Ranking the Heisman Favorites Heading into Week 11

Mac Jones and Trevor Lawrence have headlined the Heisman Trophy list for nearly two months, but Kyle Trask and Justin Fields are both charging up the watch list.

Trask propelled Florida to its most important win of the season last week, and Fields continued to build his statistical resume.

As a result, we're waving goodbye to running backs Najee Harris and Travis Etienne. They're slipping from top-five positions into a crowded group of next-tier players that, among others, includes Alabama wideout DeVonta Smith, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book and UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

As B/R's Kerry Miller noted, late-season results will have a larger-than-usual effect on Heisman voting. While our focus is on five quarterbacks, the race isn't completely over just yet.

Factors for the ranking are total production, Heisman trends and player reputations. The order is a snapshot of this specific week of the 2020 season, not a personal ballot or voting projection.

Last week: 6

Everyone freak out!

Though he leaped both Harris and Etienne, Fields dropped behind Trask. Last week, Fields held the advantage because of an impressive win over Penn State. And, without question, a six-touchdown day against Rutgers is incredibly impressive. But Trask beating up on Georgia for a marquee win nudges him past Fields.

For now.

We'll keep providing this reminder: Fields is slowly working toward a larger sample size. As of Week 11, he's trailing in the statistical—not performance—department. In three games, Fields has totaled 965 yards and 13 touchdowns with zero turnovers. Other than Wisconsin's Graham Mertz and his one appearance, Fields' 86.7 completion percentage leads the nation.

But the larger sample size is on hold; positive coronavirus tests at Maryland mean Ohio State will not play this weekend. The Buckeyes are scheduled to host Indiana next Saturday.

Last week: 7

If you'd prefer to see Kyle Trask over BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, great! It's probably headed that direction soon anyway, and this is a razor-thin separation. But Wilson's production in eight games deserves a slight nod in early November.

But, like Fields, Trask is stacking his resume.

Coronavirus-related protocols led to a pair of postponements for the Gators, who are 4-1 through five games. Along the way, Trask has amassed 1,815 passing yards and 22 touchdowns—no fewer than four in each contests—with only three interceptions.

While leading Florida to a potential SEC East-deciding 44-28 win over Georgia last week, he racked up 474 yards and four scores.

Simply put, games are most important to Trask's candidacy. Florida is tentatively slated to play the next five Saturdays, including Arkansas this weekend, followed by the SEC Championship Game.

Last week: 4

Can we create a Non-Power Five Conference Heisman? Because the winner in 2020 would be a no-brainer: Zach Wilson.

In BYU's biggest game of the season, Wilson went on the road and shredded then-ranked Boise State. He finished 22-of-28 with 360 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions while also adding a rushing score in the head-turning 51-17 win.

As a passer this season, Wilson has a 75.1 completion rate with 2,512 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He has also scampered for 158 yards and eight scores and led BYU to an 8-0 record.

Unfortunately for Wilson, this is probably his Heisman peak.

BYU hosts North Alabama next Saturday, then has a three-week layoff before San Diego State comes to Provo on Dec. 12. Fields and Trask are likely to surpass Wilson in the near future.

Last week: 2

The huge, massive, zero-dollar question is how Heisman voters will handle Trevor Lawrence's candidacy.

Do you penalize someone for a positive coronavirus test? Do you consider his absence like any other illness or injury? Do you provide a little grace for missed production because of, you know, a pandemic, or do you simply judge the sample available?

At this point, Lawrence, who totaled 1,904 yards and 21 touchdowns in six wins, has only dropped one spot in B/R's rankings. But Fields and Trask are closing in fast.

ESPN's David M. Hale noted Lawrence will return to practice this week. Clemson is idle Saturday before entering a three-game stretch at Florida State, versus Pitt and at Virginia Tech. If the Tigers win all three, they'll reach the ACC Championship Game and likely have a rematch with Notre Dame.

Last week: 1

After an idle Saturday, Alabama entered rivalry week. The matchup with LSU isn't going to happen, though. On Tuesday, the SEC announced the clash is postponed because of a "combination of positive tests, contract tracing and subsequent quarantining" at LSU.

Alabama is stuck in "hurry up and wait" mode.

Mac Jones retains the No. 1 spot for his unmatched mix of efficiency, explosiveness and production. Among QBs who have played at least two games, he trails only Fields in completion rate (78.5) while holding a would-be FBS record of 12.4 yards per attempt. Jones has 2,196 passing yards and 17 total scores compared to just two interceptions in six games.

The top-ranked Tide are scheduled to host Kentucky on Nov. 21.

Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.