Stanford Football: 5 reasons Bryce Love will win 2018 Heisman Trophy
By Zach Bigalke
3. Love lost a lot of competition from the 2017 Heisman field
Before we go any further, let’s pause for a moment and look at who Bryce Love was up against in the 2017 Heisman voting. Baker Mayfield, the only person to finish ahead of Love, is now with the Cleveland Browns after earning the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Lamar Jackson, the 2016 Heisman winner, was drafted by Baltimore with the last pick in the first round.
Both Saquon Barkley and Rashaad Penny, Love’s closest competition in terms of running backs, have also both gone pro with the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks respectively. The highest vote getter from the 2017 Heisman voting after Love is Jonathan Taylor from the Badgers. Wisconsin’s running back enters his sophomore year with big expectations, and could push Love to produce even bigger numbers.
Naturally, his biggest competition will come from whichever quarterback manages to emerge for a national contender. Who that might end up being, though, is uncertain at this moment. Perhaps Jake Fromm or Tua Tagovailoa will break out in their sophomore campaigns in the SEC. Maybe a veteran like Trace McSorley or Jake Browning breaks out for a big senior season. If McKenzie Milton helps engineer a second straight undefeated season at UCF, he could get votes as well.
But at this point, the field doesn’t automatically skew toward passers. Given Love’s skill set and room to grow as an all-around threat, he enters the 2018 campaign as the man to beat in the Heisman race.