Mac Jones

It's been a while, draft fans, but we're back. Draft season (#DraftSZN) is in full swing as all Power Five conferences are playing football, and the top players in the nation are giving fans and analysts quality tape to evaluate.

As an introduction to draft season, it's fun to start with the most important position on the field: quarterback. It's everyone's favorite position to scout and talk about but also the hardest to get right. There's a reason Mitchell Trubisky was taken over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. There's a reason Lamar Jackson was the fifth quarterback drafted in the 2018 class. It's a hard position to scout and value because so much goes into it.

When evaluating a left tackle, you're not as worried about his ability to be the CEO of your team and franchise. You're not running safeties through psychological evaluations at the level that quarterbacks are studied and monitored. In fact, I'd argue that more time and money is spent evaluating quarterbacks than most other positions combined. If you get a pick wrong at inside linebacker, it stings, but it doesn't get you fired.

Hitting on the quarterback is so crucial, and this year's draft cycle will prove that with many teams ready to move on from bad picks (Trubisky) and upgrade over plans they thought were long term (Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins). Others, meanwhile, will look to build their own roster after inheriting former top picks (Sam Darnold). And then there are teams that must start thinking about the future (Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Indianapolis) and could enter the quarterback conversation.

The good news is there is a really good and deep group of quarterbacks to choose from, and most importantly, the top of the class features a unicorn prospect in Clemson's Trevor Lawrence.

The third-year starter missed two games because of COVID-19, but the tape he put out before that was No. 1 pick-caliber and would put him on the list of the best quarterback prospects of the last 25 years. At 6'6" and 225 pounds, Lawrence has the size that NFL teams want and also brings mobility and athleticism you don't often see in a body type like his. From an arm talent, accuracy, field vision and pocket poise standpoint, he is the best quarterback prospect in this class and should be a no-brainer pick at No. 1 overall, no matter who has that pick.

"I've honestly never seen anything like him," one NFL quarterbacks coach who asked to not be named said. "You've seen guys with a bigger arm, and you've seen guys who are faster, but I've never seen a prospect who has every trait you need and has them at a high level."

One NFL executive and likely future general manager added: "One of the best things you hear about him is that he's super confident but also super chill. He's very laid back but very intelligent. His teammates love him—you saw that with the movement this summer to get the ACC back playing—and his coaches love him. He's really unique."

"Unique" is the best word to describe Lawrence, and it's why fanbases like those of the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars aren't upset that their teams are struggling. This year, losing and gaining draft positioning is more important than a few meaningless victories.

            
The Scout's Report

—Speaking of quarterbacks, rumors around the scouting community indicate the San Francisco 49ers are investing serious time and resources into scouting signal-callers. One area scout told me the team has sent top evaluator Adam Peters to see BYU's Zach Wilson and Alabama's Mac Jones this season.

—How's this for a take: One NFL offensive coach texted me this week that Kyler Murray is better than Lamar Jackson. The sophomore Arizona Cardinals quarterback has been on a tear this year, while the reigning MVP has struggled to match last year's offensive output. Saying Kyler is better already might seem like a hot take, but he's definitely playing at a high level. Even if you're not ready to say Murray is better right now, he's on an impressive trajectory.

—When evaluating quarterbacks for the future, keep this in mind: NFL scouts are infatuated with mobility. Whether it's Joe Burrow's pocket poise or Murray's running ability, teams are putting an emphasis on mobility like never before. That's good news for Justin Fields (Ohio State), Trey Lance (North Dakota State) and Wilson (BYU), who have all displayed an ability to impact the game as a passer in a moving pocket and as a runner if needed.

—We'll talk "stock up" a little later in the column, but it was impossible to watch Clemson vs. Notre Dame on Saturday night and not fall more in love with linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah for the Fighting Irish. Playing linebacker while blitzing, stopping the run and dropping into coverage, he acted like a spy for the Notre Dame defense and backed it up with huge plays in crucial moments. It's unlikely he can catch Penn State's Micah Parsons, who opted out this season, as the top linebacker in the draft class, but he is a rising prospect with a first-round grade on my board.

