Cream rises to the top, huh?
Man, that didn’t take long …
Just two weeks into the 2017 college football season and already the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner is staking claim to keep the darn thing.
But he does have some serious competition at least.
So, without further ado, here is our Super Six – in order – up to now.
Lamar Jackson, Louisville QB. Dude is a freak show worth watching every time he takes a snap. Just unreal. Matched the previous week’s 300+ yards passing, 100+ yards rushing effort with a nifty 393-132 deal in detoxing a North Carolina crowd thinking the Cardinals were ripe for an upset. Those 6 TDs – 3 passing, 3 running – didn’t hurt his campaign, or Louisville in a 47-35 win at Chapel Hill, N.C.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma QB. Not sure if he is the Sooners’ version of Penn State QB Trace McSorley or vice versa, but there is no debating who is having a better season up to this point. Heck, could make the case he’s been more impressive than Jackson, especially considering what he did to then-No. 2 Ohio State Saturday night, with 386 yards and 3 TDs passing. Annoying at times, but awesome.
Josh Rosen, UCLA QB. What do you do as an encore to a legend-making, opening-week, 491-yard, 4-TD performance? Well, if you’re a Heisman candidate like Rosen, you go off for another 329 yards passing and 5 TDs the next week. He may or may not stick with this crowd all the way up until the December announcement in NYC, but, right now, Rosen is carrying an incredibly mediocre Bruins squad.
Will Grier, West Virginia QB. Sleeper pick? Dunno, but he’s definitely won me over. Better than he ever was at Florida, and he was pretty damn good there before transferring. Had, statistically, the best week of anyone in the country through the air this past Saturday, completing 19 of 25 attempts for 352 yards, 5 TDs and an off-the-charts passer rating of 260.3. Watch out. He’s in this for the long haul.
Akrum Wadley, Iowa RB. His value to the Hawkeyes, and, frankly, emergence as the Big Ten’s top back early on this season as Penn State’s Saquan Barkley lies in wait was never more evident than Saturday as he sparked a 44-41 comeback victory at Iowa State with 118 yards rushing and 72 receiving, along with a pair of TDs. The guy is consistent, and dangerous – a tremendous combo.
Austin Bryant, Clemson DE. Our “token” defensive entry ultimately may be a rotating one each week during the season, but it is kinda hard to ignore what this kid did Saturday, racking up 4 sacks among his seven tackles to spearhead a shutdown of Auburn’s high-powered offense … and he’s supposed to be the weak link on the reigning national champion Tigers’ defensive line.