Only one year removed from being fifth in the 2014 Heisman Trophy voting, J.T Barrett looks to make another run at the award. Barrett will take the reins of the offense this year as Cardale Jones opted to go to the NFL Draft this spring. When Barrett was allowed to be the main quarterback, he was able to score 45 touchdowns in 11 games with only ten interceptions.
Barrett was able to do this while having star running back Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield next to him who accounted for 18 additional touchdowns. Now without Elliott, Barrett will essentially be the go-to guy in the offense with no guaranteed starting running back. Can he have a repeat season and become the first Ohio State player to win the award since Troy Smith in 2006?
Is J.T. Barrett A Real Heisman Trophy Candidate?
The main factor in whether Barrett will be able to have another all-star season will be if his receiving corps can support him. His top three receivers (Corey Smith, Noah Brown, and Curtis Samuel) and starting tight end (Marcus Baugh) have only combined for 62 receptions and three receiving touchdowns.
Smith is the only one of the group that is not a sophomore and will look to lead the team in receptions. His 6’1″ build and quick cuts should help him get free and be the main possession receiver. Marcus Baugh is the biggest question mark of the bunch. Ohio State is not a team that relies heavily on tight ends despite the success they have had afterwards. Jeff Heuerman was drafted in the third round while Jake Stoneburner and Nick Vannett both went undrafted but were signed directly after the draft. However, only Heuerman ever topped 25 receptions in a season. Baugh could be useful with his 6’5″ stature near the endzone but the amount of times Urban Meyer decides to call his number remains to be seen.
Another factor in how efficient Barrett will do this season is how the defenses he faces have to prepare for the game. When Elliott stood beside him, teams would have to make a choice to decide to stop Barrett’s scrambling, Elliott’s rushing, or Barrett’s arm. While Ohio State will still have two of the three to work with, the ability to rush the ball was the key element.
If Bri’onte Dunn and Mike Weber cannot form a cohesive unit or one does not shine, it could make Ohio State’s offense much less effective. Teams would be able to focus on Barrett and containing him would essentially eliminate his entire game. Even when Barrett passes, he tends to leave the pocket and scramble to make the play. Ohio State will have to make sure that they can have a rushing game to accompany Barrett or else his Heisman Trophy hopes and the team’s National Championship hopes will be lost.
Comparing Barrett’s Chances with Other Possible Frontrunners
The last factor that will be key if Barrett wishes to make a run at the Heisman will be his ability to cut down interceptions. While ten interceptions is not unacceptable, it will not win him a Heisman. Barrett is at a disadvantage that other quarterbacks are not. He does not have an elite receiver to help him. Baker Mayfield has Dede Westbrook who was able to put up 46 receptions for 743 yards last season. Deshaun Watson has Mike Williams who is coming back after a season ending neck injury last season but put up 57 receptions for 1,030 yards one year ago.
Mayfield may not have the rushing ability that Watson and Barrett have. However, he faces Big 12 defenses which are known for giving up 30+ points on a weekly basis and will likely throw for the most touchdowns of the three. Mayfield’s downfall however is the fact that his additional passing touchdowns will not surpass the combined rushing and passing touchdowns of Watson and Barrett. Both will easily throw for 25 touchdowns with Watson getting the edge of throwing roughly 30-35 touchdowns.
However, Watson and Barrett are on an almost equal level when it comes to rushing the ball. If Barrett wants to truly put himself ahead of Watson, he has to cut down on interceptions to make his case more valued. This will especially be true if he throws five to ten interceptions less than Watson.
Overall, if a quarterback does win the Heisman Trophy this season, Barrett could very easily be a contender but it would take a lot to win. He would have to have a near perfect season which would likely need to result in a College Football Playoff appearance if Barrett wants to end the ten year drought of the Heisman in Columbus.
