Heisman Trophy: 5 Dark horse candidates to watch in 2018

It’s never too early to start prognosticating about the Heisman Trophy, but rather than the favorites here are five dark horse candidates to watch during the 2018 season.

Once the 2018 season begins you’ll hear names such as Bryce Love, Khalil Tate, J.K. Dobbins, and Jake Fromm continually thrown in the mix of Heisman Trophy favorites, but those returning players aren’t the only ones who have a shot.

Heisman Trophy races are seldom won in September but can be slowly decided as the fall and winter months progress. Every season at least one surprise candidate makes himself stand out with the rest of the favorites, and at times they even walk away with the hardware.

There will be freshmen – both true and redshirt – who will dazzle us during the cupcake portion of the scheduling, and some of those players will continue to shine throughout the meat of the season.

ALSO READ: 5 Reasons Khalil Tate Will Win the 2018 Heisman

And, as seen every season, there are players who have been patiently waiting their turn behind now-departed stars who will find their way into the Heisman Trophy discussion early on in the season.

This year’s field doesn’t have Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen or Lamar Jackson to contend with, but these five players could make the 2018 Heisman Trophy race a lot more interesting. Put some stars by these names to keep an eye on for your own Heisman ballot.