Jabrill Finally Showing Up in Top Five on Heisman Watch Lists

Submitted by BursleyHall82 on

Before the season, Jabrill Peppers was just outside the top 10 on most Heisman Watch lists, but after the Colorado game, he's finally in the top five on many of the major ones.

He's fifth on the USA Today watch list.

He's fifth on the Sports Illustrated watch list.

And he's sixth on the CBS Sports watch list.

Heisman lists in September don't mean a whole lot (ask Leonard Fournette), but it's still cool to see him getting the national hype he deserves.

Mr. Yost

September 21st, 2016 at 6:10 PM ^

Why does the OP say "finally" we've played 3 games, lol

That said, I didin't know until today that Peppers leads the NATION in tackles for loss AND punt return yards. That's an awesome combo.

Punt return is kind of surprising considering all of the punting away from him.

Wolfman

September 21st, 2016 at 7:42 PM ^

Mr. Yost. Finally, after three games, seems a bit out there. And USA Today saying "consensus number one" is flat out wrong when anyone that remotely follows the game is fully aware that honor goes to that RB down south who was the September winner last season. In fact, he was labeled that "once in a decade" football player coming out of h.s., much like Bo, Hershecl and Marcus, respectivelly. 

But your mention of punt retrun yardage made me think of another aspect of that position. Those many "chancy fair catches" he calls where he seems to have to sprint 15 yards simply to make the catch saves us a large amount of yardage, both on each kick and collectively through the season. He, of course, is fully aware that he will catch the ball but it does provide a hell of a lot more excitement than I can ever recall for someone simply making a fair catch. He is one of a kind. Like Denard, Charles and a few others, enjoy this young man while we have him. 

canzior

September 21st, 2016 at 1:29 PM ^

quite possible he wins it because all of the preseason favorites are underwhelming. Watson and Fournette would not have lost to Peppers if they had good seasons. But guys like Ward Jr and Jackson might lose out to a player from a traditional power. 

getsome

September 21st, 2016 at 1:53 PM ^

even if he posts some crazy #s and michigan does well as a team, theres still a great chance a QB like jackson puts up like 5000 yards and 50 TDs or whatever and thats always tough to beat.

be great to see though, im all for it.  hopefully no one QB or RB goes wild and runs away with it and peppers maybe sneaks in there if he gets another half dozen TDs along with what should be some impressive final #s on D.  obviously a long shot but still cool to see hell likely be in the discussion for an invite

Tater

September 21st, 2016 at 2:09 PM ^

Peppers is the best player in football or at least tied with Leonard Fournette, but Jackson will win the Heisman.  Fournette isn't a threat becuase Cam Cameron and Les Miles are running an offense in which everyone on the other team knows where the ball is going nearly every play.  

Jackson has a coach who has put him in a position to succeed at QB, which is the position Heisman voters worship the most.  He put up video game numbers against FSU.  Most of all, he has a flashy nickname based on a movie character.  This makes him appear "larger than life" to the media and fans, albeit subconsciously.  

The Heisman should probably be changed to "Most Popular Football Player in College Football," because that's pretty much what it has turned into.

CarlosSpicyweiner21

September 21st, 2016 at 2:34 PM ^

One could argue FSU isn't that impressive. Though QB is the easiest position to win from. I believe we have yet to see all that is instore for Peppers. Now that we are dipping our toe into conference play Peppers will get more offensive snaps.

Is Peppers on Woodson's level? Naw Woodson shut down half the field and made magic happen on O. Peppers is a great tackler, but not sure he is that impressive in coverage.

stephenrjking

September 21st, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^

The era and defenses were different. In Green Bay Woodson helped pioneer the hybrid position Peppers now plays, and won a Defensive POY award for his efforts. Woodson could, when called upon, tackle hard, sack the quarterback, snuff out screens (remember the Baylor hit?) and support the run.

But, of course, his main calling card was his brilliance as a corner, and he was almost unbeatable in that role. And he made key plays at key moments. 

They have some different strengths and weaknesses. They are different in the way that Michael Vick and Tim Tebow were different--both great players who ran and threw, but did it in different ways.

Well, neither of the guys is slow enough to be Tebow. Vick and Vince Young, maybe? That's the ticket.

I agree that the defensive versatility that Peppers displays is a real point of distinction. And he destroys the edge in a way I've never seen in college anywhere before.

stephenrjking

September 21st, 2016 at 3:01 PM ^

I'm not sure if I agree with your logic here. First, I don't know that Fournette is the best player in football, though your reasoning for why he won't win is very sound. 

But it sounds like you're dismissing the impressive quality of what Jackson is doing (I don't even know what his flashy nickname is but I think based upon his on-field performance alone he deserves to be the runaway leader right now). He doesn't play for a popular team, nor for an overhyped conference. He isn't in a big media market.

