Alright, folks – here we are. Another season of the Heisman Watch is in the books. We have 26 candidates who ended up on my list based on my weekly scoring system throughout the season. That’s a whole hell of a lot….so let’s just get on to the list.
FINAL 2019 Heisman Watch Standings
26. Brady White, Memphis QB – White quietly crept up to 9th in the FBS in passing yards and passer rating this year. The Tigers are going to the Cotton Bowl in large part because of his play at quarterback.
25. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama WR – The production just wasn’t there for Jeudy like we thought it’d be this season. He only topped 100 yards four times all season. Still, he could be a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft next spring.
24. Jauan Jennings, Tennessee WR – At times, it looked like Jennings single-handedly will his team to victory. His season more resembles ‘MVP’ than ‘Heisman,’ but this guy deserves major credit for the Vols season all the same.
23. Najee Harris, Alabama RB – With all the talk of the explosive passing game, people lost sight of how good Harris was this season. His “Heisman moment” came in the LSU game, in which he ran for 146 yards, scored two total touchdowns, and almost single-handedly got the Tide back in that game.
22. Anthony Gordon, Washington State QB – Gordon led the FBS in passing yards in 2019 with 5,228. But, no one from a 6-6 team is going to get serious Heisman consideration.
21. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota QB – Morgan played a hell of a game as the Gophers upset Penn State this season. He also sneakily finished 6th in the FBS in passer rating.
20. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma WR – Lamb was an absolute play-maker for the Sooners this season, finishing the year with 1,209 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
19. Sam Ehlinger, Texas QB – Like the Longhorns, Ehlinger started the season red hot, but fell off as Texas went 3-4 down the stretch.
18. Justin Jefferson, LSU WR – This Tigers receiving corps is loaded with talent. Jefferson caught 88 balls for 1,207 yards and 14 touchdowns. He had a couple of “Heisman moments” with Joe Burrow this season – hence the reason he ended up on the list where his more productive teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, didn’t.
17. Jayden Daniels, Arizona State QB – Daniels was absolutely spectacular in the upset of Oregon this season. Lots of reason for optimism for Herm Edwards’ squad.
16. Bryce Perkins, Virginia QB – Like Daniels, Perkins is on this list because he showed up in the big moment. For the Cavaliers quarterback, it was the season finalé against Virginia Tech.
15. Shane Buechele, SMU QB – Buechele topped 400 yards three times this season and has games of five touchdowns and six touchdowns on his resumé. He finished 8th in passing yards in a season that saw the resurrection of the SMU program.
14. Ian Book, Notre Dame QB – Book had a couple of Heisman-type of games this season, but he wasn’t consistent enough to string together a successful campaign.
13. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU RB – Edwards-Helaire had some gutsy performances this season. Perhaps none bigger than his four-touchdown game against Alabama.
12. DeVonta Smith, Alabama WR – Feels like it could’ve been anyone out of that vaunted Alabama receiving corps, but Smith was the one who led them all in receiving yards with 1,200. His 13 touchdowns were good for 6th in the FBS.
11. Travis Etienne, Clemson RB – Etienne averaged a whopping 8.2 yards per carry throughout the 2019 season. Like Trevor Lawrence, the slow start is ultimately what kept Etienne further on down this list.
10. Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State RB – The FBS rushing leader finished the season with 1,936 yards. If the Cowboys had won more games, he’d be further up in the discussion.
9. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson QB – Lawrence finally started getting hot at the end of the season, but he was just too far behind to make up ground from that slow start.
8. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State RB – Dobbins had some monster games in 2019, and a few of those undoubtedly won the Buckeyes a game. He had multiple touchdowns in eight games this season.
7. Justin Herbert, Oregon QB – Herbert showed some real flashes this season, and all in all, I think he was tad underrated in the 2019 Heisman conversation. Just too much inconsistency from him.
6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin RB – He finished just 28 yards shy of the FBS rushing title, but he’s been a mainstay of that Badgers program throughout his time there. His 21 touchdowns have him tied for second in the FBS.
5. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama QB – Hot take alert: Tua’s 2019 was more Heisman-worthy than his 2018. If not for the injury, maybe this is a different Heisman race. Nonetheless, his overall body of work was still enough to put him in the top five for me.
4. Chase Young, Ohio State DE – Maybe Young is indeed the best player in college football, but if you think the Heisman Trophy goes to the player who is actually the best in college football, you haven’t been paying attention for a while. Young could be the first pick in next spring’s NFL Draft, but this award has been all about the quarterback in recent years.
3. Justin Fields, Ohio State QB – 50 total touchdowns is a hell of a mark. I think what ultimately kept Fields out of the top spot was the talent around him. I never felt like he was posting the type of yardage it took to win this award, only topping 300 yards twice all season. But, no one can deny his pure talent.
2. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma QB – Maybe it’s a closer race if Oklahoma doesn’t struggle so much down the stretch. But, to me, Hurts is the clear #2 in this year’s race. 50 total touchdowns – 32 passing, 18 rushing. He was a dynamic force at quarterback for the Sooners. He had at least four total touchdowns in 10 games this season.
1. Joe Burrow, LSU QB – A spectacular cap to the season for Burrow, going 28/38 for 349 yards and FOUR touchdowns against what was supposed to be a vaunted Georgia defense. Burrow has made it look easy all season – playing his best games against the best quality opponents (Georgia, Alabama, Florida).
He has 51 total touchdowns (48 passing, three rushing), and has looked damn near unstoppable all season long. To me, this isn’t even a decision. Joe Burrow is the rightful 2019 Heisman Trophy winner.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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