- Trevor Lawrence – QB, Clemson
Holding his ground atop the Heisman leaderboard is Clemson Quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Through three weeks of play, Lawrence is the clear favorite to take home the award. In his latest week of action, the projected number one overall draft pick and Clemson steamrolled The Citadel, 49-0. Only playing in the first quarter, Lawrence still impressed with 168 passing yards, three pass TD and one rush TD. The captain of the Tigers brings a demeanor and confidence like no other to the field. Clemson will have an off-week next Saturday, but will pick back up and face Virginia in Week 5.
2. D’Eriq King – QB, Miami (FL)
Outlasting star QB Micale Cunningham and (18) Louisville under the bright lights, D’Eriq King proved he is one of the best Quarterbacks in the country. Sealing the 47-34 win, King went 18/30 on passes with 325 passing yards and three pass TD. The versatility of the Houston transfer on the gridiron is unmatched. The strong Louisville defense held King to a mere nine rushing yards. Without a touchdown on the ground this week, King’s 10-game streak with a pass TD and rush TD is snapped. King and the Hurricanes battle the Florida State Seminoles next Saturday night.
3. Ian Book – QB, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Quarterback Ian Book has been nothing short of impressive this season. Book, in his Graduate Season with the Fighting Irish, commanded the ballgame in a 52-0 shutout win against South Florida. Going 12/19 with 143 passing yards, the ground game — rather than the air game — was in favor of Book as he rushed for three TD’s. Securing an undefeated 2-0 record with ND, Book looks to further his impressive season next week against Wake Forest. The Fighting Irish, now in the ACC, are looking to compete with Clemson for the top spot in the Conference.
4. Travis Etienne – RB, Clemson
Though not having an ‘A+’ outing, Etienne and the Clemson Tigers still brought home a dominating win against The Citadel. On the ground, Clemson’s RB1 was given eight attempts and had 68 rushing yards. Etienne falls to fourth on the Heisman board through Week 3. The projected first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft will look to improve his game in Week 5 against Florida State
5. Chuba Hubbard – RB, Oklahoma State
In a solid outing against Tulsa, Chuba Hubbard made his impact on the scoreboard with a lone rushing TD. Hubbard, one of the best running backs in the country, also had 93 yards on the ground as he was given 27 attempts. Sneaking into the top-five in the Heisman race, the Oklahoma State product can easily move up in the rankings with a more empowering statistical line next week against West Virginia.
Honorable Mentions:
Malik Cunningham – QB, Louisville
Louisville Quarterback Micale Cunningham should, and will, be brought up in the Heisman conversation as he has put up two above-and-beyond performances against Western Kentucky and Miami (FL). Last Saturday, Cunningham tossed for 307 passing yards and three TD’s against a top-caliber Miami defense. The versatility of the Cardinals QB is unmatched as he also has 22 rush attempts on 30 rush yards and one TD. In two matchups, Cunningham has thrown for 650+ passing yards, which leads Division I. Cunningham will look to keep his strong season next week against (21) Pittsburgh.
Jaelon Darden – WR, North Texas
In two games, North Texas star Wide Receiver Jaelon Darden has put on a show. This previous week against SMU, the senior wideout hauled in two TD along with 66 reception yards. Though resulting in a 65-35 loss, Darden holds the Division I lead for touchdowns, with five. Last week, against Houston Baptist, the WR1 took three touchdowns to the scoreboard and went for 71 yards in an empowering 57-31 win. In 10 receptions from his senior campaign, half have been touchdowns! Darden will look to add to his impressive touchdown total next week against Houston.
Photo: Miami Athletics
