Heisman Power Rankings: Grier, Murray jump out to hot starts
It's early, but not too early to start talking about the Heisman Trophy.
There's a ton of football left to be played, but here are your early leaders in the race for college football's most prestigious individual award:
5. Jeshaun Jones, WR - Maryland
In his first career game, Jones caught, rushed, and threw for a touchdown, helping Maryland upset Texas for a second consecutive year. The true freshman finished his debut with 120 yards of total offense and the historic touchdown trifecta. He's unlikely to sustain such rapid production going forward, but his Week 1 performance is worthy of a spot on the list.
4. Tua Tagovailoa, QB - Alabama
Alabama's offense was almost unstoppable with Tagovailoa running the show. The dynamic sophomore posted three touchdowns in an incredibly efficient outing versus Louisville before giving way to Jalen Hurts, who wasn't able to match his output. Tagovailoa is clearly the best pivot in Tuscaloosa, and he's on his way to becoming one of the best players in the entire country.
3. Jonathan Taylor, RB - Wisconsin
Wisconsin's star running back picked up right where he left off at the end of his freshman campaign, powering through arm tackles en route to 145 yards and two touchdowns versus Western Kentucky. The Badgers play a soft schedule this year, so Taylor will need to produce monster numbers to keep himself in the thick of the Heisman conversation as the season progresses.
2. Kyler Murray, QB - Oklahoma
Murray made Oklahoma fans quickly forget about Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, as the dual-threat pivot routed Florida Atlantic for 232 yards of offense along with two touchdowns. He played less than a half before the Sooners pulled him in a show of mercy for the suffering Owls.
1. Will Grier, QB - West Virginia
The senior put on a show against Tennessee, roasting Jeremy Pruitt's defense for 429 yards and five touchdowns in a convincing triumph. While some of the nation's other top quarterbacks (ahem, Trace McSorley and Khalil Tate) struggled in their season openers, Grier displayed pinpoint accuracy and made smart decisions with the football all day long.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)