Every year The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the best player in College Football. We are halfway through the College Football Season, and the Heisman race has heated up. There are some surprise contenders and some that were expected. As of now, there are 3 contenders that seem most likely to take home the trophy in December. 

Starting things off, Joe Burrow, the senior quarterback at Louisiana State University (LSU), has completely reformed LSU’s offense that has struggled in recent years. His stats throughout the first half of the season are exceptional, as he has thrown for 2,484 yards, has a 93.3 QBR, and holds a TD/INT ratio of 29/3. With those stats, Burrow and the Tigers have knocked off the 15th ranked Texas Longhorns on the road, and the 7th ranked Florida Gators at home. LSU is currently 7-0 and ranked Number 2, and Burrow is a big contributor to this success.

Another strong contender for the Heisman is  junior Jonothan Taylor, the star running back for Wisconsin. This is nothing new, as he was a contender for the last two years, due to his stats and record breaking seasons. One of the most impressive records he broke happened on October 19th in Wisconsin’s disappointing loss to the University of Illinois, when he became the fastest player to reach 5,000 career rushing yards. Taylor is currently rushing for 957 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 157 attempts, and is averaging 6.1 yards per carry. As of now, the Badgers and Taylor are ranked 13th in the nation,with a 6-1 record. 

The last major contender for the Heisman Trophy is junior  Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the juggernaut of college football, the University of Alabama. Everybody knows Tagovailoa for replacing Jalen Hurts in the second half of the 2018 national championship and leading them to a comeback victory. Tagovailoa has not slowed down since that title game, and has put up some incredible stats. Right now Tagovailoa has 2,166 yards through the air, a 27/2 TD/Int ratio, and a 95.6 QBR. Despite these stunning stats, there is one major problem: Tagovailoa suffered an ankle injury against Tennessee, and had to sit out the rest of the game. His injury could put a dent in his outstanding season, and could potentially take him out of the Heisman race. He has already been ruled out for the game against Arkansas, which should not be a problem, but Alabama has a game against the second ranked LSU on November 9th. If he misses this, he might not have a good enough resume to be considered for the Heisman.  

From here on out, college football fans can expect the heisman race to only get tougher. Can Burrow and the Tigers continue his success against more top ranked teams? Can Taylor and the Badgers bounce back after the upset to Illinois and make a run for the playoffs? Can Tagovailoa come back from his injury and keep up his fantastic play with the Tide? We will find out the answers to all these questions on December 14th, when the Heisman Trophy is awarded to the top player in college football.