“Club Heisman” is back in session.
Former Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Mark Ingram opened Saturday’s “Club Heisman” segment on “Big Noon Kickoff” by diving into their top picks — and a few sleepers— ahead of Week 2 of the college football season.
Ingram got straight to it, naming LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier as his early front-runner for the award.
“The one person I’m looking at right now is the Heisman favorite, and why? Because [he] beat Cade Klubnik on the road in Clemson,” Ingram said. “It’s not about the numbers. It’s about how he played. He played winning football. He was calm, cool and collected, and if LSU keeps playing like they did in Week 1, Garrett Nussmeier will have a shot to win this thing for sure.”
Leinart went in a different direction with his pick, selecting a player that isn’t among the odds-on favorites to win the award.
“I’m gonna go over to Utah and go with Devon Dampier. This is a guy who is outstanding. He is Kyler Murray 2.0 — same kind of stature,” Leinart said. “I think Utah is a playoff team. He had almost 100 yards rushing last week. Keep an eye on this guy in the race.”
CLUB HEISMAN: Who has the best case for the Heisman on week 1?
Both Heisman winners also shouted out some potential sleepers to watch as the season unfolds.
Ingram spotlighted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar:
“It’s time to put up or shut up for Penn State,” Ingram said. “If Penn State thinks they can have the season they want to have, it’s gonna be because of Drew Allar and the performance he has leading the Nittany Lions.”
Leinart pointed to both Bryce Underwood and John Mateer ahead of the Michigan-Oklahoma Top-25 clash:
“I think both of these guys are phenomenal. Bryce Underwood, the talented true freshman — I feel like the whole playbook is open for him. He can run, he’s big, kind of a Cam Newton-like kid,” Leinart said. “And then John Mateer — he is the triple-threat quarterback. [He had] 178 rushing attempts a year ago. That could be a factor in this.”
According to Leinart, both QBs landed at their schools with two goals:
“A chance to get to the College Football Playoff, but also a chance to win the Heisman Trophy.”
Ingram also made sure to show some love to a pair of skill-position stars:
“Just a couple non-QB guys to mention: Jeremiah Smith and Jeremiyah Love. Keep an eye out for them.”
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