Big 12 Football: 5 dark horse candidates for 2021 Heisman
By Phil Poling
Running Back. Sophomore. 22. player. Pick Analysis. Deuce Vaughn. 823. Scouting Report
*Heisman Odds Not Listed
Coming in at 5-foot-5 as a 3-star recruit isn’t necessarily intimidating for opponents, but Deuce Vaughn took Big 12 football by storm as a true freshman in 2020 and earned a handful of postseason honors. He was named the Freshman of the Year and earned an All-Big 12 second-team nod.
What put him in the running for all the accolades, you ask? A total of 1,221 all-purpose yards and nine scores in just 10 games. With an actual offseason this time around, expect the Wildcats to implement some creative ways to get Vaughn the ball.
Not since 2012 has a Kansas State player finished near the top of the Heisman Trophy voting. That was, of course, quarterback Collin Klein and his 3,561 scrimmage yards and 39 combined touchdowns. Finishing 11-2 absolutely helped Klein & Co., though, so if Vaughn’s stats don’t translate to wins, starting a Heisman Trophy conversation with his name would be unwise.