Heisman Trophy 2016: Dalvin Cook and the top 10 candidates

Mark Rogers

Dec 12, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Alabama running back Derrick Henry (left to right) and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson pose with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis prior to the 81st annual Heisman Trophy presentation. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The field of Heisman Trophy candidates who will be competing for the honor in 2016, including Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette and a pair of finalists from 2015.

The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in sports and certainly in college football. While the honor has been bestowed upon 56 seniors in 81 years, the award has swung to underclassmen with Ohio State’s Troy Smith being the last senior to win the Heisman in 2006.

In a similar fashion, the running back has given way to the quarterback with signal callers racking up 13 of the last 16 trophies although 2015 bucked the trend. 2016 again features primarily underclassmen candidates with a junior class of already established stars leading the way.

So who are best positioned to make a run at history?

Honorable Mention

It’s not a bad list to be on. Many previous Heisman winners have been lightly regarded dark horses when the season began. Most of the players soon to be mentioned will have a big enough spotlight and ample opportunities on the big stage to make a splash.

Greg Ward Jr. – Houston Cougars QB

Here is the notable exception. The Houston quarterback can beat you with his arm and his legs. His dual-threat capabilities proved crucial in the Cougars’ decisive stretch drive for the American Athletic Conference Championship.

In the regular season finale, Ward torched Navy for 308 yards and three touchdowns through the air. One week later, Ward only threw for 88 yards, but dazzled the Temple Owls for 148 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the AAC Championship Game.

Ward’s value may have been most evident in his absence. He missed the Cougars’ lone loss of the season vs Connecticut. Ward set up his 2016 candidacy with 3,631 total yards and 35 touchdowns. His opportunity to shine comes early on September 3rd vs Oklahoma.

Ward and every other college quarterback will most likely be woefully trailing the passing numbers of Luke Falk. The Washington State signal caller tossed it 591 times and amassed 4,266 yards with 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Falk threw for more than 478 yards on four occasions.

Luke Falk – Washington State Cougars QB

Falk made those numbers count in the clutch. He hit on 50 of 74 passes for 505 yards and five touchdowns in an upset of Oregon. Falk led Washington State down the field in the waning seconds to upset UCLA at the Rose Bowl and did likewise to take out Arizona in another upset. Falk should have pulled out the biggest upset of the Pac 12 season vs Stanford. He guided the Cougars from its own 25-yard line to field goal range, trailing 30-28, but Washington State missed the would be game-winning field goal as time expired.

Like Ward, Falk was sorely missed in a big game. He missed the Apple Cup showdown with Washington and the Cougars were trampled 45-10. He is that important to Mike Leach’s offense.

Joshua Dobbs – Tennessee Volunteers QB

Near misses were a common theme for Tennessee in 2015. The Vols lost in the closing seconds or overtime to Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama and Arkansas. Another play or two by Josh Dobbs in 2016 should make Tennessee a serious SEC contender and Dobbs a possible Heisman candidate.

Dobbs chewed up Georgia for 430 yards and five total touchdowns in the Vols most impressive win of the season. He totalled 2,768 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season. A strong supporting cast loaded with Butch Jones’ recent top five recruiting classes, may give Dobbs the help he needs to make a Heisman run.

Nick Chubb – Georgia Bulldogs RB

Following his freshman breakout in 2014, Nick Chubb was primed to make his Heisman bid. Chubb entered the Tennessee game only trailing Leonard Fournette in SEC rushing while boasting a gaudy 8.2 yards per carry.

Chubb blew out his left ACL on the game’s first play. Hopefully, we’ll see the Georgia back in full form in the fall. Even with Todd Gurley in the way for much of 2014, he amassed 1,547 yards rushing and 18 total touchdowns. He added 745 yards in just five games in 2015.

Saquon Barkley – Penn State Nittany Lions RB

Penn State’s scholarship reductions are still most evident along the offensive line. While the stress placed on Christian Hackenberg is documented heavily, don’t discount the performance of Saquon Barkley behind that same line.

After limited use in the season’s first two games, Barkley took over the full-time job and never looked back. In his coming out party, the shifty and speedy runner shook past Ohio State for 194 yards in Columbus. All told, Barkley ripped off five 100-yard performances in amassing 1,007 yards despite missing two more games for the Nittany Lions.

