Well, college football’s spring season is right around the corner. Here’s a look at some early Heisman candidates to keep an eye on.
In 2016, Heisman winner Lamar Jackson became the first player in Louisville history to win the trophy. Jackson will have a lot of competition to win the Heisman Trophy this upcoming season, however, to win back-to-back Heisman awards.
Jackson became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy a season ago. At 19 years of age, he is five days younger than 2013 Heisman winner Jameis Winston. Winston also won the award at 19.
Next season, there should be a lot more quarterbacks in the mix to challenge Jackson. The USC Trojans, Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma Sooners and Ohio State Buckeyes are a few teams to watch with Heisman hopeful quarterbacks.
Not to mention, the Penn State Nittany Lions who have a two-headed monster in quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley. They are a couple names to watch in the Big Ten Conference in 2017.
Last season’s field also saw some defensive players getting votes too. Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers finished fifth in voting among the Heisman finalists with 208 points. Next season could have a few more names on the defensive side of the ball up for Heisman Trophy honors. But 2017 features an offense-heavy list of Heisman candidates.
With spring games on the horizon, here’s a look at some early Heisman candidates.
Safety Derwin James returns looking to anchor the Florida State Seminoles’ defense. He was second on the team in total tackles with 94 in 2015 as a true freshmen. He had 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks as well.
His 2016 season was cut short, however, due to a torn left meniscus. He had 11 tackles (nine solo, two assisted) and an interception in two games before going down with the injury. After much promise coming in, injuries cut James season short.
With some early departures on both sides of the ball, James could see a bigger role in the Seminoles’ playbook. The team is already preparing to line James up on special teams as a punt returner.
The Seminoles weren’t bad last season, finishing 10-3. But with James on the field, he brings a Jabrill-Peppers like style to a defense in need of a playmaker. James enter the spring as one of those early darkhorse Heisman candidates.
Quarterback Mason Rudolph had a strong finish in 2016 for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He threw for 314 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in the Cowboys 38-8 victory over 11th ranked Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. He turned in a whole lot better performance in 2016 after throwing nine interceptions in 2015.
Rudolph finished last season with 4,091 passing yards and 28 touchdowns in 2016. He threw just four interceptions. He was second in the Big 12 in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns.
The rising senior returns this spring as one of the key Heisman candidates to watch. He also has wide receiver James Washington returning as well. He is an efficient passer with a career passer rating of 154.1, eighth all-time in the Big 12.
Rudolph has led the Cowboys to two 10-win seasons in his two years as starter. They finished the season 10-3, ranked 11th in the AP Poll. With Rudolph returning, there will be high expectations from him on offense this season.
Running back Nick Chubb is another player who decided to return for his senior season. He played in all 13 games for Georgia despite battling injury in an 8-5 season. Injuries have hampered him his whole career since he ran for 1,547 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in his freshmen season back in 2014.
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Chubb ran for 1,130 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns last season. He ran the ball 32 times for 222 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. However, he didn’t rush for over 100 rushing yards until Oct. 6, when he ran for 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns against South Carolina.
Chubb had a rather lackluster performance to his own standards in 2016. Most of it was partly due to an ankle injury he suffered in Week Four. In 2015, his season was cut short as well due to a PCL tear. He appeared in just six games but still had 747 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
With the spring ahead of him, Chubb will have a chance to show he is healthy again. He is a one of the key Heisman candidates to watch next season. He’ll also share the load with fellow back Sony Michel.
Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning returns for his senior season looking for redemption. Browning threw for 150 passing yards in the Huskies College Football Semifinal Playoff game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. But he also threw two interceptions, including a pick six late in the second half.
Browning still threw for 3,430 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns last season. He finished sixth in Heisman voting and was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. They lost their best weapon in receiver John Ross to the NFL Draft, but still return a lot on offense.
Browning enters the spring as another one of the key Heisman candidates to watch. After leading the Huskies to their first 10-win season since 2004, the expectations are set a bit higher this upcoming season.
If Washington can repeat as Pac-12 champions and get back to the College Football Playoff, look for Browning’s name in Heisman talks. He has some weapons to replace, but with a 22nd ranked recruiting class coming in, that shouldn’t be a tough task.
Wide receiver James Washington returns to the Oklahoma State Cowboys after recording another 1,000 receiving yards in a season. The 6-foot, 205-pound receiver set a career-high in single-game receiving yards with 296 against the Pittsburgh Panthers in Week 3.
