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Top 10 college football quarterbacks most likely to win 2017 Heisman

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:55 p.m. ET

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Who are the 10 college football quarterbacks most likely to take home the Heisman Trophy in 2017?

It is the trophy that all college football players individually strive to win. The Heisman Trophy signifies all-around greatness for the player who claims it. Last season, Louisville's sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson won. Moreover, eight of the last 10 players to win the Heisman were quarterbacks.

Odds show, especially with the way college football is played now, that a quarterback is highly likely to win the Heisman. A few other winners of the Heisman in the last decade include current NFL stars like Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, and Cam Newton.

The chances that Lamar Jackson brings home the Heisman again in 2017 are slim as well. No player has won back-to-back Heismans since Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975. Furthermore, Jackson's production tailed off in the final four games of the 2016 season, compiling six total touchdowns and three interceptions. Louisville also lost their final three games last year, including tough draws against the Houston Cougars and Kentucky Wildcats.

One of the most talked about headlines before every college football season includes speculation for the potential Heisman Trophy winner. The current overwhelming favorite is USC quarterback Sam Darnold, according to Odds Shark. Jackson is tied for third best odds with Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has the second best odds to bring home the hardware.

At this time last year, Jackson had 100/1 odds to win the Heisman, and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was the odds on favorite to win. Watson finished 2016 as a Heisman finalist but finished second in the voting behind Jackson. It very rarely seems to be the odds on favorite that wins the Heisman Trophy at the end of the season.

Now, let's take a look at the top 10 quarterbacks with the best chance to win the Heisman Trophy in 2017. The factors taken most into consideration for this list include last season's performance, 2017 outlook, and the strength of the team around them.

Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois (12) runs off the field during the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Deondre Francois

QB, Florida State

Deondre Francois enters his redshirt sophomore campaign with enormous expectations on his shoulders. FSU has expectations ranging from ACC favorite to being able to win the College Football Playoff this season. Francois passed for more than 3,300 yards last season with 25 total touchdowns.

The Noles do have the tall task of replacing players like receiver Travis Rudolph and All-American running back Dalvin Cook. However, freshman running back Cam Akers looks to at least somewhat fill the big shoes that Cook left in the FSU offense.

Some of those losses will have to be replaced by the progression of Francois. He had an impressive freshman campaign, leading FSU to another 10-win season and a bowl victory over the Michigan Wolverines. However, he'll need to do better than 20 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2017.

Francois has the opportunity to be the second FSU quarterback in the last five years to win the Heisman Trophy. Jameis Winston won the Heisman in 2013 after leading the Noles to a BCS Title. Head coach Jimbo Fisher might be expecting some of the same out of Francois this season with one full season as a starter under his belt. Francois is also currently considered to be one of the Heisman favorites on most odds lists that you can find right now.

Nov 21, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA;Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) throws the ball while Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive tackle Motekiai Maile (56) rushes him in the second quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Jarrett Stidham

QB, Auburn

Jarrett Stidham might seem like the most unqualified player on this list. Yet, he brings his dual threat ability to what could be a potent offense with the Auburn Tigers. Stidham transferred to Auburn after leaving the Baylor football program last year. He's proven that he can handle a high-tempo offense while also making really any pass to any level of the field.

Numerous people think the Auburn Tigers could have the best chance of dethroning the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC West and win the entire conference. For that to happen, Stidham would have to be the best Auburn quarterback since Cam Newton. And if that does happen then it would be hard to not see Stidham at least as a Heisman finalist.

Stidham compiled 14 total touchdowns and threw only two interceptions during his time as a starter with Baylor during the 2015 campaign. That type of production in the Auburn offense would be like something they have not seen since Nick Marshall. None of the options Auburn had last year sufficed as a consistent starting quarterback. John Franklin III, Jeremy Johnson, and Sean White all proved that they were not the long-term option for the Auburn offense.

Many people would not consider Stidham to be a Heisman favorite in 2017 but his path to winning the trophy is clear. If Stidham can lead the Tigers to the SEC Title then his role in Auburn's success would be clear. However, overcoming the Crimson Tide and a possible appearance in the College Football Playoff is no easy task for any player.

Apr 22, 2017; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) scrambles out of the pocket during the first quarter of the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Trace McSorley

QB, Penn State

Trace McSorley took the opportunity to show Penn State fans what he could do after the disappointing tenure of former quarterback Christian Hackenberg, and he absolutely ran with it. The combination of McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley (also a Heisman favorite) in Penn State's backfield proved to be lethal last season. Both players return to the Nittany Lion offense for the 2017 season.

Penn State also returns a loaded receiving corps for McSorley to work with this season. Rising seniors Saeed Blacknall and DaeSean Hamilton should combine as one of the most formidable receiving duos in the Big Ten. Blacknall has not seen a full season of action since he first started his Penn State career back in 2014. A full season with Blacknall, Hamilton, and junior DeAndre Thompkins would be huge for a potential McSorley Heisman run.

