Making college football predictions in July is a dangerous proposition. The Heisman could be even worse. Last year, Kyler Murray came out of relative obscurity to win the award. Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence are the clear leaders in the clubhouse. But, could we see someone come out of nowhere to win the award? It’s never too early to discuss our way too early 2019 Heisman rankings.

Will a running back have a seat at the table this season? If so, will Jonathan Taylor continue his success at Wisconsin? In the new world that is college football free agency, will a quarterback transfer such as Jalen Hurts or Justin Fields steal the show? No matter what the answer is, we’ll have plenty of time to debate. Now, let’s get started with our initial Heisman poll for 2019.

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Note: Tiebreakers were settled by alphabetical order of the players last name.

Ranking	Player	Position	Team	Points
1	Trevor Lawrence	QB		100
2	Tua Tagovailoa	QB		100
3	Jonathan Taylor	RB		32
4	Justin Herbert	QB		25
5	Jalen Hurts	QB		21
6	Travis Etienne	RB		20
7	Jerry Jeudy	WR		9
8	Jake Fromm	QB		8
9	Sam Ehlinger	QB		7
10	J.K. Dobbins	RB		5
11	Justin Fields	QB		5
12	Rondale Moore	WR		5
13	D’Andre Swift	RB		4
14	Ian Book	QB		3
15	A.J. Epenesa	DE		1
16	Tylan Wallace	WR		1

Top Five Candidates

1. Trevor Lawrence

QB | Clemson                                                           Next Game: 8/29 vs Georgia Tech

“Sunshine” burst onto the season in 2018 overcoming Kelly Bryant and eventually Alabama in leading the Tigers to a national championship. With Lawrence and Clemson firmly entrenched atop of college football in 2019, how will they handle the pressure?

2. Tua Tagovailoa

QB | Alabama                                                      Next Game: 8/31 vs Duke

Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide were rolling 12 games into the season. Then, he struggled and got injured against Georgia and was relatively ineffective in the championship game against Clemson. In fact, Tagovailoa only threw for six scores against six turnovers in 2018. But, he has one of the best receiving corps in the country returning and the team is unquestionably his in 2019.

3. Jonathan Taylor

RB | Wisconsin                                                      Next Game: 8/30 at South Florida

With 4,171 rushing yards in two seasons, it’s conceivable that Taylor could break into the top five in career rushing yards by the end of the season. Wisconsin is a bit under the radar in 2019 and the Badgers will be breaking in what will likely be a true freshman quarterback this season. With that being said, still expect Taylor to hover around the 2,000-yard mark once again.

4. Justin Herbert

QB | Oregon                                                      Next Game: 8/31 vs Auburn

5. Jalen Hurts

QB | Oklahoma                                                      Next Game: 9/1 vs Houston

This ranking could be more around the ability to Lincoln Riley than it is about Hurts’ skill set. But, can the Sooners turn three transfer quarterbacks into three straight Heisman Trophy winners? Hurts downfall has been his inability to get the ball downfield. However, he did show improvement in that area last season and of course, filled in admirably in the SEC championship game. In Oklahoma’s spring game is any indication, the offense may not take any steps back.