Heisman Trophy 2017: Ranking the Top 10 Candidates Ahead of Week 7

In 2016, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had already established himself as the obvious choice for the Heisman Trophy after the first week of October. The race for the award in 2017 is much tighter at the same stage.

While most of the expected players are in the hunt, a couple of unanticipated stars have emerged.

Highlighted by Penn State's Saquon Barkley, four running backs are in the top 10 of the Heisman chase. The other six are quarterbacks, though USC's Sam Darnold—a popular preseason pick—will need a scorching finish to rejoin the conversation.

We're taking a look at what the top players have accomplished, their best moment of 2017 so far and previewing what's to come in an attempt to rank this year's Heisman candidates.

Week 7 honorable mentions: Alabama QB Jalen Hurts, North Carolina State DE Bradley Chubb and Washington KR/WR Dante Pettis

10. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

By the numbers: Jonathan Taylor made his debut with 87 yards rushing in a 59-10 blowout of Utah State. Just one more name on the Wisconsin depth chart, right? Well, four Badgers wins later, the freshman has piled up 767 yards in five games—which ranks No. 7 nationally—and nine touchdowns. His per-game average of 153.4 is fourth-best in the country.

Signature moment: Shortly before halftime on the road against Nebraska, Wisconsin gave up a touchdown. On the first play of the ensuing drive, however, Taylor found a hole, split two defenders and outran one more player for a 75-yard touchdown. He finished the contest with 249 yards and two scores.

Week 7 prediction: Although Purdue ranks 66th nationally against the run, the defense has only surrendered five gains of 20-plus yards on the ground. Even without a couple of explosive plays, Taylor should be successful on the ground and approach 100 yards.

9. Jake Browning, QB, Washington

By the numbers: Jake Browning hasn't quite reached the 300-yard passing mark in a game this season, but the fact 6-0 Washington has had one victory come by a margin of fewer than 27 points should explain that. Browning's 164.93 QB rating is No. 11 nationally, and he's accounted for 17 total touchdowns compared to three interceptions.

Signature moment: The Dawgs held a slim 10-7 advantage entering the third quarter against Colorado. On the opening drive of the half, Browning launched a perfectly placed 43-yard pass to Quinten Pounds for six points. The touchdown sparked a 27-3 second-half spurt for Washington in a 37-10 triumph on the road.

Week 7 prediction: Arizona State better hope the bye week was enough time for the secondary to address its issues. The Sun Devils have surrendered 7.9 yards per pass and 14 touchdowns while managing just two picks in five games. Browning should be headed for another 225-yard, two-score outing.

8. Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

By the numbers: Few quarterbacks have been more productive than Mason Rudolph. The senior is near the pinnacle of the FBS in several categories, including yards per attempt (11.0, third), rating (186.22, third), touchdowns (16, tie-third) and passing yards (1,909, fifth).

Signature moment: Pitt had no answer for Rudolph for the second straight year. He shredded the Panthers for five touchdowns, all of which came in the first half. Rudolph threw for 497 yards, the second-highest mark of his career, behind a 540-yard showing against Pitt in 2016.

Week 7 prediction: Baylor will have problems defending Rudolph and his explosive receiving corps. Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield recently put up 283 yards and three touchdowns on the nation's 87th-ranked pass defense while recording just 19 attempts. Rudolph will likely spin 35-plus passes in a 350-yard performance.

7. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

By the numbers: Louisville already has two losses, but 2011 Baylor dropped three games before November yet Robert Griffin III still won the Heisman. With this level of production, Lamar Jackson cannot be ignored. He stands atop the country with 2,500 yards of total offense and is responsible for 21 of the Cardinals' 27 offensive touchdowns.

Signature moment: The junior showed off his special combination of elusiveness and arm talent on a 75-yard touchdown at North Carolina. He made a free-rushing defender miss, set his feet and fired a 50-yard strike to Jaylen Smith, who never broke stride. Jackson totaled a season-best 525 yards and six scores in the victory.

Week 7 prediction: Boston College can be stingy defending the pass, but Notre Dame's Brandon Wimbush and Clemson's Kelly Bryant had triple-digit days on the ground against the Eagles. Louisville will lean on Jackson's mobility to propel the offense in what shouldn't be a close game after halftime.

6. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State

By the numbers: He's flown a bit under the radar since the loss to Oklahoma, but J.T. Barrett has otherwise been excellent. The senior has posted 1,513 yards, 16 touchdowns and only one interception through the air, adding 311 yards and three scores with his legs.

Signature moment: Barrett punctuated a three-touchdown display at Rutgers with a well-thrown 23-yard scoring pass down the sideline to Binjimen Victor. It's not the most exciting play, but Barrett will have opportunities to create a Heisman moment in the near future as the difficulty of Ohio State's schedule increases.

