Heisman Trophy Watch 2016: Top 5 candidates after Week 8

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

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Week 8 is in the books and here is who stands out as top Heisman Trophy candidates heading into Week 9.

The college football season has been flying by thus far and we are now past the halfway mark. That means the serious Heisman Trophy contenders are starting to become more clear while the September sensations have fallen off the radar.

Guys like Dalvin Cook and J.T. Barrett might still be on the radar but they’re going to need big games to close out the rest of the season. Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams was on my radar, but he had a rough game against Alabama, like most running backs do, and he will need to put together about four more 100-plus games to even crack the discussion.

Lamar Jackson was the No. 1 Heisman contender through the first eight weeks of the season, but did his performance against N.C. State dampen his hopes? Is there a new top Heisman Trophy watch list member this week or did Jackson retain that spot yet again?

People are still trying to hype up the Jabrill Peppers Heisman Trophy campaign, but he didn’t do much against a hapless Illinois team to improve his stock. He finished with just a couple of tackles, one pass breakup and didn’t do much in the return game. It’s time to rule his ‘campaign’ dead.

Let’s take a look at the top five Heisman Trophy candidates after the eighth week of the college football season. Do we have a new No. 1 on our list?

Oct 15, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks to pass the ball against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Baker Mayfield

QB, Oklahoma

Why haven’t we heard much about Baker Mayfield this season? That’s a pretty good question. It’s possible that after the Oklahoma Sooners began 1-2, people already counted him out of the Heisman Trophy race. However, he’s back with a vengeance.

Since that poor start to the year by the Sooners, Mayfield has led them to a 4-0 record by completing 76 percent of his throws for 1,555 yards, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has been one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the country during the past month.

Oklahoma was No. 3 in the country to begin the season and after two early losses the Sooners dropped out of the rankings, but have since climbed to No. 16. There’s still somewhat of a chance this two-loss Oklahoma team makes a run at the College Football Playoff and that would entail winning out.

Mayfield is coming off his best game of the season against Texas Tech, which happened to be a shootout, and the Sooners ended up winning 66-59 on the road. The junior quarterback passed for 545 yards and seven touchdowns on 27-of-36 completions.

Would you believe it if I told you he wasn’t even the top passer in the game, though? Patrick Mahomes out-dueled him on the stat sheet with over 700 yards and five scores. Mayfield got the last laugh with the win.

If Oklahoma keeps winning, Mayfield will keep rising.

Oct 21, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey (19) runs for a second quarter touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Donnel Pumphrey

RB, San Diego State

If you don’t know the name Donnel Pumphrey yet, it’s about time you get to know it. The senior running back for San Diego State has been one of the biggest under the radar candidates to take home the Heisman in recent memory. Many causal college football fans don’t know much about Pumphrey, but the kid can flat-out ball.

Over the past few years, even, the talented running back has dominated the Mountain West. In fact, he has broken the 1,800-yard mark and 1,600-yard mark in each of the last two seasons.

This season, he’s on pace to have his best year yet. Not only is Pumphrey averaging an impressive 6.5 yards per carry, but he has accumulated 1,246 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield with 20 receptions for 145 yards.

As long as San Diego State can continue to win, the Aztecs will be able to keep Pumphrey in the Heisman race. Right now, they’re 6-1 and have a good chance to make it to the Mountain West title game to defeat maybe a Boise State and play in a New Year’s Six game. Talk about exposure for the little-known running back.

Oct 15, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) carries the ball while being defended by DNorth Carolina State Wolfpack defensive back Niles Clark (6) during the second half at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Tigers won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Deshaun Watson

QB, Clemson

It’s been an up-and-down year for Clemson junior quarterback Deshaun Watson despite his team posting an undefeated record through eight weeks. He has been on the receiving end of some harsh critiques this season even though he has looked like the same guy who led the Tigers to a national title appearance after the 2015 season.

People were criticizing Watson even after a slim victory over N.C. State in overtime a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes elite teams will falter against inferior opponents, and that was just a case of the Tigers maybe overlooking the Wolpack the week before a bye and two weeks prior to the Florida State game.

Watson still engineered an overtime victory and he was one of the lone bright spots during that game for the Tigers. He finished with 378 yards and two passing touchdowns while completing 75 percent of his throws while also rushing for 35 yards and another score.

On the year, he has been just getting stronger and stronger. After a couple of close wins in the first two weeks against Auburn on the road and at home against Troy, he has been lights out. He currently has 1,950 passing yards and 20 touchdowns and a 64 percent completion rate.

Oct 22, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) passes the ball against the Oregon State Beavers during the fourth quarter at Husky Stadium. Washington won 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Browning

QB, Washington

If there’s a Jake Browning fan club, I need to be signed up for it. This kid continues to impress me and he’s getting better with each passing week. Even when he has a “poor” game, he passes for nearly 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

There might not be a better pro prospect in the country right now than Browning. You could argue that maybe DeShone Kizer, Josh Rosen or even Mayfield are better prospects, but this kid is just a sophomore and he has so much time to improve on his few weaknesses.

You can bet, though, that accuracy isn’t an issue for him. Although he completed just 14-of-28 passes against Oregon State in a blowout win in Week 8, the sophomore has completed about 69 percent of his throws on the season. Not only that, but his decision-making has been superb.

In fact, Browning has thrown 26 touchdown passes to just two interceptions. Yes, you read that right. He throws 13 touchdowns passes to every one interception. That’s unheard of in college football these days.

Browning’s season numbers for the No. 4 team in the country are great. He currently has 1,709 yards with 26 scores and the Huskies might be the favorite to come out of the Pac-12 and represent the conference in the playoff.

Oct 22, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker Airius Moore (58) during the first quarter at Papa John

Lamar Jackson

QB, Louisville

If you’ve even watched a second of college football this year, you’d know exactly who Lamar Jackson is and what he’s capable of. He has been the most dynamic football player in the entire country and he has been this year’s runaway candidate for the award, barring some type of meltdown in his final four contests.

One of the slipperiest quarterbacks in recent memory, Jackson shows signs of Michael Vick with his play. He has been making defenders miss all year long with his elusive, long runs and his lightning-fast speed bursts.

Jackson has accounted for 908 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He is less than 80 yards away from breaking his total from last year and he already has five more rushing scores than he did in 2015.

The Cardinals have benefited from his exciting play, posting a 6-1 record through eight weeks and he has 34 total touchdowns.

Don’t forget he can also pass the ball. He has 2,161 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air with just four interceptions. Oh yeah, and he’s only a sophomore.