It’s no secret that Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is on the shortlist of Heisman contenders for 2020. However, with Big Ten teams still going through the paces of preseason practice while other teams are playing, there’s not a chance to make much of an impression early on in the season.
Much the same way that Ohio State has started to slide down some of the major polls for college football teams so far this fall, so too is the perception of Fields’ as a Heisman frontrunner.
That brings us to this week’s ESPN Heisman Watch where Fields has slid down just a wee bit.
He’s still there of course. A few weeks of not seeing the dual-threat playmaker on the field while others play doesn’t erase what he did last season in making his way to New York as a finalist, but we’re again seeing an out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation here.
So where does ESPN have one of the most dynamic players in all of college football after the last slate of games Saturday?
NEXT … Justin Fields ranking in the Heisman Watch
No. 3 – Justin Fields
What ESPN says about Fields’ ranking
Notable: Fields dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 this week simply because the Buckeyes haven’t taken the field yet, but he’s also the only player on this list who hasn’t played a game, so that alone illustrates our voters’ expectations for Fields once he does play.
Quotable: “He is accurate throwing downfield, and if he tightens up his ball placement a bit more during the 2020 season, he’s going to be a high pick next year.” — Todd McShay
NEXT … Top six in the ESPN Heisman Watch
Top six in ESPN’s Heisman Watch Rankings
1. QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. QB Kyle Trask, Florida
3. QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
4. D’Eriq King, Miami
5. TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
6. QB Mac Jones, Alabama
NEXT … What we say
Justin Fields, No. 3 in ESPN’s Heisman Watch
What we say
There’s no way Kyle Trask is going to finish ahead of Justin Fields when it’s all said and done. There’s no doubt the Florida gunslinger has had a great start to the year, but call this a case of recency bias. Everyone knows what Fields can do, and once he gets on the field and starts to put together some highlight-reel worthy games, this is all going to change.
Trevor Lawrence is there because he’s Trevor Lawrence, but Fields had a better year last year and you know what they say about the biggest jump in development coming from year one to year two for a quarterback. Once games start for Ohio State, there’s a good chance he’s going to blow up. I’d still put him as the favorite right now and the popular sportsbook BetMGM agrees.
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