This year the Gators will face at least 9 players who have a chance at winning the Heisman. Granted, some of these Heisman odds are pretty low. I only give Jake Fromm a high probability of being a finalist, not that the other players are not very good. Fromm will have the statistics and the winning record to secure a top-5 appearance in Heisman voting. Lock might be the most dangerous QB on the schedule, having defeated Florida on multiple occasions.
Based on preseason predictions, some have UF facing WVU in a bowl game, maybe Liberty Bowl in Memphis or Texas Bowl in Houston. Imagine UF having faced the following top Heisman candidates in the regular season, then having to face a former Gator and Heisman frontrunner in the postseason!
Based on preseason predictions, some have UF facing WVU in a bowl game, maybe Liberty Bowl in Memphis or Texas Bowl in Houston. Imagine UF having faced the following top Heisman candidates in the regular season, then having to face a former Gator and Heisman frontrunner in the postseason!
- 9/29 - Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State. #10 rated SEC QB in 2017, our head coach's former student. Rating: 117.6. Projected to improve greatly under Joe Moorhead's pass-heavy RPO offense.
- 10/27 - Jake Fromm, Georgia. #7 rated SEC QB in 2017. Defeated UF last year. Rating: 168.2. Projected to improve over an already stellar 2017 campaign.
- 11/3 - Drew Lock, Missouri. #1 rated SEC QB in 2017. Rating: 169.4. Defeated Florida a couple times. Knows Florida pretty well.
- 11/10 - Jake Bentley, South Carolina. #4 rated SEC QB in 2017. Defeated UF last year. Rating: 130.2. OR Deebo Samuel. #1 in all purpose yards in the SEC in 2016 and 2017. Will Muschamp still knows some of these players, but much less so this year. Mullen holds a slight edge over Muschamp in head to head play from Muschamp's time as defensive coordinator at Auburn. MSU defeated Auburn 17-9 in 2015.
- 11/24 - James Blackman, FSU (assuming he beats out Deiondre Francois). #10 rated ACC QB. Defeated UF last year. Rating: 129.2. OR Deiondre Francois. #6 rated ACC QB in 2016. Defeated UF that year. Rating: 142.1. OR Cam Akers. Rushed for 1,025 yards and 7 touchdowns as a freshman.
- (hypothetical bowl game in December) - Will Grier, WVU. #4 B12 QB. Former Gator starter. Rating: 162.7. Grier's statistics were hampered by injuries late in the year. With a full season of being healthy he is a top contender for the Heisman.