Each year it seems like we open the Heisman talks with quarterback after quarterback and this season has been no different. In fairness, this quarterback class could be loaded now that Hurts is at Oklahoma and Justin Fields is at Ohio State. In the 22 years of my life time, only 5 non quarterbacks have taken home the award, and the last one was four years ago.
These are players that wreck game plans on a weekly basis, and have the ability to single handedly take their teams to the next level. Week in and week out they make not just electrifying plays, but impactful ones at that. Without these players helping their team, not only would that make the lives on the players around them a lot more difficult, but it would probably greatly decrease their chances of winning ball games.
With that being said I feel like these players are just as valuable, if not more, than some of the name quarterbacks gaining Heisman hype already this season.
Jonathan Taylor
Say all you want about Oregon’s offensive line, I will take Wisconsin’s factory of offensive linemen 10 times out of 10. Wisconsin’s stout offensive line will only make more room for Jonathan Taylor to wreak havoc across Big-Ten defenses. As a freshman he nearly broke the 2,000 yard rushing mark with 1,977 yards and 13 touchdowns on 6.1 yards a carry.
Last season, Taylor only found some ways to improve, and rushed for 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns on 7.1 yards a carry. To put that in perspective, Derrick Henry rushed for 2,219 yards and had an unbelievable 28 rushing touchdowns the season he won the Heisman. With Wisconsin looking to use Taylor in the passing game more in 2019, we could expect an even gaudier stat line for this upcoming year.
Jerry Jeudy
Many Draft Analyst view Jeudy as one of the best wide receiver prospects in the past decade. Last years Biletnikoff Award winner lead Alabama’s electric receiving group with 68 catches for 1,315 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns, and with Harris and Jacobs gone, Jeudy is posed for yet another huge season for the Tide.
The last receiver that I remember gaining solid traction in the Heisman voting was Michael Crabtree in 2008; a season where Crabtree was coming off one of the best freshman performances anyone has ever seen. Dede Westbrook finished 4th in 2016, and finished with a similar season as Jeudy did last year with 80 catches, 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns. I would place Jeudy in a similar category as Crabtree, but will still have the challenge of out performing the man throwing him the ball, Tua Tagovailoa.
Rondale Moore
Unlike Jeudy, Rondale Moore doesn’t have an elite level passer at quarterback throwing him the ball. Which sounds like a bad thing in most cases but in the case of a Heisman hopeful, this just makes him stand even brighter. Receivers chasing a Heisman will have the curse of the quarterback getting every yard you run for them, making it difficult to have a receiver stand taller than the quarterback passing to the receiver. But Purdue’s offense is centered around Rondale Moore and not much else.
During his freshman season at Purdue, Moore caught 114 passes for 1,217 yards and 12 touchdowns, rushed for another 213 yards and two touchdowns and also had 742 yards on special teams returns.
Moore is a dynamic weapon once given the ball, and effects the game receiving, rushing, and on special teams as well. I believe Moore will have to effect Purdue’s season similarly how Tyrann Mathieu did for his LSU Tigers back in 2011. Mathieu not only led LSU in tackles, but he also hurt teams anytime he got the ball in his hands.
D’Andre Swift
Jake Fromm may or may not be the answer the Bulldogs need to get over the hump that is the Alabama Crimson Tide. In order for Fromm to be that guy, D’Andre Swift must take a big load off his shoulders and help run this offense. Georgia is known for their run game and the stellar running backs that have come with it, and Swift is next on the list.
Back in 2017, Bryce Love finished 3rd in the Heisman voting while managing to rush for over 2,100 yards and 19 touchdowns. Swift’s 2018 season wasn’t anywhere near that, rushing for 1,043 yards and 10 touchdowns, but had to split the backfield with Elijah Holyfield. He also was a threat in the receiving game, catching 30 passes for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns. If Swift can use the extra touches he is likely to get in 2019, Swift could be the first Bulldog to win the Heisman since Hershel Walker did back in 1982.
Chase Young
Ohio State might be under a first time Head Coach in Ryan Day, but the talent on their roster still glistens like the shimmer on a Buckeyes helmet. Players like Justin Fields, and J.K. Dobbins will shine on the offense, but their defense will look for Chase Young to take his next step in becoming one of the nations top pass rushers.
Last season Chase played in all 13 games, but gained a lot more playing time once Nick Bosa went down against No. 15 TCU. He finished his season with 33 tackles, 14.5 for a loss, and 9.5 sacks. Young’s odds will probably be the toughest to get New York, but there is always at least one defensive freak that wins the heart of college football fans, and I believe Young has the stage to do so.