Lamar Jackson wasn't exactly a household name before exploding during the 2016 college football season on the way to winning the Heisman Trophy. In fact, Jackson wasn't the first (and he won't be the list) player to seemingly emerge from nowhere to claim the ultimate in individual glory for the sport and, with that in mind, Phil Steele of ESPN recently examined the "best value bets" for the 2017 edition.
Though the full text is certainly worth a read, Steele projects his two top values to come from USC quarterback Sam Darnold and Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois. Steele writes the following about FSU's sophomore signal-caller:
Last year Francois got hit a lot, but stayed in games, showing he's durable. Florida State will have some big marquee games (Alabama, Clemson, Louisville) for him to showcase his skills. Dalvin Cook got all the media attention on the Florida State offense in 2016, and that focus will be Francois' this year. If the Seminoles come away from their tough scheduled unscathed, Francois will have much to do with it and will put himself at the top of the Heisman list. He's my best value bet right now.
While Steele actually notes that Darnold "deserves the favorite role" that he has been assigned by handicapping professionals, the notion that Francois would be a great value makes sense. He is the centerpiece of an explosive and talented team in Tallahassee and, while Jackson's team wasn't dominant a year ago, it is always better to be on a winning squad than not.
It is never too early to talk about the 2017 college football season and the 2017 Heisman Trophy, even from a handicapping standpoint.
