Louisville Cardinals

5 Reasons Louisville's Lamar Jackson Will Win the Heisman Trophy

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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It’s only two weeks into the college football season, but Louisville’s Lamar Jackson already looks like a Heisman Trophy favorite.

There’s no question Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson will be in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy after the end of the college football season. If Jackson wins the Heisman Trophy, here are five possible reasons why.

Sep 9, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) leaps over Syracuse Orange defensive back Cordell Hudson (20) during the second quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

5. Jackson Rushes for 150 Yards per Game

Last week, Jackson was stellar against the Syracuse Orange.

Jackson ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns while throwing for 423 passing yards and a touchdown. All of Jackson’s touchdown so far this season have come in the first half, playing in just 57 total minutes of game time over the first two weeks.

The sophomore quarterback has rushed for 318 yards and six touchdowns entering Week 3. Jackson is currently averaging an absurd 9.9 yards per rush and 159 rushing yards per game.

The Cardinals have struggled to find a rushing threat outside of their elusive quarterback. If Lamar Jackson can keep up this pace, he will certainly win the Heisman Trophy for the Louisville Cardinals.

Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

4. Jackson Continues to Limit His Turnovers

If Lamar Jackson can continue to limit his turnovers under center, he will win the Heisman Trophy.

Lamar Jackson threw eight interceptions in 2015. So far, he has thrown one interception early on this year.

Jackson is still developing as a passer, as evidenced by his 59.7 percent completion in 2016 and 54.7 completion percentage last season. That five percent increase is promising, but those numbers still aren’t as high as they probably should be.

Week 3 will tell the story as Lamar Jackson will need to step up as a passer against a very good Seminoles defense. However, Florida State will be without safety Derwin James for at least the Louisville game.

Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

3. Lamar Jackson Will Continue to Power the Louisville Offense to over 400 yards of Offense Each Game

The Louisville offense is averaging 66 points per game, which is good enough for first in the nation.

Jackson was responsible for over 600 yards of total offense in the Cardinals’ victory in Week 2. In their Week 1 victory, he recorded 405 yards of total offense.

The sophomore quarterback out of Florida has had a knack for the end zone in 2016 as well. Jackson is leading the nation in total touchdowns with 13. He is the third-leading rusher in the nation with 318 rushing yards and his 697 passing yards are eighth in the country.

The Louisville Cardinals and Jackson have taken ACC football by storm. If Jackson can keep up these numbers in Week 3 against the Seminoles and beyond, he will win the Heisman Trophy.

2. Lamar Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals Will Beat the Houston Cougars

Once ACC play is over with, the Louisville Cardinals still have two out of conference opponents to deal with. One of those opponents is the Houston Cougars, a strong Group of Five team currently projected to be in the College Football Playoff.

The Louisville Cardinals lost last season’s meeting to the Houston Cougars, 34-31. However, this was back when Kyle Bolin was starting at quarterback instead of the incredibly talented Jackson under center.

If Jackson wants to win the Heisman, he’ll have to beat the Houston Cougars and prove that the Cardinals belong in the discussion as national title contenders.

It will be a tough test for the Cardinals. They face a tough Houston Cougars defense that has already defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in their season opener. The Cougars also dominated last week in their 42-0 win over Lamar without starting quarterback Greg Ward Jr. under center.

This season’s meeting between Louisville and Houston should be epic. The Louisville Cardinals and Houston Cougars face off on November 17, and a win would give Jackson that statement game Heisman voters look for.

Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Reason 1: Louisville Will Win the ACC Championship

The Louisville Cardinals face off against the Florida State Seminoles this Saturday in front of a national audience. It will be an early test to see who is currently No. 1 in the ACC.

It will be a battle of young quarterbacks as Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois faces off against the current Heisman front-runner in Jackson. The sophomore quarterback and the Cardinals are 1-0 so far in ACC play after their convincing 62-28 win over Syracuse.

The Cardinals offensive flow will be tested by the Seminoles defense. If they can keep their their drives going against the Seminoles and pull off the upset win, it’s hard to believe that Jackson won’t be on the top of everyone’s Heisman Trophy watch list.

The Cardinals face Clemson on the road in Week 5. They will then face Duke, NC State, Virginia, Boston College, and Wake Forest to close out their ACC schedule. A win against the Seminoles will make the rest of those games look winnable while giving Jackson the chance to rack up some serious stats.