A 5-step roadmap for how McKenzie Milton wins the 2018 Heisman Trophy
By Zach Bigalke
4. Milton will have to rush for at least 12 touchdowns in 2018
On the road to 13-0 in 2017, McKenzie Milton showed that he is a genuine dual-threat quarterback. The sophomore showcased his wheels to run for 613 yards on 5.8 yards per carry. Along the way, Milton also punched in eight touchdowns on the ground.
That skill will need to be showcased more frequently in 2018 if Milton hopes to have a serious run at the Heisman. Lamar Jackson had 21 touchdown runs during his Heisman campaign. Mariota finished with 15 rushing touchdowns in 2014. Johnny Manziel had 21 touchdowns, Robert Griffin III punched in 10, and Cam Newton scored 20 on the ground.
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Milton won’t need to get quite that high, as not every quarterback had to be a dual threat to win the award. But because he has shown himself to have potential running the ball, UCF’s passing star will need to improve on last year’s numbers to have a shot at staying alive and moving up the Heisman hierarchy.
Given his number of carries has remained steady at or just over 100 carries per season, Milton will need to improve his yards per carry over nine to get to 1000 yards. More likely is a combination of increased carries and increased yards per carry. Even if the Knights’ offensive leader doesn’t get quite to 1,000 yards, he will need to score at least a dozen touchdowns on the ground to have a Heisman shot.