—Speaking of stock, watching the North Carolina offense on Saturdays, it's easy to fall for the cast of characters at the skill positions. Wide receivers Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown are electric, but it's the running back duo of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams that has us excited. Carter's contact balance and vision are exceptional, while Williams has proved to be a home run hitter. Don't be surprised if both backs are selected in the top 100.

—Is Florida's Kyle Pitts the next great tight end prospect or a product of the Florida offense? Scouts are torn, and I find myself in the middle too after his red-hot start with eight touchdowns on 24 catches. Pitts, who is listed at 6'6" and 246 pounds, doesn't appear to have the raw speed of an Evan Engram and isn't a classic in-line tight end like a T.J. Hockenson. In fact, he might be best compared to Noah Fant but in an offense that utilizes his talents better. Pitts' numbers are jaw-dropping, and he's a lock for the John Mackey Award, but questions about his ability to separate against NFL speed do exist. NFL combine testing will be a big factor in his draft position.

     

The Big Board

Here's a look at my updated top 32 players for the 2021 draft. Given the staggered start to the season for many teams, some players have been evaluated more than others, but we still have enough tape and prior seasons to consider.

1. QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
3. WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
4. QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
5. LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
6. QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
7. CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
8. WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
9. EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami
10. DL Jordan Davis, Georgia
11. WR Devonta Smith, Alabama
12. QB Zach Wilson, BYU
13. CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
14. EDGE Joseph Ossai, Texas
15. LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
16. WR Sage Surratt, Wake Forest
17. WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
18. CB Derion Kendrick, Clemson
19. S Jevon Holland, Oregon
20. EDGE Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest
21. WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
22. TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
23. QB Kyle Trask, Florida
24. OG Trey Smith, Tennessee
25. OG Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
26. OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
27. OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
28. OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
29. LB Jabril Cox, LSU
30. TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
31. RB Najee Harris, Alabama
32. OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech

      

Parting Shots

       
1. Stock Up: QB Justin Fields, Ohio State

I somehow got labeled by fans as a Justin Fields hater over the summer when I had him rated behind Trey Lance, but it was more about wanting to see a healthy Fields after the knee injury he battled through last season. In his second year as a starter, Fields has risen to new levels, showing better command of the ball and being the drive ball thrower he needed to be outside the hashes. He's also showing much better mobility with improved conditioning and a leaner frame—not to mention the healthy knee.

     

2. Stock Down: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson

This might seem like a hot take, but I'm having a hard time falling for Travis Etienne the way so many of my peers in the scouting community have. I see a one-cut, downhill runner who has to excel in an outside run scheme. I see a smaller back (5'10", 210 lbs) who can't pass protect, doesn't catch the ball well and has shown fumbling issues. In short, I see a fast player who is dynamic in space but has to prove himself between the tackles. Etienne isn't the RB1 for me that others have made him out to be and is more of a scheme-specific back at this stage who could thrive if used right in the NFL but could also be a major bust.

        

3. Sleeper: QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

Head coach Luke Fickell has his Bearcats playing great football this season, and quarterback Desmond Ridder is a huge part of that. He has shown himself to be a legitimate downfield passer and also a dual-threat who can create and score with multiple traits. It can be hard to identify sleepers in a loaded quarterback group, but Ridder definitely ranks as one.

      

4. As you're reading this, NFL owners are voting on a measure that would reward teams for developing people of color as coaches and key personnel executives.

Under this new bylaw, teams wouldn't be rewarded with draft picks for hiring people of color but instead would receive two third-round draft choices if they develop those persons to help them earn a head coaching or general manager position elsewhere. If a team had two non-white staff members leave to become a head coach and general manager, the club would receive three years of third-round compensatory picks at the end of the round.

This could be significant for the Kansas City Chiefs, with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy a top candidate, and also for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have both coordinators (Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles) eligible if the new bylaw passes.

This isn't a perfect rule—there is concern that teams would be hesitant to hire a coach or general manager and reward a rival—but something has to be done. And the NFL deserves credit for trying to think outside the box to encourage development and hirings of people of color as coaches and decision-makers.

       

5. How is this for a line of talent at one position: Clemson will have gone from Deshaun Watson to Trevor Lawrence to D.J. Uiagalelei. Three potential top-15 picks, and oddly enough Watson could be the latest one drafted as the No. 12 overall pick in 2017!