Washington caught 71 balls for 1,380 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. He averaged 19.4 receiving yards per reception last season, second in the Big 12. His 1,380 receiving yards were also second in the conference and his 71 catches were fifth.
Washington is a Heisman candidate with a lot of talent at the receiver position. He finished the season with nine catches for 171 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Colorado Buffaloes to earn Offensive MVP Honors.
With Mason Rudolph under center, Washington hopes his ability to make plays downfield will get him some Heisman notice. The quarterback-receiver tandem will be ones to watch this spring in Stillwater. They should challenge the Oklahoma Sooners for the Big 12 title soon enough.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett has had a difficult time returning to his 2014 stature. Barrett finished fourth in Heisman voting that season, throwing for 2,834 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. He completed 64.6 percent of his passes and finished with a passer rating of 169.8, first in the Big Ten and second in the FBS.
However, since 2014, Barrett’s completion percentage and passer rating have dropped. Last season, he completed 61.5 percent of his passes, which was still third in the conference. He led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record, but his performance in the College Football Playoff has him returning for his senior season.
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Barrett threw for just 127 passing yards and two interceptions in a 31-0 shutout loss to Clemson in the Playoff Semifinals. Avenging a playoff loss is a top priority for Barrett.
Barrett hopes a return to the College Football Playoff can put him back in the Heisman conversation. Offensive line issues and adding a deep threat are keys to watch this spring for the Buckeyes, as is Barrett’s return to Heisman form.
Quarterback Deondre Francois had a quite the season in his freshmen year as starter. He threw for 3,350 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. He also ran for 198 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Francois finished top 10 in the ACC in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency (142.1) in 2016. He completed 33-of-52 passes for 419 passing yards and two touchdowns in the team’s season opening 45-34 victory over Ole Miss.
With the departure of running back Dalvin Cook and others on offense, Francois could see his role in the offense increase. He completed 58.8 percent of his passes last season, ninth in the conference.
The ACC is anybody’s to win with Clemson having to reload on both sides of the ball. Francois will have early enrollee running back Cam Akers to bring along with him this spring. If the two can co-exist and Francois can find another downfield threat, look for his name in the Heisman race.
Running back Derrius Guice fared very well in his first season as the partial starter for the LSU Tigers. He took the place of star running back Leonard Fournette and barely missed a beat.
Guice ran the ball 183 times for 1,387 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. He became the first running back in LSU history to run for over 250 rushing yards in a season. He set the record for most rushing yards in a game with 285 yards in a 54-39 win over Texas A&M and also ran for a career-high four rushing touchdowns.
The rising junior was also the Citrus Bowl MVP in the Tigers’ 29-9 trouncing of the Louisville Cardinals. He ran for 138 rushing yards and a touchdown and caught another pass for a touchdown.
With full-time starter duties, Guice will be one to watch this spring for the Heisman. He ran for over 100 rushing yards six times a season ago. That statistic will likely go up in a full-time role.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was the first ever freshmen starter in the Nick Saban era and he made the most of it. Hurts earned 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year for his play.
Hurts threw for 2,780 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns and ran for 954 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He was fourth in the conference in passing yards, third in passing touchdowns and third in rushing touchdowns.
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As a freshman, Hurts showed promise as an efficient passer and lethal threat on the ground as well. The Crimson Tide were 16th in the FBS in scoring offense, putting up 38.8 points per game. With more talent coming in, look for Hurts to elevate his play.
Entering his sophomore season, Hurts’ Heisman hopes depend on finding a new deep threat in the passing game. With the additions of newcomers receivers Jerry Jeudy, Tyrell Shavers and tight end Major Tennison, Hurts will look to take the Crimson Tide offense to new heights yet again this spring.
Running back Bo Scarbrough is another Alabama Crimson Tide player to watch this spring in the Heisman race. Scarbrough rushed for 812 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while splitting carries with sophomore running back Damien Harris. Harris ran for 1,037 rushing yards but just two touchdowns.
The rising junior back finished the 2016 season strong for the Crimson Tide. He rushed for 91 yards in 11 tries for two touchdowns against the Florida Gators. The next week, he ran the ball 19 times for 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Washington in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. In the National Championship, he had 16 rushing attempts for 93 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Clemson Tigers.
