The Latest Buzz In An Exciting Heisman Trophy Race
Heisman chatter has centered around players from Indiana-based schools dozens of times in the award’s nine-decade history, but more often than not, that school has been Notre Dame. That’s not a shock, as the Fighting Irish boast seven winners.
That said, Purdue has 12 Heisman top 10 finishers while Indiana has seven.
So while it’s surprising, it’s not shocking that the main name the Heisman media-verse keeps chirping in our ears, or at least in all media spaces, plays his home games in Bloomington, not South Bend.
As we turn the page on the first half of November and head into turkey season, reviews of the latest round of Heisman reporting have Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza residing atop most rankings.
But he is not alone, as Alabama QB Ty Simpson, Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, Texas A&M Marcel Reed and Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia continue to earn recognition, as do Georgia Tech QB Haynes King, Oregon QB Dante Moore, OSU WR Jeremiah Smith, Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love and Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, among others.
Bleacher Report’s recent Heisman rankings list Mendoza, Simpson in Sayin squarely in the front-runner status.
Mendoza led the Hoosiers in a dramatic come-from-behind win to defeat host Penn State, 27-24, on Saturday as Indiana became the nation’s first 10-0 team while winning in Happy Valley for the first time. Mendoza found receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the back of the end zone with 36 seconds left for the decisive score, capping off the late 80-yard scoring drive.
Mendoza threw for 218 yards and the winning score and also ran one in. He is second national in QB rating (178.55), completing 71.3% of his passes for 2,342 yards and a national-best-tying 26 TDs with just five interceptions. Mendoza, whose 9.2 yards per attempt is tied for eighth nationally, has also rushed for 240 yards and five scores.
Bleacher Report’s Heisman second tier included Chambliss, Reed, Pavia and Georgia QB Gunner Stockton with Love and Smith in its “Hopeful” third tier range.
Said the folks at On3.com as it rated Mendoza first among its Heisman favorites: “Mendoza came up clutch on the final throw of the drive, lofting on to the back of the end zone for receiver Omar Cooper Jr. It was a perfect catch, perhaps the catch of the year. It was a Heisman Trophy type moment and may be the signature play of Mendoza’s campaign should he take home the top honors later this fall.”
Behind Mendoza, On3 listed Simpson and Sayin. Simpson led Alabama to its eighth straight win with a 20-9 victory over LSU, passing for 277 yards and a score in what was a defensive battle. He has 21 TD passes against just one interception on the season, completing 66.9 percent of his attempts while averaging 273.4 yards passing a game.
Said On3: “He is completing almost 67% of his passes and has been excellent in the big games this year. He has Alabama poised to potentially compete for the SEC title and a first-round playoff bye.”
Sayin kept the Buckeyes unbeaten with a 34-10 win over 2-8 Purdue, throwing for 303 yards and a score. He has completed a gaudy 80.9 percent of his passes — ahead of the NCAA record pace set by 2020 Heisman finalist Mac Jones — for 2,491 yards with 24 TDs and just four interceptions. His passing percentage and QB rating (192.6) lead the nation and he is second in yards per attempt.
Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde took a deep dive into the race and listed Mendoza and Sayin as 1-2 with Pavia third. Pavia is fresh off leading Vanderbilt to a 45-38 overtime win over Auburn in which he passed for 377 yards and three scores while running for 112 yards and another TD.
Pavia, fourth nationally in QB rating, has passed for 2,440 yards and 21 TDs while rushing for 613 yards and seven scores. He has been the Commodores’ leading ground-gainer five times this season.
Said Forde on Pavia: “Nobody is carrying his team more—Pavia’s combined 390 runs and passes are the third-most among power-conference quarterbacks, and the most for any player averaging more than seven yards per play. He’s accounted for 54.9% of Vandy’s total touchdowns and 40.9% of its total yardage.”
Forde has Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez listed fourth, citing his nation-leading seven forced fumbled and three interceptions and his 49 solo tackles, among the nation’s top 10.
Fifth on Forde’s list is Notre Dame’s Love, who co-leads the country with 16 TDs, 13 rushing and three receiving. King and Simpson and sixth and seventh, respectively on the list.
On King, Forde said: “He’s third nationally in total offense at 330.3 yards per game. His 754 rushing yards are the most for any non-service academy quarterback (despite missing a game for injury), and his 14 rushing touchdowns are second-most for any player. King has converted 41 third downs into first downs with runs or passes this season, a personal 50.6% conversion rate.”
Among the longer shots to make Forde’s list were South Florida QB Byrum Brown (fifth nationally in total offense) and Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson (averaging 143.1 all-purpose yards, second nationally).
Fox Sports analyst and 2013 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III lists Rodriguez first on his top 10 with Mendoza second and Sayin third.
On Rodriguez, Griffin said: “The Heisman isn’t just about numbers, but Jacob Rodriguez has the numbers. He’s got 88 total tackles, seven forced fumbles, five pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Is Jacob Rodriguez one of the best players in the country? Absolutely. He should be in New York at the Heisman ceremony. The other thing about the Heisman is the story, and Jacob Rodriguez’s story is phenomenal. Jacob Rodriguez is very deserving to be at No. 1 on our list for the Heisman Trophy.”
The Athletic’s straw poll gives Mendoza 21 of 26 first-place votes, making him a clear top choice with Sayin solidly in second and Simpson third. Love had two first-place votes in fourth, while Pavia was fifth. Smith was sixth, King seventh while Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey and teammate Rodriguez grabbed the last two spots on the list, in eighth and ninth, respectively.
Among the long shots to keep an eye on are USC QB Jayden Maiava. He holds his own statistically for the 7-2 Trojans, who have ranked Iowa and Oregon coming up. He is near the national top 10 in most passing categories and has also rushed for six scores. Wins over ranked teams will doubtlessly increase his profile, but that’s a recipe all of our Heisman contenders are using.
What a race!
