Chris Wells, Knowshon Moreno, Tim Tebow: an Early Look at the Heisman Race

It's never too early to discuss the upcoming Heisman race, and rank the men who have the best shot of going to NYC and receiving the bronze statue in early December.

1. Chris "Beanie" Wells - RB - Ohio State University

After rushing for over 1,600 yards last year and suffering another disappointing loss in the title game, Beanie is going to be driven to perform at his best level and lead a team that will potentially be playing for another crystal ball at season's end. Beanie played with a couple of injuries last year, and with the Bucks returning nine offensive starters back, the possibility of rushing for 2,000 yards doesn't seem so far-fetched.

2. Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia

The biggest story late last year was the emergence of Moreno as the SEC's most lethal runner besides Tim Tebow. While he is not as big or strong as Wells, Moreno can be a highlight reel by himself, hitting the hole fast and exploding into the secondary and making tacklers miss with quick jukes and cutbacks. The only problem is that he plays in the toughest conference in the country, and putting up ridiculous numbers may be too difficult to do week in and week out.

3. Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech

Crabtree is always going to have the 'system' label attached to his name in regards to the Heisman. "His stats are only great because of the system" and all the other knee jerk comments that go along with it. Well, I don't care—Tebow won it last year because of the system, and while a system makes a average player great, a great player makes a system unstoppable (see Brennan, Colt). So, yes, I do have Crabtree going to NYC at season's end.

4. Tim Tebow - QB - Florida

Tebow's stats last year were off the charts, but don't expect him to be a one-man show again this year. Coach Urban Meyer has said that he will share carries. The addition of Emmanuel Moody and the rise of Chris Rainey will make the job easier for Tebow, allowing him to focus on improving on his passing game, which could be the deciding factor if he is to get another shot at the Heisman.

5. Matthew Stafford - QB - Georgia

My personal 'sleeper' pick—although it's hard to call the QB of a top-three team a sleeper, but just bear with me. Nobody is talking about Stafford, even though he will be the deciding factor in weather or not the 'Dawgs will go to Miami to play for all the marbles. Forget Moreno. Yes, he will be the human highlight reel—but the Bulldogs will go as Stafford goes and if he falters, so will the team. Sooner or later, if the team succeeds, he will get his share of the spotlight.

Other candidates:

Pat White - QB - West Virginia

Chase Daniel - QB - Missouri

Ian Johnson - RB - Boise State

Sam Bradford - QB - Oklahoma

Colt McCoy - QB - Texas