Head coach Dabo Swinney has built an incredible team in Clemson, and it's a testament to his recruiting and development that we will go nearly a decade talking about Tigers quarterbacks being top-10 players in their respective draft classes.

Watson was special. Lawrence is a better prospect. And there are some who look at Uiagalelei and see a combination of the two in terms of size, athleticism and arm strength.

If you can bet on sports where you live, putting $1 on Clemson's future championship odds is the world's safest bet.

       

6. The 2021 draft quarterback class is receiving a lot of praise, and it's all deserved, but let's not sleep on this offensive tackle class.

Oregon's Penei Sewell is a top-five prospect to headline the group, but there is also strength in numbers. In my top 32 prospects above, five tackles make the early list. Expand that to my top 50 players and you add in Samuel Cosmi (Texas), Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State), Walker Little (Stanford), Jalen Mayfield (Michigan), Jackson Carman (Clemson) and Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa) for a solid 11 tackles ranked.

        

Matt Miller covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report.

In most normal years, mid-November is when we see a significant wheat-from-the-chaff separation in college football's Heisman race. It's always still too early in the season to confidently project the winner. However, there's usually a clear favorite, and you can count on one hand the list of viable candidates likely to be finalists.

Take last year, for example. After his Nov. 9 performance against Alabama, LSU's Joe Burrow emerged as the indisputable front-runner. And at that point, the only other players with any realistic argument were Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts and Ohio State's Justin Fields and Chase Young.

A similar story unfolded in 2018 when Tagovailoa was the favorite in mid-November, followed by Oklahoma's Kyler Murray and West Virginia's Will Grier. Grier fell off when WVU dropped out of the playoff conversation with back-to-back losses, and he was replaced by Dwayne Haskins Jr., who accounted for 17 touchdowns in Ohio State's final three games. But even that preposterous finish wasn't enough to make a serious push for a spot in the top two.

In both 2016 (Lamar Jackson) and 2017 (Baker Mayfield), the favorite was so far ahead by mid-November that it was as much of a "race" as it would be if you or I rolled out of bed and tried to outsprint Usain Bolt for 100 meters.

This year, though, we're still just throwing darts at the wall.

Ohio State's Justin Fields, Alabama's Mac Jones and Clemson's Trevor Lawrence are effectively in a three-way tie for the title of "Heisman favorite," which is roughly what was anticipated long before the season began. Fields and Lawrence were the preseason co-favorites with Jones a good deal behind that duo. But he probably would have been the clear No. 3 in betting odds had it not been for the possibility of highly touted freshman Bryce Young swooping in and stealing that job.

Florida's Kyle Trask stormed back into the mix with a ginormous Week 10 performance against Georgia. Zach Wilson (BYU) and Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati) have done incredible work as the leaders of unconventional College Football Playoff contenders, and they almost have to remain in this conversation for as long as their teams remain undefeated.

UCF's Dillon Gabriel is putting up ridiculous numbers on a weekly basis. Alabama has a pair of non-quarterbacks (RB Najee Harris and WR DeVonta Smith) with a real argument for the stiff-armed trophy. Clemson's Travis Etienne isn't running the ball as well as he usually does, but he's still in the hunt with more than 150 all-purpose yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game.

Without even mentioning Notre Dame's Ian Book or Texas A&M's Kellen Mond, that's 10 strong candidates, any of whom could realistically win.

Why is it so much more wide open this year?

For starters, the college football calendar is all out of whack.

The three favorites played their first games of the season on Sept. 12 (Lawrence), Sept. 26 (Jones) and Oct. 24 (Fields), which means significantly different sample sizes. Moreover, conference championship week isn't until Dec. 19 instead of its traditional home on the first Saturday in December. Thus, in terms of games remaining, we're effectively still in late October rather than mid-November.

Not only are we comparing apples to oranges with many of these Heisman resumes, but in all cases, we are doing so two weeks before those fruits are ripe.

When Burrow started to create some separation last year, he had played nine of his 12 (75 percent) regular-season games. Lawrence would have been at a comparable eight of 11 (73 percent), though he missed the last two games because of a positive COVID-19 test. Jones has played 60 percent of his regular-season games. Fields is only at 38 percent.

The out-of-whack schedule has also resulted in a bunch of different "September Heisman" candidates.

