Louisville Football: 3 reasons Lamar Jackson should win 2017 Heisman

3. Hardest player in the country to defend

Preparing for Jackson would be a nightmare. He’s a dual threat quarterback that was able to improve his pocket passing ability are incredible. Jackson went from a record-breaking campaign in 2016 and turned into an even better player in 2017.

Despite the decrease in national spotlight, Jackson was still the polarizing player he’s always been this year. Louisville had Jackson scramble less this year, which resulted in more efficiency from him. He actually averaged more yards per carry in 2017 than he did in 2016.

No quarterback in the nation is as elusive as Jackson. Arizona’s Khalil Tate is really the only one that comes close. With a big effort in the TaxSlayer Bowl against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Jackson could finish close to the amount of rushing touchdowns he had last season.

Another tough part in defending Jackson is the consistency he displayed this year. Jackson had some streaky performances last year, and took a nose dive near the end of the season. He did not have a single game where he tossed more interceptions than touchdowns, and had at least two total touchdowns in each contest.