Tua Tagovailoa’s 2018 debut lived up to the high expectations that many had for the Alabama sophomore quarterback.

After that performance, Tagovailoa’s stock rose in the latest ESPN Heisman Watch update as the Crimson Tide quarterback moved up to No. 4 in the ranking of players most likely to win the Heisman Trophy at this time.

Tagovailoa is ranked behind West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor.

In Alabama’s 51-14 win over Louisville, Tagovailoa went 12-for-16 with 227 yards and two touchdowns, also adding a rushing score. It was unknown entering the opener how much Tagovailoa would play, but he took more snaps than junior Jalen Hurts, who started nearly all of the Tide’s games over the past two seasons.

If Tagovailoa continues to thrive and remains Alabama’s starter when conference play begins, then he certainly could continue to climb up the Heisman Watch rankings.

Here is the full Heisman Watch top five:

  1. Will Grier, West Virginia QB
  2. Ed Oliver, Houston DT
  3. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin RB
  4. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama QB
  5. McKenzie Milton, UCF QB