Matt’s Pick for the 2017 Heisman Award

WEST ORANGE, Nj — One of the most historic and prestigious awards in sports is the Heisman Memorial Trophy, given to the best player in college football on Dec. 10. The 2017 one is no different than most years in the past, with multiple candidates lined up to win it by the year’s end. Such players include Oklahoma Sooners’, Baker Mayfield, Louisville’s, Lamar Jackson, and Stanford’s, Bryce Love. These three, among others, electrify the playing field and are headlining the event, but only one can come out in collegiate lore.

A lot of candidates serve promising arguments, in an attempt to cash in on their Heisman bid. Oklahoma’s own represents the playmaker ability of a Johnny Manziel, the leadership of a Drew Brees, and the charisma of a Richard Sherman. Together, this can be a recipe for season-long success over the course of many years, but the NFL is a whole different situation. Emotions cannot overshadow someone’s performance, and that’s the scare with many scouts when they observe Mayfield. Starting off in Texas Tech, Mayfield was always seen as the underdog on the gridiron. Throwing for over 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2013, the 6’ 1” passer took his talent to the Oklahoma Sooners, where his best play was yet to come. 2015 and 2016 were memorable years for the gunslinger, throwing for 3500+ yards on only less than 400 attempts, a combined 76 touchdowns to tower over a decent 15 interceptions. Things were looking up for the lone-star quarterback, but he would put on a show for years to come. Mayfield would throw for 4,097 yards, complete 247 passes out of 346 attempts, garner a completion percentage of 71.4% in doing so, pass for 37 touchdowns and only manage 5 interceptions. An element added to him that doesn’t concern his arm is his running ability, which has not failed him yet, he has ran for 245 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2017. Looking at these numbers, it would be insane to not draft this man top 10 in April.

However, one of his weaknesses, is Passion. Passion is a great quality to have, especially in a game like football, but Baker Mayfield takes it to a level that isn’t necessary at times. During a game versus Kansas on Nov. 18, the pre-game ritual of shaking hands with an opponent didn’t occur when Kansas’ captains didn’t greet Mayfield at mid-field. Mayfield took this as an insult. After a score that put the Sooners up 27-3 with a little under five minutes to play, Mayfield began to yell at the Kansas sideline and made an obscene gesture towards them. He also interacted with fans of the home crowd, yelling “You have one win. Go back to basketball.” He was suspended by Oklahoma for one game after that.

Now, the Mayfield-led Sooners will make an appearance in the College Football Playoffs and square off against an elite Georgia Bulldogs in Pasadena, California. This year’s Rose Bowl and overall playoff run and effort can choose to hurt or help the midwestern signal-caller’s case for the Heisman. Mayfield isn’t afraid to leave his talk and play off the field, but if he can eliminate one of those factors soon, the sky’s the limit for him.