Scarbrough did return to Alabama this offseason, foregoing the NFL Draft, after fracturing a bone in his leg in their National Championship Game versus Clemson. A healthy Scarbrough bodes well for a team that averaged 245.0 rushing yards a season ago.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is entering his senior season with a lot of accolades. However, his final goal of winning a National Championship has him returning with a lot of expectations.
Mayfield has finished fourth and third in Heisman voting in 2015 and 2016 respectively. His leadership has already led the Sooners to two-straight Big 12 Championships, but they missed the College Football Playoffs last season.
Two early losses to the Houston Cougars and Ohio State Buckeyes hurt the Sooners playoff chances early but they still finished the season winning 10-straight games. Mayfield still threw for 3,965 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns with a 70.9 passing completion percentage to go with it.
The senior will need to shake off an off-the-field incident in which he was tackled into a wall in February. But this spring, he’ll have to replace weapons Dede Westbrook and Joe Mixon. He’ll also have to replace running back Samaje Perine out of the backfield. If he can show he’s focused on football this spring, he can return back to Heisman form for a third time this upcoming season.
Running back Saquon Barkley finished 2016 as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in his sophomore season. He ran for 1,496 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last season for the Nittany Lions. They were the surprise of the Big Ten in 2016, winning the division at 8-1 and the title.
Barkley’s rushing yards and touchdowns were a conference-high. He also caught 28 passes for 402 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for over 100 rushing yards in five contests for Penn State in 2016, rushing for a touchdown in all but two games.
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The Nittany Lions went 11-3 behind Barkley and quarterback Trace McSorley, upsetting Ohio State 24-21 and then Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game 38-31. They fell in the Rose Bowl 52-49 to the USC Trojans, but with Barkley back as a Heisman hopeful, there will be a lot of expectations for him.
Look for Barkley to have a bigger role in the passing attack as newcomers will fill some weaknesses as well.
Quarterback Trace McSorley is another Penn State Nittany Lions player to watch this spring for the Heisman. McSorley led the Nittany Lions on a nine-game winning streak where he threw for 2,411 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions.
The rising junior threw for 3,614 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2016, both first in the Big Ten. He was first in passing efficiency as well at 156.9, completing 56.9 percent of his passes. He returns this spring as a Heisman candidate to watch.
McSorley will be without his favorite target, receiver Chris Godwin, but the return of running back Saquon Barkley gives McSorley a reasonable go-to out of the backfield. He’ll need to find another target in returning players tight end Mike Gesicki or Saeed Blacknall.
Gesicki caught 48 passes for 679 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Blacknall caught 15 passes for 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns. McSorley’s Heisman chance will be based on his playmaking ability. This spring, he’ll show what adjustments he’s made.
Quarterback Sam Darnold fared well when given the starting job for the USC Trojans. He capped off his strong nine-game winning streak with 453 passing yards and five passing touchdowns in the Trojans’ 52-49 comeback victory.
The Trojans trailed 49-35 before scoring 17 straight points in the fourth quarter. Darnold completed 62.3 percent of his passes, overcoming an interception he threw in the game. As a result, Darnold and the Trojans finished with their first 10-win season since 2013.
Darnold threw for 3,086 passing yards and 31 touchdowns a season ago. He was fourth in the Pac-12 in interceptions but with help on the way from the recruiting trail, all that could change.
Darnold will be a Heisman candidate to watch this spring. Although a majority of their new additions won’t arrive until the fall, they still have some experience returning at wide receiver in Deontay Burnett and Daniel Imatorbhebhe.
With a full season as starter, look for Darnold to lead USC back to the top of the Pac-12 Conference.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson returns this spring as the top Heisman candidate to watch. He looks to become the first back-to-back Heisman winner since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1974 & 1975.
Jackson was the 2016 ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year for his play last season. He threw for 3,543 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while running for another 1,571 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. His 51 total touchdowns were first in the conference and second in the FBS.
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The rising junior was the Cardinals first Heisman winner in school history after leading them to a 9-4 record. Redemption is certainly on Jackson and company’s mind after losing their final three games of the season. With College Football Playoff expectations on the line again, look for Jackson to show his growth. He didn’t throw the ball particularly well to close out the season for Louisville.
Replacing Jackson’s top targets shouldn’t be too difficult, however. There’s still receivers Jaylen Smith, Traveon Samuel and Reggie Bonnafon to throw to.