If you're unfamiliar with that lingo, it's when—in a normal year—we all kind of take a step back after the final Saturday in September and say, "OK, the season is about 30 percent complete. Who would win the Heisman if we voted today?"

Oftentimes, the clear favorite in late September is a complete afterthought by early December, but a highlight-heavy, stat-stuffing first three or four games ensures he stays (or they stay) on the radar for a while.

With everything so staggered this year, though, it has been more of a weekly tradition of everyone realizing that someone has looked great through three games. In fact, if USC's Kedon Slovis (381 passing yards vs. Arizona State) or Colorado's Jarek Broussard (187 rushing yards, three touchdowns vs. UCLA) have two more weeks like their first, the list of Heisman candidates may grow even larger.

By the time the SEC started playing, BYU's Wilson had received way more national attention than he would have in a typical September, and the list of potential Heisman finalists from both the ACC and Big 12 had been whittled down to a select few. It was a similar situation when the Big Ten started up, and again when the Pac-12 finally took the field this past weekend.

I've made this comparison previously, but it's almost like a WWE Royal Rumble match, in which guys are entering the Heisman ring at roughly the same rate as others are getting thrown out of it.

But the biggest reason there are so many candidates is simply that there are a ton of guys putting up preposterous numbers.

When Burrow won last year's Heisman trophy—by the widest margin in college football history—he was averaging 362.7 passing yards and 3.7 passing touchdowns per game. If he was doing that this year, he'd just be one of the options.

Trask isn't even one of the three favorites right now, and he's at 363.0 passing yards and 4.4 passing touchdowns per contest. Wilson—also not one of the three favorites—has a passer efficiency rating (200.6) virtually identical to Burrow's (202.0), and he is averaging 3.6 total touchdowns per game.

Mac Jones is at 366.0 passing yards per game and has a higher PER (210.3) than Burrow had. His total touchdown rate (2.8 per game) is lower, but that's largely because Najee Harris is leading the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns.

And Fields is just out of damn control with a 222.4 PER, 4.3 total touchdowns per game and an 86.7 completion percentage.

Moreover, aside from Wilson shredding a bunch of Group of Five schools, all those numbers have come without the early benefit of facing nonconference foes, which arguably makes them even more impressive.

The moral of the story is we've been trying to handicap this race for two months, but it's even murkier now than when the season began.

Things will inevitably shake out over the course of the next five weeks. But if you think you currently know who's going to win the 2020 Heisman, you're only fooling yourself.

         

Kerry Miller covers college football and men's college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @kerrancejames.

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is the new favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy with Clemson's Trevor Lawrence currently out because of COVID-19.

According to DraftKings, Jones is listed at +125 to win ($100 bet wins $125), while Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields sits second at +150. Lawrence had been the favorite to begin the year, but the Tigers quarterback now has 4-1 odds to win the Heisman.

Lawrence missed Saturday's game against Boston College after testing positive for COVID-19 and will miss next Saturday's game against Notre Dame, head coach Dabo Swinney said.

           

Heisman Trophy Odds

Mac Jones, Alabama: +125

Justin Fields, Ohio State: +150

Trevor Lawrence, Clemson: +400

Kyle Trask, Florida: +1200

DeVonta Smith, Alabama: +1600

Najee Harris, Alabama: +2500

Travis Etienne, Clemson: +2800

D'Eriq King, Miami: +3300

Zach Wilson, BYU: +3300

Brock Purdy, Iowa State: +5000

       

Jones is deserving of praise. He has led the Crimson Tide to a 6-0 record with an offense that tops the country by averaging 47.2 points per game.

After coming on late last season in place of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, Jones has thrown for 2,196 yards, 16 touchdowns and two interceptions in 2020. His 210.3 quarterback rating would be the best in a full season in over a decade.

Teammates Najee Harris and DeVonta Smith, while supremely talented in their own right, will find it difficult to outshine Jones in the Heisman voting.

Fields, however, has time to make up ground after playing just two games to start the year. He's looked great with six passing touchdowns and zero interceptions while completing 87.3 percent of his passes in wins over Nebraska and Penn State.

Meanwhile, Lawrence has 17 touchdown passes and two picks in six games for undefeated Clemson, averaging 305.5 passing yards per outing.

