The hype train for Justin Herbert continues to build ahead of his junior season. The next heap of praise to fall onto Herbert's shoulders comes in the form of Heisman discussion.

As college football gets closer, national media outlets begin releasing their lists for top awards or players to keep tabs on. For NFL.com, Justin Herbert is one of 18 players they named as a "Top Heisman Trophy candidate" for the 2018 football season. NFL.com listed Herbert as the 11th-best Heisman candidate for the 2018 season.

"Last season illustrated Herbert's value to the Ducks in the simplest terms: Oregon won four of five to open the year, then Herbert was injured and the team lost four of five without him. Upon his return, he won two straight to lead the Ducks to bowl eligibility. There isn't a more talented quarterback in the college game, but in order to make a serious Heisman run, Herbert will need to stay healthy. Oregon's non-conference schedule is weak, so Herbert likely won't gather much early-season Heisman momentum," Chase Goodbread of NFL.com wrote.

As a sophomore during the 2017 college football season, Herbert led the Ducks to a 4-1 start to the season but suffered an injury during the last week of September. He proceeded to miss the next five games as the Oregon Ducks won just one of the five games. He returned for Oregon's final two regular-season games, both blowout victories, to lead the Ducks to a 7-5 regular season record and a Bowl Game against Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Oregon fell 38-28 against Boise to finish the regular season 7-6.

For his career, Herbert has thrown for 32 touchdowns and 3,686 yards while tossing just seven interceptions. He also rushed for 166 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore.

Other Pac-12 Conference players named by NFL.com as potential Heisman Candidates for the 2018 season include Arizona junior quarterback Khalil Tate at No. 14 overall and Stanford senior running back Bryce Love.

Seven other quarterbacks are ranked higher on NFL.com's Heisman Candidate list: Drew Lock, Missouri; Trace McSorley, Penn State; Jarrett Stidham, Auburn; Jake Fromm, Georgia; Kelly Bryant, Clemson; Shea Patterson, Michigan; and Will Grier, West Virginia.

Herbert is generating plenty of discussions as a potential no. 1 overall draft pick or as the 2019 NFL Draft's top quarterback prospect.

"If the Cincinnati Bengals are selecting at No. 2 overall, it's time to draft Andy Dalton's replacement. The 2019 quarterback class doesn't have a go-to No. 1 guy. There isn't a Jared Goff or Sam Darnold where we knew a year out that they'd be viewed as a top player. But if there is one quarterback talked about by NFL scouts more than others, it's Oregon's Justin Herbert. Herbert's accuracy, timing, and athleticism have teams excited and based on a quick look at his 2017 season, he looks the part of a potential QB1," Bleacher Report's Matt Miller wrote earlier this spring.

Mario Cristobal told DuckTerritory.com he believes the Ducks have a junior prospect who could play himself into getting drafted in the first round.

"I know what a junior looks like when they are going to be a first-round pick and we have one," Mario Cristobal said in reference to Herbert.