Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner is an early candidate in the Heisman Trophy race, according to SB Nation college football writer Bill Connelly.
Werner, who recorded five solo tackles for loss in the Seminoles' 69-3 win over Morgan State, was listed as No. 7 on a list of potential Heisman winners after college football concluded its first week of action. Above Werner are West Virginia's Geno Smith, Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell, USC's Marqise Lee, Ohio State's Braxton Miller, Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas and Nebraska's Taylor Martinez.
Behind Werner on the list are Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson, Clemson's Andre Ellington and Alabama's Dee Milliner.
On Werner, Connelly wrote:
"Yes, it was unfair to force Murray State to attempt to move the ball on Florida State's defense. Yes, it is probably silly to credit any one Seminole defender for what was team-wide dominance (70 plays, 156 yards, three takeaways, three points allowed). But it is impossible to ignore Werner's stat line: five tackles, all solo, all behind the line of scrimmage. He logged four sacks and broke up a pass to boot. That makes the list no matter the opponent."
Whether or not the 6'4', 255-pound Werner actually contends in the Heisman race remains to be seen, but according to Connelly, he's made a stellar impression after one week of action.
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