Here is a look at how we feel the voting will go this year. Our top three follows the projection.
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| Bryce Love (The Mercury News) |
1. RB Bryce Love/Stanford -- It's all a matter of health for the senior, who ran for over 2,000 yards a year ago despite being bothered by a nagging ankle injury most of the year. Love would benefit from a double-digit victory season from the Cardinal, unless he dominates the field.
2. QB Will Grier/West Virginia -- The signal-caller for what could be the nation's most potent passing attack has to be in the mix. He threw for nearly 3,500 yards and 34 scores despite missing the final two games of 2017. If he puts up video game numbers, the senior should be invited to the Big Apple.
3. QB Khalil Tate/Arizona -- Kevin Sumlin has done wonders with quarterbacks, at least in his first year of coaching a team. Tate is a work in progress as a passer, but oh can he run. Those wheels and the fact that he puts up at least two or three jaw-dropping plays each week keeps him high on the list.
4. RB Jonathan Taylor/Wisconsin -- What a freshman debut he made last year, running for 1,977 yards and averaging 6.6 yards per carry. If the Badgers stay in the thick of the championship chase it will be due in large part to Taylor's wheels.
5. QB Nick Fitzgerald/Mississippi State -- Like Tate, Fitzgerald can be a little erratic as a passer. But he's rushed for over 100 yards 14 times in his career, and new head coach Joe Moorhead should find ways to highlight his playmaking ability.
6. RB JK Dobbins/Ohio State -- Another one who had a fabulous frosh campaign, Dobbins should be the beneficiary of more work this year as the Buckeyes eliminate the quarterback run and rely on their power run game. Mike Weber will steal some carries, but Dobbins should have enough to be a fixture in the Heisman race.
7. RB AJ Dillon/Boston College -- The Eagles are emerging in the ACC, and Steve Adazzio loves him some smashmouth football. With better quarterback play, Dillon should find a few more holes to run through and could become the biggest thing in Chestnut Hill since a guy named Flutie.
8. DL Ed Oliver/Houston -- A vote for the defense is a vote for Oliver, the man-child who terrorizes opposing backfields on a regular basis. There is talk that he will get some work on offense in 2018, which means he could end up higher on this list. A freak of nature, the athletic Cougar is definitely one of America's best.
9. QB McKenzie Milton/UCF -- The Knights offense will likely take a step back this year, but Milton is still the engine that makes it go. The junior is excellent at extending plays, is a sneaky good runner and as accurate as they come. His candidacy will go as far as the Knights do, which means if their unbeaten string is snapped he fades into the distance.
10. QB Trace McSorley/Penn State -- The onus should be on the senior with the loss of Saquon Barkley, and he has the weapons to put up big numbers through the air. He's a better runner than people think, and plays his best at the biggest moments. If PSU is in the championship hunt McSorley will be in prime position.
Others to watch: QB Tua Tagovailoa/Alabama; RB DeAndre Swift/Georgia; QB Jarrett Stidham/Auburn; QB Jake Browning/Washington; RB Rodney Anderson/Oklahoma; QB Jake Fromm/Georgia; RB Cam Akers/Florida State; QB Drew Lock/Missouri; RB Damien Harris/Alabama; WR Deebo Samuel/South Carolina
That is how we see the race shaking out.
But that is not who we would choose.
This can obviously change once the season begins, but at this moment our three votes would go to:
1. Ed Oliver/Houston
2. Will Grier/West Virginia
3. Bryce Love/Stanford
Also on our radar are FSU's Akers, Wisconsin's Taylor, OSU's Dobbins, Arizona's Tate and South Carolina's Samuel.
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