Last season, McSorley threw for more than 3,600 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also tacked on another 365 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. A junior season with more than 4,000 yards through the air and 40 total touchdowns is not out of the question for McSorley. He has all the talent around him needed to take Penn State on another Big Ten Championship run in 2017.

The biggest challenge for McSorley and the Nittany Lions lies in Columbus, Ohio. Even though Penn State defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes last season on their way to a Big Ten Title, OSU was still the only Big 10 team that made it to the College Football Playoff. Combine that with a sour loss to the USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl, and you would imagine that McSorley and the Nittany Lions will have as big of a chip on their shoulder as any group in the nation.

Sep 24, 2016; Waco, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) passes the ball against the Baylor Bears during the second half at McLane Stadium. Baylor won 35-24. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Mason Rudolph

QB, Oklahoma State

Very similar to the 2016 offseason, Mason Rudolph enters 2017 as a dark horse to bring the Heisman Trophy back to Stillwater, Okla., for the first time since Barry Sanders won it in the late 1980s. Rudolph put together a tremendous stat line in 2016 with more than 4,000 yards passing and more than 30 total touchdowns. Moreover, he showed a dramatic improvement in his running ability when flushed out of the pocket.

Rudolph also has the best returning receiving corps in college football. Receivers like James Washington, Jalen McCleskey, Marcell Ateman, Chris Lacy, and LSU transfer Tyron Johnson, give Rudolph all the weapons he needs to eclipse the 4,000 yard passing mark once again.

He also has the support in the running game to open up the secondary. Sophomore running back Justice Hill was a named a Freshman All-American last season behind more than a 1,000 yard rushing effort. Hill was the first Oklahoma State running back to accomplish that since Joseph Randle in 2012.

Between Rudolph's own talent along with the supporting cast available to him in the OK State offense, there's no reason he cannot make a good run at the Heisman this season. Much of Rudolph's Heisman campaign banks on the overall success of the Cowboys. They have the potential to take home a Big 12 Title and make an appearance in the College Football Playoff this season but it's still a tall task to get there.

Apr 22, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) scrambles away from pressure during the Spring Game at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Browning

QB, Washington

Few saw coming what Jake Browning was able to do last season. He threw for 3,450 yards and 43 touchdowns on the way to leading the Washington Huskies to a Pac-12 Championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. Browning does lose his top target this season in wide receiver John Ross but senior receiver Dante Pettis is expected to do big things. The Huskies also return junior running back Myles Gaskin.

One of the biggest challenges that Browning and the Huskies will have to overcome if they want to return to the Playoff and repeat as Pac-12 Champions is the USC Trojans. Washington's only regular season loss last year came against USC in a rough 26-13 loss. That victory for the Trojans really kicked off a hot streak for USC quarterback Sam Darnold resulting in an eventual Rose Bowl win.

However, Browning is still the most established and proven quarterback returning to any Pac-12 team possibly outside of Washington State's Luke Falk. Yet, Browning has much more Heisman hype than Falk does this season, even though both quarterbacks are listed on most preseason odds lists. The Huskies just have more returning talent than their in-state rival.

Browning is a likely contender to surpass the 4,000-yard mark through the air in 2017. Combine that with another 40 touchdown performance and a repeat as Pac-12 champions and Browning could easily be a Heisman finalist in 2017.

December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) scrambles under pressure against Clemson Tigers linebacker Kendall Joseph (34) during the first half of the the 2016 CFP semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

J.T. Barrett

QB, Ohio State

It seems so long ago that J.T. Barrett was thrust into the starting quarterback role for the Ohio State Buckeyes as only a freshman, leading them to an eventual College Football Playoff appearance. Former OSU quarterback Cardale Jones would then lead the Buckeyes to a National Championship. However, Barrett has not been the same since he led the Buckeyes to the Playoff in 2014.

While Barrett did have a better season in 2016 than he did in 2015, he was not able to match the production he put together in 2014. Last season, he threw for 2,555 yards and 24 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He also tacked on another 845 yards on the ground and nine rushing touchdowns.

Barrett definitely has the talent around him to win his first Heisman Trophy and the hype always seems to be there. The stat line just has to match up. Sophomore running back Mike Weber and senior tight end Marcus Baugh should be Barrett's go to weapons on offense this season. Freshman receiver Demario McCall is also a name to watch in the Buckeye offense.

A season with 30 passing touchdowns with the same type of rushing production he's had in the past would give Barrett his best shot at the Heisman that he's had so far in his college career. That type of production out of Barrett combined with what is expected out of Ohio State this season could be a lethal combination.

