Robert Griffin III’s latest Heisman board after Week 8 keeps the spotlight on a familiar name at the top and adds a couple of fresh faces further down the list.
The Ohio State star who still sits at No. 1 for Griffin is Jeremiah Smith, and there’s no mystery why. Griffin views Smith as the Heisman favorite, and he’s doing exactly what a frontrunner should do: piling up production while Ohio State stays in the national championship picture.
Smith has already set the Ohio State career marks for catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. On the season, he has 52 receptions, which ranks 10th nationally, along with 984 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, both of which trail only Oregon State’s Jesse Legree.
Griffin’s No. 2 and No. 3 spots both belong to repeat names, but each moved up from last week. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah climbed from third to second, while Legree jumped from fifth to third.
Mensah leads all of FBS in QB rating and has thrown 22 touchdowns against just one interception for Miami. He’s also thrown for 2,151 yards, good for ninth nationally, and with Miami still in the thick of the national title race, Griffin isn’t likely to let him slip away anytime soon.
Legree has been one of the biggest surprises in the sport. The freshman receiver has become an instant force at Oregon State, leading the nation with 1,040 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 46 catches. Last week, Legree announced his signing to return to the Beavers next season.
Two new names entered Griffin’s top five this week: Miami receiver Malachi Toney at No. 4 and Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson at No. 5.
Toney is right in the thick of the national statistical races himself. He leads the country with 66 receptions and ranks third nationally with 952 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
Atkinson’s case comes from the passing numbers. The Oregon State quarterback leads the nation with 2,604 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes, while throwing only two interceptions. He’s averaging 372 passing yards per game.
BYU’s Bear Bachmeier and Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss were on Griffin’s previous top five list, but both fell out this week.
Griffin’s top five after Week 8: Jeremiah Smith, Darian Mensah, Jesse Legree, Malachi Toney, and Braden Atkinson.
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Belichick Faces A Brutal North Carolina Test At No. 1 Miami
Miami has climbed to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2002, and the timing only sharpens the spotlight on what comes next. A strong start has pushed the Hurricanes into rarefied territory, backed by a 14-1 run over their last 15 games and powered by a roster that can make almost any Saturday feel like a showcase.
North Carolina arrives with its own history in this matchup, having won the last five meetings, including two against Miami coach Mario Cristobal. The Tar Heels will have to deal with two Heisman Trophy contenders in quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney, both of whom sit near the top of the national statistical picture, which is exactly why this game feels less like a checkpoint and more like a measuring stick. [Read more 🡒]