Jumbo Package: Is it just a two-player race for the Heisman in 2019?

Is it really a two-person race for Heisman? Sure, there are two clear favorites: Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence. But one player that will get a lot of traction, and possibly even win if he puts up gaudy numbers in a friendly system, is Jalen Hurts.

Here’s how Jalen Hurts takes home a Heisman; it’s not hard to envision either:

• Jerry Jeudy, Najee Harris, or even Jaylen Waddle picking off some of Tua’s votes
• Tee Higgins, the dynamic Justyn Ross and especially Travis Ettiene splits Clemson’s votes. Ettienne is in line for another monster year — and is easily the best player on this team. Last season he posted 1600 yards and 24 scores on the ground and averaged an absurd 8.1 YPC. He caught another 2 touchdown passes and had over 1700 yards from scrimmage.
• Look for Justin Fields to post big numbers too. Day’s offense is far more aggressive than Urban Meyer’s, and with an outstanding ground game, more running by the QBs, a deep wideout corps and an Eastern division that has taken a step back, all of those screens and quick hitches will give even a limited Fields some considerable stats. Any sort of regional split — as we saw last season with Ewok — could let Jalen win. Here, though, he could do so by just reaching a quorum of votes.

So, while the names may change, the jersey colors will probably look the same on the stage in December: Clemson, OU, Ohio State, Alabama.

Let’s call it a two-person favorite, with five serious candidates, and — for, my money — the wrong Clemson player getting the early love.

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Don’t have time to read in-depth position previews? BOL has a TL; DR version of the offense up today.

Shameless Plug Department: Beginning next week, after Saturday’s fan day. we will start rolling out those detailed position previews for you.

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NFL

• From being on the verge of a training camp cut to being the Bills’ best deep threat, Robert Foster had a monster second-half of the season last year. He’s facing a lot of stiff competition this fall, and is holding on to a tenuous spot at WR4...for now. Foster is likely growing accustomed to facing long odds though. Best of luck.
• It doesn’t look be too bad, but Derrick Henry is being held out of the Titans’ camp and is a walking boot. He’s been very healthy, but he’ll need to maintain that durability, as Tennessee leans on him a lot more this season.
• This is an awesome story on the Chicago Bears core, featuring Eddie Jackson.

It is just basically everyone coming in having their mind set on one goal, not being selfish,” Jackson said. “You’ve gotta be real selfless. At Alabama, that’s what we had. We had a lot of players that were determined. We all had our mind set on one goal. You feel it here now, especially after last season. Everybody knows how close we came. The mindset for the team right now is big. The goals and everything we want to accomplish, we know what we have to do to accomplish that.

• That Chicago core is still waiting on the arrival of its newest starting safety, however. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is still sidelined with a knee injury, and has a new DC — and partner in Jackson — to learn.
• While we’re on the topic the monstrous playmaker, Eddie Jackson earned his first spot on the NFL’s Top 100 list.

Coming in at No. 30 for 2019:

That dude is a beast. I can’t think of a single Tide injury, outside of Tyrone Prothro, that more shaped the outcome of a season in the last 15 years than the loss of Jackson down the stretch of his senior year :(

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Nick Saban was named to the Bobby Dodd preseason watch list for CoTY. In related news, the sun rose in the east this morning.

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Ross Dellenger has his SEC camp preview up, with five questions/storylines to watch for 2019.

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Finally, Eyabi Anoma is back in the quitter hole: Only this time, he may not have had a choice.

Per AL.com, he was suspended from the University. This is usually one of two main things, since there’s no blotter report: serious academic misconduct or a Title IX allegation (such as sexual harassment, assault, etc.)

If it’s the latter, then the other SEC programs are off the menu for him, owing to transfer changes in 2017. Not that it’s likely to matter in any event: he’ll probably wind up at Maryland, where Mike Locksley was the Anoma Whisperer.

And, judging from Jonah Williams’ incredible shade on Reddit yesterday, he’s not exactly commanding respect from some of his teammates. I wish I could find that link again. One of you reddit bros should hook us up.

So, we see year another potential five-dollar talent derailed by a ten-cent head. I’m ready for the next man up and to be done with the constant drama and uncertainty regarding him... just so long as he doesn’t derail Chris Braswell’s commitment.

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