Week 5 Heisman Trophy Power Rankings: Jadan Baugh, Kamario Taylor enter the discussion
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In Week 3, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss established himself as the Heisman Trophy favorite with a dominant performance in a win over LSU. In Week 4, Chambliss and the Rebels were knocked to the mat for the first time this season in a 52-28 loss to Florida.
On the other side of that loss, Jadan Baugh continues to establish himself as a star. Baugh has been well-known in NFL Draft circles for a few years now, but he is now breaking out as a superstar for the college football community. After running for 162 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Auburn in Week 3, Baugh racked up 142 yards and three more touchdowns in the upset of Ole Miss on Saturday. Until he proves otherwise, he will be a huge part of this Heisman discussion.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor, who came in at No. 3 in the rankings a week ago, is also holding steady in the rankings after getting a big win in Starkville over a ranked Missouri team. The Bulldogs are now ranked No. 16 in the AP poll and host No. 7 Alabama on Saturday — arguably the biggest game for Mississippi State football since Dak Prescott and company played Alabama back in 2014.
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Let’s get into the full Heisman Trophy power rankings with a month in the books.
Honorable mention: Miami (FL) WR Malachi Toney, Alabama QB Keelon Russell, Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker, BYU QB Bear Bachmeier, Texas QB Arch Manning
5. Florida RB Jadan Baugh
Last week: NR
Baugh has now had two monster games in a row on a national stage, and his counting stats are through the roof. He is currently second in the nation in rushing yards (600) and first in rushing touchdowns (11), making him one of the most productive players in college football regardless of position. On top of that, the Gators are unbeaten, ranked in the top 10 and are the surprise of the season so far. All of those factors will help the narrative for Baugh if Florida stays in the SEC title race and the CFP picture throughout the rest of the season.
4. Miami (FL) QB Darian Mensah
Last week: 2
Mensah is stuck in neutral right now thanks to a schedule that grants him essentially no resistance and almost no exposure as a result. Miami does get a step up in competition this week on the road against Clemson, so a big game in Death Valley will get his name back close to the top of these rankings. Still, 88.7% completions with 1,211 yards, 14 touchdowns and no picks is impressive no matter who is on the other sideline.
3. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Last week: 4
Nobody is going to be able to stop Smith almost all year, and that was certainly true for Illinois on Saturday. The Ohio State star went off for 12 catches, 217 yards and four touchdowns, including a couple of plays that will go on his career highlight reel. Smith now leads the country in receiving yards (617), is tied for the lead in touchdowns (seven) and ranks in the top five in catches (33). Julian Sayin isn’t shy about getting him the ball, and his production should continue to come as a result.
2. Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor
Last week: 3
There’s just something different about Taylor, even if his game is still a little rough around the edges at the moment. He just feels like a Heisman Trophy-type of player. The sophomore has taken a Bulldogs program that has been near the bottom of the SEC for a long time and turned it into a contender, and it’s primarily on his back.
Saturday night was another bomb show from Taylor, as he came up big with explosive plays all over the place in a win over a ranked Missouri squad. Saturday gives him another chance for a Heisman moment, as Kalen DeBoer and Alabama will be in Starkville for a battle of undefeated SEC teams.
1. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss
Last week: 1
Chambliss and Ole Miss were beaten badly by Florida on Saturday, but it wasn’t the fault of the quarterback or the Rebels offense. Chambliss is still arguably the best player in college football, and he and this Ole Miss offense will still have success against just about everyone on their schedule. Kewan Lacy being back in the lineup, hopefully for a Week 6 tilt against Vanderbilt, will certainly help.
Chambliss also has a number of chances for more memorable moments, which can narratively be the difference in the race. Ole Miss still has a trip to Texas and home games against Georgia and Mississippi State, so he is still the favorite for now.
Related: Why CFB analyst believes Lincoln Riley’s USC tenure ends similarly to James Franklin at Penn State
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