Jesse Legree would be the first freshman to win the Heisman since Johnny Manziel (Graphic by Jack Foster).

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Week 7 had some big-time games from players who are already in this Heisman race. The biggest difference in this list will be the drop of Keelon Russell. Russell, while not playing a terrible game, certainly didn’t look as good as he had previously this season, so for this, he fell out of the rankings. With that, let’s get into my Week 7 Heisman rankings.

1. Jeremiah Smith – 10.00 BiteScore

At this point, what is there to say about Jeremiah Smith? I truly believe he’s the best college football player I’ve ever watched with my own eyes. We’ll see if Smith can continue this dominance against these higher-tier opponents and create a real “Heisman moment.”

2. Darian Mensah – 10.00 BS

Mensah has shown each and every week that he’s, in my opinion, the top quarterback in the nation. Miami gets a UNC squad it should beat this week before its massive showdown with Notre Dame. Mensah will get a real chance to show off what he can do in that game.

3. Colin Simmons – 10.00 BS

Defensive players often get overlooked in the landscape of college football, but Colin Simmons isn’t just another defensive player. Simmons is the definition of a game wrecker. His game reminds me a lot of Chase Young’s college tape, and Young was a Heisman finalist and went No. 2 overall in the NFL draft. I’m still skeptical of Simmons’ ability to win the award, but right now, I fully believe he would be a finalist for the award.

4. Jesse Legree – 10.00 BS

Now we get to my favorite player in the entire country. Jesse Legree is the most exciting player in all of college football and is finally getting nationally recognized. Legree and this Oregon State offense make up one of the most fun and entertaining units I can remember watching. He isn’t just another Group of 6 receiver, either, but his best game of the season came against a top-10 team in the country. He diced up Texas Tech for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

The most insane part about Legree isn’t even his stats, either, but his age. Legree is a true freshman receiver who was a lower-half three-star recruit coming out of high school. College football still has two more years of Legree, and we should cherish that time. Even if Legree doesn’t make New York or win the award this year, I have no doubt that he’ll be a constant force in this award going forward.

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