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) points against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Hurts

QB, Alabama

Alabama has had an impressive amount of Heisman Trophy winners recently. However, those most recent Heisman winners were also running backs including Derrick Henry in 2015 and Mark Ingram in 2009. Alabama quarterbacks have not gotten the same type of recognition. Even heading into 2017, running back Bo Scarborough might have more Heisman hype than Jalen Hurts.

Yet, something feels different about this Crimson Tide quarterback. Hurts had a very productive freshman season and was just a few minutes away from leading Bama to a National Championship. He threw for more than 2,700 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. Hurts also ran for 954 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He'll need to see an improvement in his passing numbers but Alabama does return all the weapons necessary to have another successful offense. Star receiver Calvin Ridley even has some Heisman hype of his own as he could very well be the best Alabama receiver since Julio Jones.

A lot of Hurts' production will rely on the amount of work he gets this season. If running backs Bo Scarborough and Damien Harris end up carrying most of the load on offense that could hurt (no pun intended) the Bama quarterback's Heisman campaign.

There's a lot of factors in play but it feels like Hurts does have the best chance to make a Heisman run out of all recent Alabama quarterbacks.

Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up prior to action during the spring game at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Baker Mayfield

QB, Oklahoma

No one doubts Baker Mayfield's ability to compete in the Heisman race, as he showed last season. Yet, Mayfield just doesn't have the same talent level surrounding him on offense that he did in 2016. All-American wide receiver and Heisman finalist Dede Westbrook is gone as well as the dynamic duo at running back of Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine. A lot rides on Mayfield's shoulders alone this season.

Along with some major talent lost on offense, Mayfield will not have the same head coach either. In shocking fashion, legendary Oklahoma Sooners' head coach Bob Stoops up and retired, leaving former offensive coordinator Lincoln Reilly to take the reigns in Norman. Reilly did a phenomenal job leading the OU offense the last two seasons but leading the entire Sooner football program is a whole different beast.

Mayfield steadily improved his stat line from 2015 to 2016 where he nearly passed for 4,000 yards and reached the 40 passing touchdown mark as well. He also never threw more than 10 interceptions in either of his last two seasons with the Sooners.

All the individual talent to win the Heisman is something that Mayfield does have, yet there are quite a few factors working against him. Either way, you cannot doubt the pedigree that Mayfield has built for himself in his time with Oklahoma so far.

Dec 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Lamar Jackson from the University of Louisville wins the Heisman Trophy at Playstation Theater. Mandatory Credit: Todd J. Van Emst/Heisman Trust via USA TODAY Sports

Lamar Jackson

QB, Louisville

Lamar Jackson went from Heisman sleeper to overwhelming favorite real quick last year. He was easily the most polarizing player in college football and very well could still be in 2017. For many fans, he was the most elusive and exciting quarterback to watch since Johnny Manziel with Texas A&M.

Jackson's production did tail off at the end of the 2016 campaign. In the final four games of the season, he did not tally more than one passing touchdown or a single rushing touchdown in three of those games. Yet, his stat line last season was as impressive as any player in the nation.

The combination of 3,543 passing yards and 45 total touchdowns is nothing to scoff at. Jackson also added more than 1,500 yards rushing. For most of the season, he was all the offense that the Louisville Cardinals needed. However, he faltered somewhat in the final four games, where the Cardinals lost three of those games. One of those losses included a somewhat embarrassing loss to in-state rival Kentucky.

There's been a lot of talk as to whether Jackson will be a franchise quarterback for whatever team selects him in the NFL Draft. His ability to take over a game in almost every facet is appealing in every way. Yet, Jackson had an apparent problem last season with doing too much and relying too much on himself to carry an entire team.

PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Cornerback John Reid

Sam Darnold

QB, USC

Sam Darnold has been talked about as a potential number one pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, the point of this article is not to look that far ahead. The USC Trojans enter the 2017 college football season with as much hype as any team in the country. Much of that hype is because of Darnold and his emergence last season.

He took over as the starting quarterback against the Utah Utes, finishing with nearly 300 total yards and one touchdown. Even though the Trojans lost that contest against the Utes, they would not lose another game in 2016 with Darnold behind center.

USC pulled off nine straight victories, including victories against ranked teams such as the Colorado Buffaloes (Pac-12 North champions), Washington Huskies (Pac-12 Conference champions), and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl. Darnold tossed five touchdowns on three separate occasions last year as well.

Darnold's stats in the final nine games of the season shows why he's the overall Heisman favorite entering 2017. Even though he was not the starter for the full season in 2016 he still finished with over 3,000 passing yards and 33 total touchdowns, and just nine interceptions.

There's a number of talented quarterbacks in the PAC-12 in 2017 including Washington's Jake Browning, Washington State's Luke Falk, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Oregon's Justin Herbert, and Utah's Troy Williams.

Yet, Darnold looks to be the best of the bunch. Look out for Darnold to throw for more than 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2017 on his way to a spectacular Heisman campaign.