No player is running away with the 2019 Heisman Trophy race, but there’s clearly two groups of favorites eight weeks into the college football season. And then there’s everybody else.
Going into the Week 9 games, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow leads the group of likely finalists, at this point, with even odds, while Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts are right behind him with 2/1 odds, according to BetMGM as of Tuesday, October 22.
The next group consists of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor, who are still definitely Heisman hopefuls and ahead of the majority of other possible players. But they also trail the top-3 starts quite a bit. Fields’ Heisman odds at this point are 10/1, while Taylor is at 20/1.
If Hurts wins the Heisman, he and Oklahoma will make history as the first program to win three straight trophies with three different players. Kyler Murray won with the Sooners in 2018, and Baker Mayfield won in 2017.
Ahead of Week 9, here’s how the top-5 Heisman Trophy candidates statistically compare with each other.
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1. Joe Burrow, LSU quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: Even
Record through 7 games: 7-0
Completion percentage: 79.4
Passing yards: 2,484
Passing TDs: 29
Interceptions: 3
Sacks: 12
Rushing: 39 carries for 94 yards
Rushing TDs: 2
Adjusted QBR: 93.3
Passer efficiency rating 216.2
1. Joe Burrow, LSU quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: Even
In his second season with LSU after transferring in from Ohio State, Burrow was expected to improve this year, but he wasn’t in the preseason top-10 rankings. But seven games into the season, he’s leading the Tigers’ surprisingly talented offense, which is second nationally with an average of 50.1 points per game and third with 539.9 yards per game. This high-powered offense is a huge reason why LSU is in contention for both the SEC West and a College Football Playoff spot. His No. 1 completion percentage is, no doubt, a large reason why he’s the current favorite, and if he can keep it up, wow.
T-2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: 2/1
Record through 7 games: 7-0
Completion percentage: 74.7
Passing yards: 2,166
Passing TDs: 27
Interceptions: 2
Sacks: 8
Rushing: 18 carries for 30 yards
Rushing TDs: 2
Adjusted QBR: 95.6
Passer efficiency rating 212.4
T-2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: 2/1
Tagovailoa, a 2018 Heisman finalist, quickly replaced Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the favorite this year, but Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts came with him (but more on him later). He was having the phenomenal season everyone expected until he was injured in Week 8 against Tennessee.
Coach Nick Saban said Tagovailoa had successful surgery on his ankle Sunday, but he explained that the timeline for Tua’s return is unknown.
T-2. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: 2/1
Record through 7 games: 7-0
Completion percentage: 74.0
Passing yards: 2,074
Passing TDs: 20
Interceptions: 3
Sacks: 5
Rushing: 84 carries for 705 yards
Rushing TDs: 10
Adjusted QBR: 95.2
Passer efficiency rating 226.1
T-2. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: 2/1
Hurts is, somehow, playing even better than expected with his new team after transferring from Alabama in the offseason. And the Sooners’ offense is lethal, leading the nation with 612.9 yards per game and with 50.4 points per game. Constantly showing off his versatility, Hurts is Oklahoma’s leading rusher with nearly twice as many yards as the team’s best running back. All he should really have to do to be a Heisman finalist — if not win — is keep putting up these ridiculous rushing numbers while maintaining his completion percentage and QBR. His passer efficiency gives him the edge here, but he’s still a few points off Burrow’s completion percentage.
4. Justin Fields, Ohio State quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: 10/1
Record through 7 games: 7-0
Completion percentage: 70.7
Passing yards: 1,492
Passing TDs: 22
Interceptions: 1
Sacks: 13
Rushing: 63 carries for 291 yards
Rushing TDs: 8
Adjusted QBR: 94.5
Passer efficiency rating 190.2
4. Justin Fields, Ohio State quarterback
Week 9 Heisman odds: 10/1
Ohio State’s offense is right there with Oklahoma’s, LSU’s and Alabama’s leading the nation, and Fields, another transfer quarterback on this list, adjusted to his new team with what appeared to be zero issues. He has a lot of help from running backs J.K. Dobbins and Master Teague III, and while they’re helping the Buckeyes’ offense remain two-dimensional, they’re arguably hindering Fields’ Heisman campaign. None of that may matter if Ohio State wins a national championship, but if Fields can keep this up, there’s a solid chance he’ll be a Heisman finalist.
5. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin running back
Week 9 Heisman odds: 20/1
Record through 7 games: 6-1
Rushing: 157 carries for 957 yards
Rushing TDs: 15
Receiving: 16 catches for 138 yards
Receiving TDs: 4
5. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin running back
Week 9 Heisman odds: 20/1
The trend in Heisman voting favors quarterbacks, and that’s the biggest challenge for Taylor. Since 2000, only two running backs/non-quarterbacks have won the Heisman, and they both went to Alabama. But still, if others on this list struggle toward the end of the season, it could leave room for Taylor to move in.
