Even Patrick Mahomes is aboard the Jonathan Taylor Heisman hype train
Listed as one of the 10 most likely Heisman Trophy recipients by most oddsmakers, Wisconsin Badgers running back Jonathan Taylor got his campaign started with a bang in Friday’s 49-0 win over the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium.
Taylor scored four touchdowns – two rushing and two receiving – and racked up 183 yards on 18 touches. Interestingly, these were his first two career touchdown receptions; all 29 of his touchdowns from 2017-18 had been on the ground.
Averaging 8.4 yards per rush, Taylor’s standout performance made even the reigning National Football League Most Valuable Player, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, take to Twitter.
Jonathan Taylor for Heisman!
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) August 31, 2019
While he never won the Heisman, Mahomes did put up some gaudy numbers in Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid system at Texas Tech from 2014-16.
Completing 63.5% (857-1,349) of his passes as a Red Raider, Mahomes threw for 11,252 yards and 93 touchdowns. He was able to translate this success to the NFL, throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns en route to the 2018 NFL MVP Award.
Taylor, in his two-plus seasons in Madison, has ran for 4,306 yards on 622 carries (6.9 AVG) and scored 33 total touchdowns.
He will look to keep rolling when the Badgers host Central Michigan on Saturday, September 7 at 3:30PM ET.