ACC Football: Each team’s top Heisman Trophy candidate for 2020

Here are each ACC football team’s top Heisman Trophy candidate for the 2020 season and, yes, most of them are quarterbacks.

Imagine an ACC where Clemson was not the only horse in the race. Imagine an ACC where every team in the conference has one player that could elevate them to the conference title game and a possible College Football Playoff appearance. Just imagine.

Well, here at the ACC power rankings somewhere between Tobacco Road and the future site of David Cutcliffe’s statue, we’ve imagined such a thing. After pondering and pontificating over a batch of smuggled West Virginia moonshine — they should be in the ACC anyways — we came up with some inspiration.

This list of players would be the catalyst if their team found a way to the conference championship undefeated or with one loss. Simply put, they would be the best player on the best team.

The Heisman trophy over the last 30 years has become a quarterback award. Quarterbacks have won the Heisman 22 times since 1989. That’s why you see so many quarterbacks on this list. The players at other positions have the potential to transcend what the quarterback is doing on their team.

Running backs and wide receivers on this list have more responsibilities than just running and catching. The last wide receiver to win the award, Desmond Howard, also returned kicks and punts. In this era of football, a running back has to not only run for 2,000 yards, but they also have to put in close to1,000 yards receiving.

The backs on this list can do so. Defensive players on this list — there’s only one — are the best players on their team and could be on a sack-per-game watch.

This list contains only candidates. Not finalists or winners, just candidates.

Most importantly, have fun and see if your favorite player made this list.