L.J. Scott – Michigan State Spartans RB

For years Michigan State has climbed out of dark horse status in the Big Ten and nationally. Scott is a true dark horse in the 2016 Heisman race. Scott’s signature play was a short, but important touchdown run to clinch the Big Ten Championship Game. Scott appeared stopped shy of the goal line, but outmuscled and outmaneuvered three Iowa Hawkeyes to win the game.

One of Ohio’s top rated players in the 2015 recruiting class, Scott shared the Spartan backfield, but still churned out 691 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. A big game early vs Notre Dame may move Scott onto the Heisman watch list.

Calvin Ridley – Alabama Crimson Tide WR

Amari Cooper may be the best rookie receiver in the NFL. The guy replacing him may be the best rookie receiver in college football. Alabama relied on Calvin Ridley to make the big plays and the key conversions against the best teams and he delivered.

Ridley’s 75 receptions and five touchdowns may set the stage for a Heisman campaign in a place where it’s not too difficult to grab attention.

Myles Garrett – Texas A&M Aggies DE

Jabrill Peppers is being heralded as the next Charles Woodson at Michigan, but Myles Garrett may be the most likely player to be the next defender to win the Heisman Trophy since Woodson in 1997.

Garrett followed up his phenomenal freshman season with 18.5 tackles for loss and ten sacks. In his first year he set an SEC freshman record with 11 sacks.

Garrett’s explosion off the ball, straight line speed, athleticism, and ever developing pass rush technique may be an almost unstoppable combination for SEC left tackles in 2016.

A few game changing plays in Week One vs Josh Rosen and UCLA may have some Heisman voters thinking its time to give a special defensive player consideration and Garrett is the most likely candidate.

Next: No. 10 Seth Russell

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He plays quarterback at Baylor doesn’t he? That means big plays and big numbers. It also means winning games.

Seth Russell appeared poised to make a Heisman run in 2015. He tossed a quick 29 touchdowns against just six picks as Baylor shot out to an expected quick 8-0 start with Russell at the helm for the first seven games.

Russell, however, went down with a neck injury vs Iowa State and Baylor’s season soon came crashing down with three losses in four games culminating with a holiday trip to the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Russell will be back firing missiles all over the yard in 2016. He will lose the dynamic Corey Coleman (74 receptions, 20 touchdowns) and downfield threat Jay Lee (20.2 yards per catch), but retains KD Cannon (46 receptions, six touchdowns) and a host of unproven wideouts.

Baylor again sees no elite teams outside the Big 12 so there will be no big stages to conquer until November. Russell also faces the system quarterback perception and a possible challenge from Jarrett Stidham. Every quarterback produces big numbers in Waco. Russell and his team will need to be practically flawless to take home the Heisman.

Next: No. 9 Josh Rosen

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The expectations are sky-high. The ceiling may be just as high. After a much ballyhooed tongue lashing by coach Jim Mora during August camp, Rosen immediately looked the part of a five-star future franchise quarterback in week one vs Virginia.

Despite a few bumps along the way, Rosen generally looked the part in leading the Bruins to the brink of a Pac-12 Championship Game. He stands tall in the pocket, delivers the ball in the face of pressure, bounces back from a beating, and can make all the throws.

Maybe Rosen’s most impressive performance came in a losing effort vs Washington State. Rosen guided the Bruins down the field in the closing minutes and capped it off with a surprising 37-yard burst through the Cougars secondary to take the lead only to see his counterpart, Luke Falk, lead Wazzu to victory with a few seconds to play.

Rosen threw for 3,351 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Expect those numbers to jump as Rosen matures as does Mora’s recent recruiting classes.

The eyes of Texas and the nation will be on No. 3 when UCLA visits College Station in the 2016 opener.

Next: No. 8 Baker Mayfield

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Baker Mayfield to the rescue. Just when it appeared as though mighty Oklahoma would be relegated to second division status in the Big 12 and a second tier bowl destination, Mayfield won the quarterback job and galvanized this team.

Mayfield completed almost 69 percent of his passes and for 3,389 yards with 35 touchdowns and five interceptions. His numbers are very comparable to Marcus Mariota‘s totals from his 2014 Heisman campaign.

