Ranking the Heisman Favorites Heading into Week 7

The 2020 Heisman Trophy race is reaching an odd landmark.

Several candidates for college football's most prestigious award are nearing their fifth appearance of the season, so their respective margins for error are thinning. Texas and Oklahoma both have two losses, basically eliminating Sam Ehlinger and Spencer Rattler. D'Eriq King struggled badly in Miami's ugly game at Clemson.

Yet at the same time, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is still preparing for his season debut.

That's the long version of reminding you the rankings are destined to change over the next few weeks. Some players will struggle, others will thrive, and still more will actually have a game.

The ranking of current Heisman contenders is based on production but considers Heisman trends and reputation. Right or wrong, the latter is consistently a factor in actual Heisman voting.

Almost there, Big Ten.

Illinois and Wisconsin open the conference's season on Friday, Oct. 23, and Ohio State kicks off the Saturday slate against Nebraska. Justin Fields, the early Heisman co-favorite in the preseason, will begin his potential rise up the rankings that afternoon.

Will he have enough time to catch Trevor Lawrence? Clemson's quarterback is expected to play three more games than Fields, and a larger sample may be too much for Fields to overcome.

But if Fields produces and Ohio State wins at the rate anticipated, he'll certainly be in position for a finalist invite at worst.

Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

For every 5.2 rush attempts, Harris has a touchdown. Given that he's carried the ball 52 times, that is a preposterous rate. The senior has cruised to 347 yards at a 6.7-yard clip and scored 10 times, including five in the victory over Ole Miss. Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is currently the team's Heisman front-runner, but Harris is putting up ridiculous numbers right now.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

In his first year as a starting wideout, the speedster has reeled in 19 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns. Recent history isn't working in Waddle's favor; only four receivers have finished in the top five of Heisman voting since 2010. If he starts to contribute on special teams, though, Waddle could be a larger factor.

Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Don't get overly invested in a "Tight End for Heisman" conversation, especially now that Florida lost to Texas A&M. Still, he's collected 17 catches for 274 yards and seven touchdowns in three games. Since neither the Big Ten or Pac-12 are playing yet, however, Pitts at least merits a mention here in mid-October.

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

If the season ended today, Howell might not be a top-10 finisher. But he just put together a strong performance in a win over Virginia Tech, and UNC improved to 3-0. Howell is averaging 259 passing yards per game and has six touchdowns so far. Voters tend to follow a structure, and Howell—a well-known quarterback at a power-conference school with a high national ranking—checks all the boxes.

In all likelihood, Zach Wilson isn't a "real" contender. BYU's schedule will be viewed as a detriment to his candidacy; the toughest games are likely Houston, Boise State and San Diego State. Fair or not, that will be a disqualifying factor to some.

His production, however, makes the junior a worthy candidate.

Through four games, Wilson has guided BYU to a 4-0 record while averaging 310.3 passing yards and 12.3 per attempt. He's totaled 14 touchdowns and tossed just one interception.

If the Cougars lose, he'll likely fall off the Heisman radar. But there's a solid chance BYU finishes 10-0, too.

Although a loss stings, Kyle Trask will remain a Heisman candidate until Florida drops two more games—if that happens.

In three appearances, the senior quarterback has amassed 996 passing yards and 14 touchdowns with a single interception. Trask has also completed 71.8 percent of his attempts and averaged 9.7 yards per throw, both of which are top-10 marks nationally.

Saturday's clash with LSU is now postponed, and it's not our place to assume what happens next. If the Gators can return to the field in Week 8, they'll host Missouri.

Still, the key moment for Trask—if the game is played as scheduled—has been and remains the Nov. 7 clash with Georgia.

Travis Etienne has become a dreadful mismatch.

After catching only 17 passes in his first two seasons, Etienne had 37 receptions last season and already has 17 this year. Only seven players—not receivers, seven players—in the nation have more 20-yard catches than Etienne, who has six.

And that's his secondary talent. Etienne just scampered for 149 yards and two touchdowns against Miami, bringing his season rushing totals to 392 yards, four scores and an average of 7.0 yards per carry.

Despite sitting the fourth quarter twice, Etienne ranks third nationally with 159.3 scrimmage yards per game. His production hasn't even reached its ceiling.

Alabama had a miserable defensive day against Ole Miss, yet the Mac Jones-led offense hardly left a single yard on the field.

Seriously.

Jones led 11 possessions, and the Crimson Tide score nine touchdowns. The other two drives finished with a fumble at the 1-yard line and a punt from the Ole Miss 40-yard line. Alabama racked up 723 yards of offense while missing on only 41. Forty-one!

Ole Miss has a dreadful defense, but Alabama's struggles demanded near-perfection from Jones, and he provided it. He went 28-of-32 for 417 yards and two touchdowns.

Jones leads the nation at 13.3 yards per attempt and is fourth with 367.0 passing yards per game.

Make it four straight games with three-plus touchdowns for Trevor Lawrence, who has totaled 14 scores this season.

Lawrence lost a fumble against Miami but hasn't thrown an interception in 116 attempts. He boasts a 72.4 completion rate with 1,140 yards and 9.8 yards per attempt, good for seventh-best in the country. The NFL-bound junior has guided Clemson to a comfortable 4-0 start.

So, in other words, no surprises.

Jones and Etienne are within range, but Lawrence is the clear Heisman favorite as Clemson reaches the halfway point of the regular season—and Fields gets ready for his first game.

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.