Another season of exciting NCAA action is underway, and it’s once again time to take a look at the players who’ve put themselves into the Heisman discussion. It’s never too early to make a good impression. Some will rise, some will fall. But for now, let’s take a look at those who have risen.
QB Jonathan Demartini (Tennessee) – 1,227 Passing Yards, 56.7% Completion, 12 TD, 1 INT, 114.24 QBR
35 quarterbacks were signed ahead of Demartini in the 2017 Draft Class. Players like William Mitchell, Michael Napoli, Terry Sears, Francis Hernandez, and Austin Kendall were among them. Demartini has been arguably the greatest signal caller of the class. He’s a perennial All American as well as Heisman finalist. This season, Jonathan has once again started out hot. He continues putting up an amazing TD:INT ratio, as he finds the way to spread the ball amongst his myriad of receivers. A tough matchup next week against Oklahoma State should provide an early test for the Vols as they look to return to the dominance they exhibited in the early seasons of the league.
QB Bobby Jackson (UCLA) – 1,248 Passing Yards, 70.6% Completion, 12.24 yards per completion, 11 TD, 3 INT, 135.58 QBR
After years of biding his time, transferring from USC after two seasons as a backup, Bobby Jackson has burst onto the scene in 2022. He has put up amazing numbers thus far, especially an unheard of 70 percent completion to go along with an astonishing 135.58 QBR. These may be unsustainable, but with games against Navy, LSU, and Auburn on the horizon, we wouldn’t be surprised if he wields a little bit more magic for the time being. UCLA looks to have found their heir apparent to Beall here in Bobby Jackson. A return to the offensive outbursts we were once accustomed to may finally be common place once again. One thing to keep an eye on is their OL play. He has spent most of his time in the pocket under fire, having been sacked 15 times. If they want to keep him healthy, they will have to figure out how to keep his pocket clean.
QB Thomas McKinley (Florida) – 1,009 Passing Yards, 56.4% Completion, 10 TD, 2 INT, 92.07 QBR
After several seasons of frustration, McKinley has stepped out of the gate with encouraging numbers. He’s always had the potential, but lacked the players around him. That has changed this season, as he has been adept at staying on his feet and finding to open receiver. Some will say the lack of coverage ability by their opponents have more to do with this than anything, but we feel this is sustainable, as their schedule remains somewhat favorable for the near future. A road game against the Kentucky Wildcats next week will let us know if what we’ve seen thus far has been a mirage.
WR Lon Gordon (Miami) – 29 Receptions, 512 yards, 67.4%, 0 Drops, 17.7 average, 5 TD
Gordon is following up his breakout 2021 campaign with an electric start here in 2022. He already has amassed nearly 25 percent of his total yardage from a year ago along with almost half of his TD production. He has steadily gotten better each season in the league, but this looks to be the year he takes the next step into elite territory. With 2021 Heisman Trophy winner QB Paul Johnson throwing him passes, the skies the limit. Next up for Miami is Michigan, where we could see some huge numbers being put on the board by this dynamic wide-out. October 2nd, when they play Clemson, will be an early test for him however. They currently rank 3rd best in the nation at keeping opposing teams from passing the ball.
WR William Brock (Tennessee) – 27 Receptions, 501 yards, 52.9%, 18.6 ypc, 1 Drop, 6 TD
Whenever you have QB Jonathan Demartini as your signal caller, you have a leg up on the competition before the ball is even snapped. Brock has been the picture of consistency since coming into the league. In nearly every year not cut short by injury, he has put up over 2,000 yards receiving to go with at least 12 TD. 2022 has been no different. He has the uncanny ability to find the opening in whatever coverage teams throw at him. Demartini may be a perennial Heisman Finalist, but he owes much of that to this guy.
WR Douglas Smith (Utah) 22 Receptions, 346 yards, 78.6%, 15.7 ypc, 1 Drop, 5 TD
He has been the human vacuum for Utah thus far in the season. Of the 28 passes headed his way, a mere 6 have fallen to the turf. He’s been targeted less times than other WR on this list, and that will have to change if he wants to maintain his position as a candidate, but we’re confident that as the season rolls on, more passes will be thrown in his direction. He lacks elite level speed, but more than makes up for it with his ability to reach it within the first 5-8 steps off the line. He also does not hesitate to go across the middle, having gone so far in previous interviews on the subject by saying “The middle is my business, and business is good.” A date against the always tough Arizona Wildcats is up next for him. We’ll see if he has his fill against their LB corps.
DE Mariano Gilmore (UCLA) – 18 tackles, 7 Sacks, 19 Hurries, 1 missed tackle
The true freshman Gilmore has made his presence felt, as he’s been able to disrupt each opponents’ signal callers with consistent pressure. He lacks the ideal speed for a pass rusher, but his swim move technique is as refined as any we’ve seen in a long time coming from High School. While he has posted 7 sacks on the season, 5 came last game against Auburn’s pourous OL, so we’ll keep an eye on him moving forward to see if he’s the real deal. Up next for Gilmore is a matchup with Navy. If he can get constant pressure and a couple sacks, he will definitely be sticking around this list.
There you have it, our way too early Heisman Finalist list for 2022. There are a few others who are just on the outskirts of being mentioned here, but a missed tackle here, a dropped pass there keep them off the initial release for this season. We won’t update this every week, as that can get repetitive. Our plan is to re-evaluate every 3-4 weeks. As we come down the stretch, it will most likely change to every 2 games. So for now, have fun, and play hard.
We’ll be watching…………
