Alabama’s Keelon Russell and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr? Yeah, they just absolutely blasted their way onto the Sporting News’ Heisman Watch top contenders list after some sick performances in Week 5. This ain’t no casual move, folks; these guys are officially shaking things up in the race for the biggest individual prize in college football.
The New Blood On Top
Russell, man, he straight-up outdueled Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor on Saturday to earn his spot. We’re talking three passing touchdowns AND another one on the ground as the Crimson Tide rolled to a monster 56-23 win over the Bulldogs. This dude is electric. And Carr? He dropped four touchdown passes, leading Notre Dame past Bill Belichick’s North Carolina squad. Four TDs! That’s how you make a statement. Carr’s season stats are already insane: five games, a 72.4% completion rate, 1,197 yards, and 13 passing touchdowns, plus another three rushing TDs. He just wrapped up his last game with 21 completions on 29 attempts for 234 yards and those four touchdowns in a 37-26 win against North Carolina. Next up, Alabama hosts Georgia for Russell, and Carr’s got a date with Stanford after a big showdown with BYU is on the horizon.
Who’s Out and Who’s In the Mix
But while those two are climbing, some big names took a hit, slipping into the “fringe” category. BYU’s star QB Bear Bachmeier, Texas’ Arch Manning, Florida’s running back Jadan Baugh, and Miami receiver Malachi Toney all dropped. Bachmeier got held to just 62 yards passing in a 17-10 win over TCU, even with 66 rushing yards and two scores. Baugh? Only 13 yards on 12 carries in a brutal 45-17 loss to Missouri. Toney managed just 40 yards on five catches against Clemson. And Manning was just idle, which doesn’t exactly help your Heisman campaign. On the flip side, Missouri’s Jamal Roberts absolutely exploded for 211 yards and three touchdowns, jumping into the fringe category. And Nebraska’s Anthony Colandrea wasn’t messing around either, throwing for 238 yards and three touchdowns while adding 108 yards and another score on the ground in a 48-23 rout of Maryland. He’s also now in the fringe mix.
More Names to Watch
We can’t forget about some other playmakers tearing it up, all on that alphabetical watch list compiled by Heisman Trophy voters Cliff Brunt and Jeff Hauser. These guys have been covering college football for years, voting since 2015 and 2017 respectively. They’d consider these players for their top three right now, and the ones with detailed stats here are in the top five for at least one of them. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, even with a loss to Florida, is still putting up numbers. He’s got four games under his belt, 70.8% completions, 1,222 yards, eight touchdowns passing, and another 108 yards and four scores rushing on 28 carries. Last game, he threw for 298 yards and a TD with one interception, adding 44 yards rushing. Indiana’s Josh Hoover? This dude is straight-up accurate: five games, 71% completions, 1,101 yards, 107 passes without an interception, and 15 passing touchdowns with a 203.8 passer rating. He threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns in his last outing. These guys are making it tough to pick just a few!
What’s Next
So yeah, the Heisman race is officially a wild ride right now. Russell’s got Georgia, Carr’s got Stanford coming up, and Colandrea’s Cornhuskers host defending national champion Indiana. Chambliss and Hoover also have big games on the horizon. It’s clear these contenders are bringing their A-game every single week. Who steps up next? Who slips? This season is just getting started, and you know we’re watching every single snap.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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