We’ve run our list for the top early season Heisman Trophy candidates, now for some players who may surprise everyone by the time the season ends.
It’s never too early to start talking Heisman Trophy candidates, but rarely does the early-season favorite end up hoisting the hallowed trophy at the end of the year.
Had anyone seriously heard of Robert Griffin III when the 2011 season began, or thought that freshman Jameis Winston would have the spectacular season he did in 2013? The front-runners almost always end up feeling the pressure or getting injured, opening the door for players who may have been overlooked.
In the early part of 2016 you’ll hear a lot about Deshaun Watson, Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield and others who made their mark in years past and are ready to take the spotlight once again.
But don’t hand out the December Times Square invitations to any of those guys just yet. There’s a lot of football to be played, and quite a few “Heisman moments” to be seen over and over again by Heisman voters and the college football watching world.
In other words, don’t go buying ad space on the side of a building just yet, Mr. Cook.
Here are eleven guys who could very well end up on stage hearing their name called during ESPN’s Heisman Trophy ceremony on December 10.
Next: Begin Slideshow
Yes, Bo Scarbrough only has 18 carries to his name as an Alabama football player so far, but you can never count out any of these talented Crimson Tide running backs.
At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Scarbrough has the size and speed to fit right in to Nick Saban’s system. He may end up splitting time with Damien Harris, but right now he looks like a legitimate star in the making.
If Alabama does what Alabama usually does, Scarbrough could see a lot of touches this season, and could easily gain the attention of Heisman voters if the Tide stay ranked near the top of the polls all season (which seems almost a given).
There are a lot of other talented running backs in the nation who will get more looks from voters, so unless some of them suddenly forget how to find holes or become injured, Scarbrough will have to really do some fleet-footed highlight film running to move up the list of Heisman hopefuls.
Following in the footsteps of last year’s Heisman winner, Derrick Henry, won’t help either. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill in more than one way.
Next: No. 10
The last time a defensive back/return man won the Heisman trophy he just happened to be wearing maize and blue. But if Jabrill Peppers wants to follow in the footsteps of Charles Woodson, he’s going to have to put on one heck of a show in 2016.
Thing is, he’s more than capable of doing that.
As a defensive back, Peppers is solid but unspectacular. However, when he gets his hands on the ball as a kick and punt returner, there’s always the chance of something special happening.
In 2015, Peppers averaged 27.9 yards per return on kickoffs, and 11.4 yards per return on punts. He didn’t bring any to the house, but did make some impressive returns which set up the Wolverines for some quick scores.
If he can build on those numbers, grab himself a few interceptions and score some touchdowns, Peppers will find himself right in the middle of the Heisman conversation.
Next: No. 9
Not only is Washington a team to keep an eye on in the Pac-12 this year, but quarterback Jake Browning is someone everyone will be watching, including Heisman voters.
The Huskies were the youngest team in the FBS in 2015, and Browning – as a true freshman quarterback – took charge of this very green team and led them to a 7–6 record, including a three-game winning streak (Oregon State, Washington State, Southern Miss) and a mid-season road upset of USC.
Browning became the first true freshman in program history to start a season-opener, and though it wasn’t a dazzling game – 150 yards and a 40.9 QB rating – he got better and better each week, and ended the season with 2,955 yards 16 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions.
The one thing Browning will have to do this season is improve his game against teams with winning records, where he really struggled at times in 2015. Still, this could end up being a very special season for both Browning and the Huskies.
Next: No. 8
You can’t talk about possible Heisman hopefuls without including a running back from Wisconsin. It’s like, a law or something.
More from College Football News
- Michigan State vs. Maryland: Location, time, prediction, and more
- Ranking college football’s top 10 quarterbacks after Week 3
- Things are going to get much darker for the Houston Cougars
- Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 3
- #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
Corey Clement is cut from the mold which has produced so many quality Badger running backs. At 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds, he’s got that same compact frame and running style as Wisconsin greats Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon and Ron Dayne.
After a very promising sophomore season in 2014, Clement’s year was cut short by a sports hernia injury as well as some nagging ankle problems, appearing in only four games last season.
The Badgers will need a healthy Clement this season to make a run in the Big Ten, and if he can put on the type of performances he did in 2014 (rushing for 949 yards as Gordon’s backup), then the Heisman and playoff committees with both be looking towards Madison, Wi.
Like other running backs on this list, Clement will need to really show some big-time runs to outshine some of the Heisman favorites at the same position.
Next: No. 7
North Carolina finally began to gain some football respect in 2016, and Elijah Hood was a big part of why that happened. Hood rushed for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2015, helping the Tar Heels on the way to the ACC championship game.
With former star quarterback Marquise Williams gone, Hood will be looked upon to be just as – if not more – productive in 2016, and will need to find more touches in the passing game as well.
North Carolina’s offense was explosive in 2015, the question begs as to whether or not they can continue that trend this season. With Williams gone, there will more than likely be much less attention given to quarterback contain by opposing defenses, allowing them to key on Hood and the Tar Heel wide receivers.
If redhsirt junior QB Mitch Trubisky or redshirt sophomore QB Caleb Henderson can’t provide a reason to keep linebackers from creeping up to the line to plug holes, it could be a tough season for Hood.
But if the Tar Heel offense has some balance, then Hood will be off to the races and could be right there with fellow ACC running back Dalvin Cook in the thick of the Heisman race.
