Michigan Wolverines' Denard Robinson Will Be a Heisman Favorite Next Year

The Heisman favorite for next season is Denard Robinson. The Michigan Wolverines quarterback will be a senior and a leading candidate for the big award in 2012 because of his improvement as a player and the improvement of his team as a whole.

Robinson’s development over his career has been rocky. He’s shown at times a tendency to get worn down and lose games toward the end. Brady Hoke’s offense does a better job of protecting Robinson, and will do so again next season.

That better protection and a better understanding of the offense in year two will allow him to produce more efficiently and win even more games. That will lead to Heisman-favorite status.

Best QB Rusher

In 2011, Robinson trailed only Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns from the quarterback position. However, he did beat Klein in yards, and that counts more than anything.

He will show himself next season to be the best rusher from the quarterback position. Klein is really the only quarterback that has a shot to compete with him for that goal. However, Klein doesn’t have the necessary supporting cast to win that battle. Plus, Klein will face stiffer competition in 2012 in Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas.

Robinson’s road throughout the season is significantly easier. The only tough defenses he’ll face will be Alabama, Ohio State and potentially Nebraska. He should have no problem running over the rest of the teams on their schedule. 

Improved Passer

It was clear this season that Robinson struggled with the pro-style offense that Brady Hoke installed in his first year. However, another offseason to improve will show in 2012.

His team doesn’t need him to be a perfect passer—just decent. If he can complete 60-65 percent of his passes, that’ll be good enough. In 2011, he completed 55 percent of his passes. Their receiving corps will also improve, which will help him in that area.

Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint will continue to prove himself as a solid starting running back. That, combined with Robinson as a running threat, will make the play-action pass deadly for this offense and great for Robinson’s Heisman candidacy. 

Better Team and Coach

In his first two seasons as a starter, Robinson’s record was 14-13, including one bowl game loss. This season, he went 10-2 and won a BCS bowl game for his 11th win of the season. This team is obviously improving, and a big part of that is Brady Hoke.

Hoke is a Michigan guy and went back to winning the Michigan way. He built the team’s philosophy on playing solid defense and running the ball. Robinson fit much more nicely than many thought into that philosophy, especially with his running ability.

Hoke has already improved this team and will continue to do so. The Wolverines will be a favorite to win the Big Ten this season and return to a BCS game. That will obviously help Robinson be a better Heisman candidate.

A Weakened Field

Who are Robinson’s primary Heisman rivals? The departures of Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson, Robert Griffin, LaMichael James and a slew of others leaves the race nearly wide open.

Matt Barkley will be a candidate, but USC’s NCAA restrictions on scholarships will start affecting them even more this season, and his supporting cast will suffer. A supporting cast is critical in winning a Heisman.

Other than him, who else could challenge? Landry Jones will be a candidate, but he hurt himself with his play this year and will be without his lead wide receiver Ryan Broyles next season.

He still hasn’t proven that he can play that well without him.

LSU's Tyrann Mathieu is a good defensive back, but defensive guys don’t win Heisman trophies. His special teams stats won’t be good enough.

Wisconsin's Montee Ball is losing a large part of the offensive line he’s been running behind. He hasn’t proven that he can produce without an elite line blocking for him.

West Virginia’s Geno Smith, Georgia’s Aaron Murray and Clemson’s Tajh Boyd are not as good a candidate as Robinson, either.

Smith will struggle in a tougher conference if WV moves to the Big 12. Even if they don’t, he’ll still lose Big East games he shouldn’t (see the 2011 Syracuse game). 

Murray is a dark horse candidate, especially since he won’t have to play LSU or Alabama until the SEC championship. However, the competition will still be too stiff for him—he must play at Missouri, South Carolina and Auburn.

Tajh Boyd will be inconsistent just as his team was in 2011. Good defenses will shut him down.

Robinson is the guy. This year he has all the advantages one needs for a successful Heisman campaign. He’s on a good team that is favored in its conference. He is a stat machine who can run and throw. He’s in a position to improve as a player. He’ll benefit from the early departure of many Heisman candidates.

He has to be the favorite.