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SEC Football: Each team’s top Heisman Trophy candidate for 2019

By Jake Mitchell

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up prior to the CFP National Championship against the Clemson Tigers presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up prior to the CFP National Championship against the Clemson Tigers presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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STARKVILLE, MS – SEPTEMBER 01: Keytaon Thompson #10 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs with the ball during the second half against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at Davis Wade Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS – SEPTEMBER 01: Keytaon Thompson #10 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs with the ball during the second half against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at Davis Wade Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Mississippi State: Keytaon Thompson, QB

Head coach Joe Moorhead being paired with quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was an exciting prospect, but it happened too late. It takes more than a season for a coach and quarterback to truly gel. With Keytaon Thompson, that opportunity exists.

Thompson will be a junior in 2019, and he got valuable snaps in spot duty a season ago. On the year, the threw for 458 yards, six touchdowns, and only one interception. He was productive on the ground as well. He averaged 9.4 yards per carry and found the endzone four times last year.

The foundation around Thompson is his biggest asset. The running game ranked second in the SEC a season ago, and the Bulldogs will likely give Kylin Hill a bigger workload in 2019.

In front of Thompson, he has seniors at left tackle and center. The other three spots on the offensive line are occupied by juniors.

Thompson will need to improve his accuracy, but if he can do that, he’ll certainly have a strong season. Dual threat quarterbacks have a good track record when it comes to the Heisman Trophy in recent years, and Thompson could be the next in that line.

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