The fifth installment of our SEC Heisman Watch features one frontrunner a third of the way through the 2014 season:

SIZZLING

  • Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia: At the moment, Gurley is ahead of the pace set by Herschel Walker during his 1982 Heisman-winning season through four games with 602 yards on the ground. Coming off a career-high 208-yard explosion against Tennessee, Gurley’s 16 yards shy of 3,000 for his career and holds the spotlight as the nation’s best player.
  • Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama: Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see No. 9 show out for a fifth straight game over the weekend, but the main course comes Saturday afternoon in Oxford. Matched up against the SEC’s top secondary, if Cooper feasts on the Rebels, he could become the league’s Heisman frontrunner.

HOT

  • Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State: He’s already had a Heisman introduction at LSU, but a win Saturday over Texas A&M would push Prescott into the elite realm with the likes of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Most impressive thus far has been Prescott’s improved decision-making.
  • Kenny Hill, QB, Texas A&M: A couple clutch throws late saved a performance that sputtered at the start. Twenty incompletions were a season-high and a 71.3 QBR was a season-low. Hill’s confidence never wavered however and three touchdowns over the final quarter + overtime kept the Aggies unbeaten. When 386 yards passing and four touchdowns is considered an off-day, Hill’s in great shape.

FREEZING

  • Maty Mauk, QB, Missouri: This dual-threat sophomore followed up a loss to Indiana with one of his worst career performances at South Carolina, a paltry 12-for-34 outing. He did make two consecutive big throws down the stretch, a 41-yard hookup with Bud Sasser and a deep slant to Wesley Leftwich to set up Russell Hansbrough’s game-winning score.