Beyond the numbers, Mayfield’s enthusiasm and leadership is acknowledged from Bob Stoops down as being the biggest factor in the Sooners sweeping the Big 12’s “big three” en route to a College Football Playoff berth. A big playoff run will set up Mayfield nicely for a Heisman run in 2016.

A week three date with Ohio State could launch or derail the Mayfield Heisman campaign.

Next: No. 7 Royce Freeman

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After a 3-3 start the college football world forgot about the Oregon Ducks and largely forgot about Royce Freeman. Opposing defenses couldn’t forget though. His combination of size, strength, speed and explosion is rarely matched and unsurpassed.

Freeman chewed up yardage as consistently as anyone in the country in ripping off ten 100-yard games which includes a 246 yard effort vs Washington State. He finished with 1,706 yards and 14 touchdowns. His 6.6 yards per carry average is more than a half yard better than Heisman finalists Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry. Freeman also caught 24 passes and averaged a wide receiver like 13.2 yards per catch.

A healthy Vernon Adams may take offensive production away from Freeman. A healthy Adams may also be the key in Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes and keep Freeman on the national radar and in the Heisman talk in 2016.

Next: No. 6 Leonard Fournette

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“And the winner of the first half of 2015 Heisman Trophy is…” It’s happened many times before. Fans and media pundits alike have awarded the Heisman prematurely. Such was the case in 2015.

After setting the stage as a freshman, Fournette took ownership of the Heisman race in September. His statement game was a 228-yard, three-touchdown performance vs. an expected national contender, Auburn.

The visual matched the numbers. Highlights of Fournette throwing defenders aside and exploding to the end zone dominated TV and internet. Then came that trip to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama.

It was as though Fournette and Henry met at midfield and the LSU running back handed over the Heisman. While Henry was tearing through the Tigers for 210 yards and two touchdowns, Fournette was bottled up beyond imagination by the Tide. Only a meaningless 18-yard run late in the game saved the talented back from the embarrassment of gaining less than one yard per carry.

Fournette finished strong, but his achievements were largely in the shadows as LSU lost three straight games and dropped out of SEC contention. The sophomore still tallied nine 100-yard games, three 200-yard games and 1,741 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

Fournette hits the big stage right out of the gate in 2016 as LSU faces Wisconsin in a prime time showdown at Lambeau Field on September 3.

Next: No. 5 DeShone Kizer

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DeShone Kizer almost became a Cardale Jones of sorts for 2015. Notre Dame’s third string quarterback in spring practice was elevated to the No. 1 job when Everett Golson fled for Tallahassee and Malik Zaire was carried off the field in Charlottesville with a broken ankle.

Kizer somewhat saved Notre Dame’s season by coming off the bench cold and guiding the Irish down the field in the waning minutes. Kizer tossed a beautiful rainbow to Will Fuller from 40 yards with 12 seconds left to avoid the upset 34-27.

Kizer proceeded to lead a depleted Notre Dame offense to win after win. He passed for 321 yards in the rain at Clemson and almost pulled off the comeback victory. He did pull off a fourth quarter comeback vs USC. He walked off the field in Palo Alto after directing a 15 play, 88 yard drive to take a 38-36 lead that the defense couldn’t hold in the final 30 seconds.

Kizer has accounted for 28 touchdowns entering Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl matchup with Ohio State. A big performance against the Buckeyes could set up the dual threat quarterback for a Heisman run in 2016. He has the name (Notre Dame), the game, and the schedule (Texas, Michigan State, USC, Stanford and Miami) to attract the vote.

Next: No. 4 J.T. Barrett

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Third stringer, second stringer, starter, injured, battling for the job, back to second string, red zone specialist and now back to starter. It’s been quite a ride for J.T. Barrett at Ohio State. 15 months after surpassing Cardale Jones as the backup behind Braxton Miller, Barrett stands as the undisputed leader of one of the nation’s elite teams.

In between, the sophomore quarterback looked overwhelmed vs Virginia Tech, emerged to win ten straight games and break Drew Brees’ Big Ten touchdown record, then broke an ankle to give way to Jones. This season, Barrett watched Jones falter week after week, then finally emerged as the starter vs Rutgers in the eighth game of the year.

Barrett didn’t mount the consistent production that marked his 2014 performance, but he did throw 10 touchdowns and rush for 11 more. Barrett and the Buckeyes travel to Oklahoma in Week Two which should prove pivotal in his quest to vie for the 2016 Heisman.

Next: No. 3 Christian McCaffrey

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The best all-around back in college football. Whether it’s running, catching or playing special teams, Christian McCaffrey can do it all.

Following a freshman season in which he showed us flashes of brilliance, McCaffrey was expected to be the lead guy, but not necessarily the guy. After just a 12-carry afternoon Stanford’s season opening loss at Northwestern, McCaffrey touched the football more than any player in the nation. Henry is a true workhorse and McCaffrey handled the ball 64 more times in breaking Barry Sanders‘ single season all-purpose yardage record.

McCaffrey filled up the box score like few we’ve ever seen. He ran for 1,847 yards, caught a team leading 41 passes and threw two touchdowns. Opposing teams only kicked to him 14 times after McCaffrey burned them for 1109 yards on 50 punt and kickoff returns in 2014. After the first handful of games, most teams refused to kick to him. Oregon avoided McCaffrey at all costs and it probably resulted in a Ducks’ upset that cost the Cardinal a College Football Playoff berth.

McCaffrey finished with Heisman-like effort with 461 all-purpose yards vs USC in the Pac 12 Championship Game. Highlight moments usually involve scoring plays. McCaffrey scored a relatively low number of touchdowns (12) in 2015. A Heisman moment may depend on more highlight moments. Our first glimpse of the 2016 version will be on Friday September 2nd at Kansas State.

Next: No. 2 Deshaun Watson

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Deshaun Watson didn’t finished third in the Heisman this year, but e is the MVP of college football. Quarterback is the most important position in the game and Watson is the best in the business. He makes a difference in the biggest games.

On November 7, Clemson had yet to breakthrough the Florida State barrier in the ACC. Despite being a 12-point underdog, the Seminoles were not relinquishing the conference crown without a fight. The score was tied at 13 with 11 minutes to play.

The final two drives displayed the “Deshaun difference” when the sophomore broke contain and outran one of the nation’s fastest defenses for first downs. He extended plays with his legs and found the open receiver. He delivered from the pocket. He completed eight of eight passes. He flat-out made plays. The Tigers scored on both drives and finally got past Florida State 23-13.

Excluding a pedestrian passing night in the rain against Notre Dame when he ran for 93 yards, Watson rose to the challenge when his team needed his leadership and production. He rolled up 437 yards and six combined touchdowns at North Carolina State as Clemson outscored the Wolfpack 56-41. He accounted for 420 yards and five touchdowns to counter North Carolina’s 37 points in the ACC Championship Game.

He is not just an athletic freak. He is an accurate passer from inside and outside the pocket, a solid decision maker and a poised and confident leader. As a freshmen Watson completed a remarkable 69 percent of his passes with a ridiculous 14-2 touchdown to interception ratio. This year he accounted for over 4,300 yards and 41 touchdowns. How much better can he get?

Next: No. 1 Dalvin Cook

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In a running back loaded season which includes Henry, McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Fournette and Freeman, Dalvin Cook doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone.

As Everett Golson struggled to generate big plays behind an inexperienced offensive line, Cook carried a limited Florida State offense on his back on a nearly weekly basis. It’s hard to imagine FSU losing to the likes of South Florida, Wake Forest and Miami.

Those games, however, were hanging in peril outside of Cook’s exploits. The sophomore tore through the Bulls for 266 yards and three touchdowns. He totalled 269 yards and made the keys plays in a fourth quarter comeback to down Miami.

He carried the ball just twice at Wake Forest, but his 94 yards were the difference in a one-score win. Cook even ran wild against two strong and talented defenses in Clemson (194 yards) and Florida (183 yards).

Next: 30 Best College Running Backs of All-Time

Cook will play in marquee games (Ole Miss in week one) for a brand name. Put him on the short list for 2016 Heisman candidacy because he may take the motivation from being snubbed in 2015 to turn in a 2,000-yard season for Florida State next year with several highlight-reel runs.

Mark Rogers

A 23 year veteran of local affiliate and network television as anchor, reporter, producer and manager, Mark now focuses on college football content creation.