Next: No. 6
Things haven’t progressed as quickly as fans would have liked at Washington State under Mike Leach, but the Cougars definitely took a step up last season, with Luke Falk leading the way.
Leach is a quarterback whisperer, and he can coach up guys to really sling the ball around.
Falk led the NCAA in 2015 pass attempts (644), completions (447) and total plays (726), and was second in the NCAA in completion percentage at 69.4 percent, which led all Pac-12 quarterbacks. He was also fourth in the NCAA with 38 passing touchdowns in 2015.
The reason Falk is thought of as a dark horse is because he plays for Washington State and doesn’t get much attention outside of a few rivalry games.
Leach will have Falk throwing the ball all over the northwest again this season, and the wide receiving corps is going to be stacked for the Cougars this season, who have four starters returning as well as a big group of talented freshman.
Between Washington and Washington State, we could see a lot of Pac-12 quarterback records broken this year.
Next: No. 5
The last Penn State running back to win the Heisman Trophy was John Cappalletti in 1973, and if you watched Saquon Barkley last season, you know that he has the ability to be every bit that good.
The talented freshman ran for 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns in one of the most inconsistent and anemic offenses in the FBS. But make no mistake, Barkley was the workhorse. When quarterback Christian Hackenberg was out with injury (which seemed more often than not), Barkley could be counted on to bear the offensive load for the Nittany Lions.
In the Taxslayer Bowl loss to Georgia, Barkley showed he could work well in tandem with quarterback Trace McSorley, who will likely be the starter for Penn State this year. Defenses will have to key on McSorely’s legs as well as his arm, which could open up more opportunities for Barkley to break off some big runs.
This Penn State offense still has a long way to go, but Barkley could be that shining star who carries them to a few more wins in 2016.
Next: No. 4
Facts about the Texas Tech Red Raiders:
Texas Tech score a lot of points. Texas Tech runs a wild and woolly offense. Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes can chuck that rock.
In his first full year as a starter, Mahomes threw for 4,653 yards, 36 touchdowns and completed 63.5 percent of his passes. Those stats will not only get Heisman voters looking, but NFL scouts as well.
He’ll have to cut down on the mistakes, having thrown 15 interceptions in 2015, but Mahomes has a great ability to read defenses, do some improvising and to use that howitzer attached to his right shoulder.
Not only is his arm strong, but it can be deadly accurate (with some mustard on it). Consistency is what Mahomes will have to develop in 2016, along with being able to better manage games against good defenses like Oklahoma, where he threw a season-high four interceptions and had a season-low passer rating of 102.2 in 2015.
If the Texas Tech defense can start holding some opponents to less than 40 points, the Red Raiders will win a few more games and Mahomes will have a few more opportunities at Heisman moments.
Next: No. 3
It seems like its been a minute since we were discussing a USC running back as a Heisman candidate (remember that guy Reggie Bush?), but Ronald Jones is a legitimate threat to really break out of the Pac-12 this season.
He didn’t put up any eye-popping numbers in his first season (987 yards, 8 touchdowns), but if you watched this kid run, you know he’s the real deal. If the Trojan offensive line can come together and play like a unit, the potential for Jones is unlimited.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Jones has some Barry Sanders-like cutting ability, world class speed, and that “it” factor that you look for in running backs. He can feel when something big is needed and he delivers.
He may still be in tandem with senior Justin Davis, but don’t be surprised if Jones becomes the go-to guy by mid-season and is running away with the Pac-12 rushing stats. He only carried the ball 153 times in 2015, so he should be fresh and strong for the season.
Next: No. 2
If ever there were a pure defensive player who could sneak in and steal the Heisman away from those offensive skill position guys, it’s Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett.
Unfortunately for Garrett, he’s up against more quality competition at said skill positions this year than we’ve seen in a long time.
Still, setting the SEC freshman record for sacks (and passing Jadeveon Clowney in the process) and leading the nation in tackles for loss (20), and the SEC in forced fumbles (5) is nothing to sneeze at – and this kid is likely to only get better in his second season with defensive coordinator John Chavis.
Playing in the SEC, Garrett will have a lot of eyes on his body of work, and if he puts up numbers again like he did last season, there will certainly be some Heisman talk. What it’s going to take to really put him in the conversation is some game-changing plays against big opponents with some offensive firepower like Alabama, Tennessee and Ole Miss.
Garrett has a real shot, but only if some of this year’s offensive superstars stumble.
Next: No. 1
The Hurricanes are going to be one of the biggest turnarounds in the FBS in 2016, and Brad Kaaya could swoop in and dethrone quarterback favorites like Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield.
Of all the quarterbacks on this dark horse list, Miami’s Brad Kaaya is the one I see as the most likely to break out and have a really big season.
Kaaya has put up some pretty impressive numbers in two years at Miami, and that was with an inept head coach and an offensive scheme that more resembled plays drawn in the dirt on the fly, with no rhythm or cohesiveness at all.
Mark Richt may not fix everything in his first season as the Hurricanes’ head coach, but you can bet UGA’s air-conditioned doghouse that he’ll have Brad Kaaya looking like a first round draft pick this year.
Next: 10 College Football Bold Predictions for 2016
Kaaya doesn’t have the biggest arm, but he’s football smart and makes good decisions (when he’s not on his back looking up at the facemask of a defensive lineman). Give him just that extra second of protection in the pocket and Kaaya will be shredding some ACC defenses.