He's just plain good. And while his stats against Charlotte and Syracuse were eye-popping, he just laid an all-time pummeling on the #2 team in the nation, a team widely acknowledged to possess extroaordinary talent.

If he keeps this up all year he will DESERVE the Heisman.

There are years that the Heisman winner is extremely unsatisfying. Both Alabama RB winners were jokes, for example. But there are also years where the Heisman goes to a player that is genuinely transcendant. Take 2005, for example, perhaps the best two-man Heisman race ever (I don't care what happened after, Bush and Young were superb). And, though I resented it for a while due to Denard's early promise and the fact that he should've been ineligible, Cam Newton was an unquestionable victor as well.

If Jackson can do this all year he has earned it.

Jabrill could well earn his way to New York with the way he is playing. He is not the same player as Woodson, but he is making huge impacts all over the field, and that matters. But his chances to actually win depend upon the rest of the field being underwhelming, as it occasionally is. 

We'll see what happens.

TrueBlue2003

September 21st, 2016 at 2:14 PM ^

and as usual, team performance will be the biggest factor.  If only one of Ward, Jr., Jackson, Barrett, Watson or Peppers makes it to the playoff, that guy will have a major advantage and likely be the favorite/winner.  If multiple guys make it, it will depend on who had the best games against the best opponents.  Barrett and Jackson already have the upper hand there, which is why they're the 1-2 right now.  Peppers would almost certainly need to have a big game in a win against OSU to have a chance.

Jonesy

September 21st, 2016 at 6:41 PM ^

Barring injury Jackson has the Heisman in the bag.  If he had a normal season and Peppers was able to keep on his current pace he'd have a shot but Jackson has been absolutely ridiculous and theres no reason to think it'll stop.

stephenrjking

September 21st, 2016 at 2:54 PM ^

I think the logic here is that the disaster that was 2014 needed to happen to make it clear that Hoke (and DB, though how it happened with Hoke mattered to the Harbaugh family) needed to be fired to clear the way for Harbaugh. If Peppers is playing all season, Michigan is a better team. Maybe Peppers is inserted on offense instead of the disastrous QB switch against Minnesota, and the concussion never happens. And maybe Peppers flips a game or two (some of them were close, Rutgers for example) and DB managed to hold on somehow and stubbornly keeps Hoke for another year, and Harbaugh goes to Atlanta or Oakland or something.

That's my read on the comment, anyway. What happened happened.

ND Sux

September 21st, 2016 at 1:32 PM ^

on offense, I expect his climb to continue.  Dude is a standout in all three phases of the game, and shows up in highlights frequently making a variety of "holy shit" plays. 

Bo Glue

September 21st, 2016 at 1:57 PM ^

I foresee him getting a 40+ yarder against PSU. More offense = more votes. By the time OSU rolls around we should be playing him as many snaps as possible iin all three phases. Or honeslty reduce his snaps on D if you have to reduce them anywhere. I say that just because it's the last game, I think we need him evenly deployed for MSU, Iowa, etc.

DPUblue

September 21st, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^

did the save/exit thing on 5* recruits I'd create and not pick Michigan...

Then I figured I could just create a 6'5" 250 Kicker named  Shawndronn McGillicuddy with 99 tackle, strength, etc and turd kicking stats....and recruit the pants off of him...a 1* kicker...only to just flip his position once he committed. When Shawndronn would commit to Illinois is when I shut it down for the night. 

Aaaaahhhhh, the hours I'd waste. 

ND Sux

September 21st, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^

He has a damn good chance THIS year, IMO.  You can't keep him out of the highlight reels each week, so he gets tons of press, and in all 3 phases.  The buzz is going to continue to grow, and his stats project to absurd levels of TFLs, sacks, return yardage, and considerable rushing yardage for a primarily defensive star.  Plus the D is still learning / adjusting to Brown's schemes.  A few picks, return TDs, offensive TDs in key matchups could easily land him the trophy. 

ijohnb

September 21st, 2016 at 1:34 PM ^

on how the team does.  If he plays at this pace all year and the team makes the playoff while Louisville and Stanford do not, he has a very good shot at winning it.  That is a lot of "ifs" though.

FauxMo

September 21st, 2016 at 1:41 PM ^

It must be nice to get recognized like this, but I am not sure I'd be ecstatic about how USA Today frames things...

 

5. Michigan LB Jabrill Peppers

The do-everything star leads his team in tackles and the nation in tackles for loss, has been electric in the return game and has been featured as a dynamic tool in the Wolverines’ offense. After a somewhat slow start to his career, Peppers is more than matching the expectations that greeted his arrival as the country’s consensus top recruit.

 

Does anyone really want to be called a "Dynamic Tool"? Like, um, f**k you, USA Today sports guy!