Ad Disclosure
Trace McSorley, Jonathan Taylor picked as Heisman front-runners for 2018 according to Sports Illustrated
Published:
Two players from the B1G have been tabbed as favorites to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the 2018 season, according to Sports Illustrated.
College football writer Andy Staples of SI compiled a list of the top 15 candidates for the 2018 Heisman Trophy, breaking it down into a few different categories. Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor both made the cut.
McSorley was listed under the “Probably Coming Back” category while Taylor came in under “No Choice but to Come Back.”
Staples gave some reasons behind projecting each player. Here’s what he had to say on McSorley:
With Saquon Barkley headed to the NFL — and possibly getting picked in the top three — McSorley will have to carry more of the load in Penn State’s offense. That should be fine for a guy who plays in a similar fashion to the quarterback who just won the Heisman. The promotion of quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne to offensive coordinator following Joe Moorhead’s departure for Mississippi State should allow for continuity that should only help McSorley.
He also provided thoughts on Taylor:
Taylor got bottled up by Ohio State in the B1G title game (15 carries for 41 yards), but he still averaged 6.8 yards a carry for his true freshman season. He plays at Wisconsin, so he’ll always run behind a quality line. If he stays healthy, he can only get better.
Staples also said that Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins is in a position to take on a bigger role and has the potential to have a big season. Haskins, of course, served as the backup behind J.T. Barrett this season.
There’s plenty of talent returning to the B1G in 2018, but McSorley and Taylor will likely receive the most Heisman hype throughout the offseason.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB