Heisman Trophy watch list: Top 5 candidates ahead of Week 8

We are now entering Week 8 of the college football season and the Heisman Trophy race is beginning to really heat up.

The number of contenders is dwindling as conference play rages on and guys are dropping like flies after poor showings in losses. Others are only strengthening their cases.

There are a handful of contenders who are currently standing out above the rest.

Who are the top five Heisman Trophy candidates ahead of Week 8?

Dillon Gabriel got the week off after beating Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Ahead of last weekend’s games and Oklahoma’s bye, I had Gabriel at No. 4 in my Heisman Trophy rankings but I’m dropping him one spot to make way for a guy who I thought played really well last week and probably should’ve already been in the rankings.

Of course, Gabriel can move back up with a strong showing against his former team on Saturday as UCF comes to town.

I can see Gabriel having a monster showing against the Knights as their defense hasn’t been good this season. If he can pass for 350-plus yards and a few touchdowns, he might be No. 4 on next week’s list, at least.

On the season, the former UCF star has led the Sooners to an unbeaten start to the year and No. 6 overall ranking while passing for 1,878 yards and 16 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He has also shown he can run the ball well, totaling 113 yards and a score in the win over Texas.

Gabriel is a serious darkhorse.