Jackson’s closest challenger for the trophy, and rightly so.
Watson’s entire body of work isn’t quite as impressive as last season’s, but there’s still time to close the gap. Clemson finally looked like the 2015 team again with a 56-10 win over Boston College last week. Watson starred with 270 yards and four touchdowns. A couple more games like that and maybe Watson can start making up more ground in the Heisman race.
JT Barrett, QB, Ohio State (+750)
As long as Ohio State remains undefeated, Barrett remains a credible Heisman contender. The junior Buckeyes quarterback is currently seventh in the country in quarterback rating, above both Jackson and Watson. He has also accounted for 19 touchdowns (15 passing, four rushing).
Even if the Buckeyes do remain undefeated – they’re currently +280 to win the national title – Barrett still has some work to do to catch up with Jackson’s superb stats. But Ohio State’s schedule is about to get pretty challenging, beginning with this Saturday’s road game against Wisconsin.
The Intriguing Sleepers
Jabrill Peppers, LB/S/RB/CB/KR/PR/etc., Michigan (+1,000)
The last defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy was Michigan’s Charles Woodson, who also played some offense and excelled in special teams. That was way back in 1997. 19 years on, and the Wolverines could deliver another defensive winner in Peppers, or Mr. Everything as he’s known in Ann Arbor.
Peppers, who has played in 12 positions this season but mostly plays as a linebacker/safety hybrid, put his name squarely in the Heisman conversation after rushing for 74 yards and two touchdowns in Michigan’s epic 78-0 rout of Rutgers.
Michigan is quickly running out of doormat opponents for Peppers to score rushing touchdowns on, but a few timely return touchdowns in the midst of Michigan’s tough end of season schedule may be enough to swing some more votes in his favor.
Jake Browning, QB, Washington (+1,000)
Pop quiz: who’s been the most productive quarterback (in terms of pure passing) thus far this season? It’s not Jackson, not Watson, not Barrett, not even Air Raid guys like Davis Webb and Patrick Mahomes. It’s Washington’s Jake Browning.
Browning currently leads the nation in passer rating and touchdown passes (23), and has thrown just two interceptions. The super sophomore has been instrumental in leading the Huskies to a perfect 6-0 start, which includes comprehensive wins over Pac-12 giants Stanford and Oregon.
UDub has a pretty manageable schedule going forward – Utah is currently the only ranked team it’s set to face – and Browning will certainly deserve a lot of consideration if he leads the Huskies to an undefeated season. Washington’s odds of winning the national title are now down to just +600.
Create a betting account now and put some money down on who you think will bring home the 2016 Heisman Trophy.
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