Heisman Watch: Deshaun Watson still leads list
Call it the Kenny Hill phenomenon: the tendency to grossly inflate an individual player’s Heisman Trophy standing after the first week of the regular season — named after the former Texas A&M, now TCU quarterback who torched South Carolina in the 2014 opener before quickly falling off the map.
Will Florida State’s Deondre Francois be the next to go from Heisman front-runner to Heisman also-ran in the span of a single month? Maybe. But maybe not: Francois showed a comfort level and confidence beyond his years, which perhaps gives the Seminoles two favorites for the trophy, joining running back Dalvin Cook.
We’ll know more by the time conference play heats up in October. For now, here are the top five Heisman contenders after Week 1 of the 2016 season, with another handful of players just off the list.
1. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
Watson wasn’t at his best in Clemson’s opener, throwing an interception and averaging less than two yards per carry, but still led the Tigers to a very solid road win against Auburn. We know the numbers will be there for Watson — picture around 5,000 yards of total offense, give or take. Beating Auburn maintains his spot atop the Heisman heap.
2. Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey
It was your typical Saturday for the junior, who ran for 126 yards, made seven receptions and did his normal part in the return game in Stanford’s win against Kansas State. McCaffrey being McCaffrey, basically.
3. Georgia RB Nick Chubb
Chubb showed no worse for wear after last season’s knee injury, running for 222 yards — ranked second in the entire country after Week 1 — on 6.94 yards per carry in the Bulldogs’ win against a ranked North Carolina team. It seems clear that Georgia will lean heavily on Chubb as it manages an uncertain quarterback position.
4. Houston QB Greg Ward Jr.
Oklahoma did manage to keep Ward bottled up in the running game. But the Sooners couldn’t stop the Cougars’ passing game: Ward completed 23 of 40 attempts for 321 yards and two scores without an interception to notch one of the biggest wins in program history. Ward must be taken seriously as a major Heisman contender.
5. Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett
The numbers were extraordinary: Barrett accounted for seven touchdowns in Ohio State’s 77-10 win against Bowling Green. There’s little doubt that Barrett is headed for a bounce-back season, even if it’s one thing to tear through Bowling Green and another to do so against Oklahoma on Sept. 17. (Though if Houston can do it, so can OSU, obviously.)
JUST OFF THE LIST
►Alabama RB Damien Harris
►Brigham Young QB Taysom Hill
►Clemson WR Mike Williams
►Florida State QB Deondre Francois
►Florida State RB Dalvin Cook
►LSU RB Leonard Fournette
►Louisville QB Lamar Jackson
►Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer
►Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield
►San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey
►Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes
►Texas QB Shane Buechele
►Wisconsin RB Corey Clement
AMWAY COACHES POLL TOP 25