    

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The Ohio State Buckeyes' first audition for the College Football Playoff committee went off as smooth as it could for a team starting its season in late October. 

Ryan Day's side cruised past the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first of its eight Big Ten matchups before the conference championship game December 19. 

Ohio State's path to the playoff appeared to get easier since the Penn State Nittany Lions knocked themselves out of contention with a loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. 

After Penn State's loss, there are eight active programs that could make some type of case to qualify for the final four. The Oregon Ducks could join that group when the Pac-12 resumes play. 

At the moment, Ohio State still sits in an elite group alongside the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide as national championship favorites.

            

CFB Playoff and New Years' Six Predictions

Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Georgia

Rose Bowl: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Ohio State

Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State 

Orange Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Florida

Fiesta Bowl: Oregon vs. Wisconsin

Peach Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Miami

                 

Ohio State's 52-17 victory is the latest example of the dominance we expect out of the Buckeyes when they play lesser opposition in the Big Ten. 

Nebraska hung with the Big Ten favorite for most of the first half, but the Buckeyes overwhelmed the visitors to Ohio Stadium in the second half. 

Justin Fields went 20-of-21 with 276 passing yards and led the Buckeyes with 54 rushing yards on 15 carries. He produced three total touchdowns. Fields is expected to place himself in the Heisman Trophy race alongside Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones and a few others.

He could further vault into the conversation in Week 9, when Ohio State visits Penn State in a game that was supposed to feature two Top 10 teams. 

With the nature of the eight-game Big Ten season, Penn State sits in a must-win position Saturday to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. A loss could keep it out of a New Years' Six bowl.

The Big Ten's second-best hope for the New Years' Six could lies in the Big Ten West with the Wisconsin Badgers. The Michigan Wolverines still have to play Ohio State, and they made Wisconsin's path to the Big Ten Championship Game easier by defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 

We did not learn anything new about the on-field potential of Clemson and Alabama in Week 8, as they stormed to double-digit wins over the Syracuse Orange and Tennessee Volunteers, respectively.

The most significant development from those two contests was the season-ending injury suffered by Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Nick Saban confirmed the news to CBS Sports' Jamie Erdahl.

The Crimson Tide still has a pair of incredible wide receivers in DeVonta Smith and John Metchie III healthy. The two wideouts combined for 1,055 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. 

Alabama will replace Waddle by sliding its large collection of 5-star players up the depth chart, and it can do so during an easier stretch of its schedule. 

The SEC West side does not face a Top 25 team for the rest of the regular season, and its biggest remaining clash is the Iron Bowl matchup with the Auburn Tigers on November 28.

With the drop-off from the LSU Tigers and the inability of the Mississippi State Bulldogs to replicate their opening win over LSU, Alabama should be in good shape for its next two games. 

Clemson has the most difficult matchup left on its schedule of the top three playoff contenders, as it faces the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on November 7. 

Dabo Swinney's side put up 40 points for the fifth consecutive week and should produce similar totals in its tune-up game against the Boston College Eagles. 

Notre Dame is the next contender that can throw a wrench in the playoff picture. The Georgia Bulldogs failed to do so in Week 7 against Alabama. 

Even if the Irish lose November 7, they could be in the mix for the fourth playoff spot alongside Georgia since there is the possibility of playing Clemson for a second time in the ACC Championship Game. 

An undefeated Big 12 or Pac-12 champion could halt Notre Dame and Georgia from dominating the race for the No. 4 seed.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys survived a test at home from the Iowa State Cyclones to move to 4-0, but they still have plenty of work to do to remain undefeated. 

Mike Gundy's team faces the Texas Longhorns, Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners in the next three games and plays four of its final five away from Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

If Oklahoma State remains perfect in that stretch, its playoff candidacy will become more serious. It should be the lone Big 12 contender left since it is the lone Top 15 and unbeaten side in the conference. 

The Cincinnati Bearcats have an outside shot of jumping into the playoff picture as the top Group of Five team.

Cincinnati earned a valuable road win over the SMU Mustangs Saturday and already sit in a Top 10 position. It will take a handful of upsets to push the Bearcats toward the top four, but they deserve credit for putting themselves in the position to pounce in a season with plenty of unexpected results. 

               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.