Heisman Trophy Watch 2017: An old favorite reemerges after Week 4

Last year, San Diego State relied on FBS all-time leading rusher Donnel Pumphrey to generate a large portion of its offense. The Aztecs star led the nation with over 2100 rushing yards. But Pumphrey finished just 10th in the Heisman voting, and it will always be tough for a Group of Five star to break into the top three in the vote. Right now, though, Rashaad Penny is making Aztecs fans forget Pumphrey as he continues to climb up the national charts.

Rashaad Penny had a relatively quiet night on the ground in a tight 28-24 win on the road at Air Force. For Penny, though, a quiet night means that he still ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns and added three catches for another 18 yards. He is currently second in the nation in all-purpose yardage, as he averages 230 yards per game.

So far Penny is averaging nearly 25 more yards per game than his former teammate. No Aztecs player has finished in the top three of Heisman voting since Marshall Faulk was the runner-up behind Miami’s Gino Torretta in 1992. If he keeps playing as well as he has, and if San Diego State continues to win on the path toward a third straight Mountain West title, Penny could get a long look from the voters for the award this season.