Week 7 prediction: Nebraska hasn't surrendered more than 128 passing yards in any of its last four games, but none of the opponents were built to win through the air. Barrett should be able to find a couple of explosive gains as a passer while adding a useful rushing element in a painless victory for the Buckeyes.

5. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State

By the numbers: Luke Falk leads the country with 19 passing touchdowns and is ranked third nationally in passing yards (2,000) and completion percentage (71.8). The senior, who has thrown just two interceptions, also recently set the Pac-12 record for career completions (1,234) and is approaching the career touchdown mark.

Signature moment: In an upset over No. 5 USC, Falk converted a trio of third or fourth downs on a fourth-quarter drive that pushed Washington State to a 27-20 lead. He capped the possession with a shovel pass to Jamal Morrow for a touchdown, finishing with 340 yards and two scores.

Week 7 prediction: Friday night conference games on the road can be tricky. Just ask USC. Washington State will travel to Cal, which has surrendered plenty of total yards yet is a respectable 51st nationally with 6.7 allowed per passing attempt. Falk and Co. should eventually put Cal away, but he'll need to start both halves strong.

4. Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State

By the numbers: In Week 6, Rashaad Penny nearly became the second player to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the season. The senior finished the night with 993 for the year, only trailing Stanford's Bryce Love (1,240 yards) for the top spot. Penny has 16 catches for 127 yards plus 205 yards on kick returns for a total of three more scores, as well.

Signature moment: Trucking a UNLV defender was good, but Penny scored a pair of long touchdowns in a road victory over Arizona State. He sprinted through the defense for a 95-yard run and returned a kickoff 99 yards to the house. Penny amassed a career-high 216 yards in that matchup, which preceded an upset of Stanford.

Week 7 prediction: Maybe, just maybe, a San Diego State opponent will slow the versatile star. Boise State has ceded a mere 3.1 yards per carry, and Virginia's Jordan Ellis is the lone running back who tallied more than 70 total yards on the Broncos. Penny should eclipse the 100-yard barrier, but it'll be a hard-fought 100.

3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

By the numbers: Baker Mayfield stands atop the FBS with a 74.6 completion percentage, 12.2 yards per attempt and a 214.06 rating. He is also one of four full-time starters with zero interceptions, but the other three haven't tossed as many touchdowns as Mayfield (15). 

Signature moment: The senior headlined a dominant effort at Ohio State, leading 10 of Oklahoma's 11 drives across midfield. Were it not for a couple of lost fumbles by teammates, Mayfield's final line—27-of-35 for three touchdowns and a season-high 386 yards—could've been even more impressive during the 31-16 victory.

Week 7 prediction: Texas has a decent pass defense, and the Red River Shootout tends to get extra weird. Mayfield must be prepared for a roller-coaster game, partly because Oklahoma's defense is vulnerable. He should throw for 250-plus yards and a couple of scores, but the question is whether that's enough to stave off the Longhorns. We'll give that a cautious yes.

2. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford

By the numbers: Name the rushing category, and Bryce Love either leads it or is threatening for the highest position. He ranks first in total rushing yards (1,240), yards per game (206.7) and gains of every 10-yard increment from 10 to 60 yards. Love, who has scored nine touchdowns, has a game-low output of 152 yards. Not too shabby.

Signature moment: When he broke Christian McCaffrey's single-game school mark of 284 rushing yards, Stanford needed every one of them. Love's 11-yard, record-setting run pushed the Cardinal into field-goal range to take a 34-24 lead on Arizona State late in the fourth quarter. Love's next carry sent him to a staggering 301 for the contest.

Week 7 prediction: Although Oregon's run defense has been pleasantly effective (10th in the nation), the team has only opposed one FBS team ranked better than 116th in yards per carry. Nebraska, the outlier, is merely 71st. Love should put together another massive day against the Ducks, whose offensive struggles without quarterback Justin Herbert (fractured collarbone) will afford Love a couple of extra chances to pad his stat line.

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

By the numbers: Penny, Love and Saquon Barkley are the only three FBS players averaging 200 all-purpose yards. After recording just four instances of 200-plus all-purpose yards in his first 25 appearances, Barkley already has four this season. Overall, he's collected 649 yards on the ground, made 29 receptions for 395 yards and accounted for a total of 10 touchdowns as a runner, receiver, kick returner and passer.

Signature moment: During the fourth quarter at Iowa, Barkley helped Penn State pick up a third down in jaw-dropping fashion. He caught a checkdown, hurdled a defender, bounced off another while in midair, somehow managed to keep his balance upon landing and sprinted past the chains. The difficulty of that play cannot be understated.

Week 7 prediction: The Nittany Lions have a much-needed bye week to prepare for Michigan's defense. During the last two matchups between the programs, the Wolverines kept Barkley out of the end zone and limited him to a shade over six yards per touch.

All recruiting information via Scout. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.