Ranking the Top 20 Quarterback Candidates for the 2012 Heisman Trophy

The race for the Heisman Trophy, college football's most prestigious award, is always one of the biggest story lines of every season, and this year should be no different. 

Although last year's top three finalists—Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson—all left early for the NFL, there are still plenty of worthy candidates that will be competing for an invitation to New York City. 

10 out of the last 12 Heisman winners have been quarterbacks, and it seems probable that trend will continue this year. 

USC's Matt Barkley is being hailed as the early preseason favorite to take home the award in 2012. However, there are plenty of other talented quarterbacks from around the country who will be trying to outshine him. 

Here's a look at the 20 quarterbacks who have the best chance to make a run at the Heisman Trophy this season. 

1. Matt Barkley, USC

Matt Barkley passed up the chance to be a guaranteed top-five pick in the 2012 NFL draft in order to return to USC for his senior year and handle some unfinished business.

Barkley has now assumed the role of college football's cover boy. He's set to enter the season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and the front-runner to become the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NFL draft. 

The 6'2'', 220-pound senior signal-caller certainly deserves the praise, especially after the campaign he had in 2011.

Last year, Barkley completed 69 percent of his passes for over 3,500 yards and 39 touchdowns and he led the Trojans to a 10-win season. 

There will now be plenty of pressure and expectations placed on Barkley's shoulders but the savvy and experienced veteran has the mental makeup and the physical ability to thrive in his final season. 

If Barkley lives up to the hype in 2012, USC has a great shot to end up in Miami, and the heralded senior quarterback should make up for last year's invitation snub and finally make it to New York City.

2. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech

As far as pure natural ability is concerned, there's not another quarterback in college football that can compare to Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas. 

The 6'6'', 262-pound junior is the type of big, supremely athletic dual-threat quarterback who truly deserves the title "physical freak."

In his first season as a starter in 2011, Thomas took the ACC by storm, as he threw for over 3,000 yards, added 469 yards on the ground and accounted for 30 total touchdowns. 

Thomas is clearly a rare and special talent, and he has the type of skills to put the Virginia Tech offense on his back and guide the Hokies to an ACC championship in 2012. 

Although he'll miss RB David Wilson, who led the ACC with 1,709 rushing yards last season, Thomas appears ready to step up and become an elite, impact playmaker this season, and he should be able to dominate defenses even without Wilson in the backfield with him. 

3. Aaron Murray, Georgia

Georgia had its back up against the wall just two weeks into the 2011 season after the Bulldogs lost their first two games to Boise State and South Carolina. 

Luckily, Aaron Murray stepped up and led the team to 10 straight wins and an SEC East division title. 

Murray threw for over 3,100 yards and 35 touchdowns last season and showed that he was ready to be a true offensive leader.

The 6'1'', 211-pound junior may not be the biggest quarterback in college football, but he's got one of the best arms in the country and he's matured into a top-level passer. 

With running backs Richard Samuel, Ken Malcome and Keith Marshall and receivers Tavarres King, Malcolm Mitchell, Marlon Brown and Michael Bennett surrounding him, Murray will have the type of playmakers he needs to lead the Bulldogs back to the SEC championship game in 2012. 

4. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

So far, it's been a tumultuous offseason for the Arkansas football team, as the Razorbacks have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons due to the firing of disgraced head coach Bobby Petrino and numerous player arrests. 

The good news is that if the players can keep their focus and composure this season, Arkansas has what it takes to compete for not just an SEC championship, but a national title as well in 2012. 

Led by QB Tyler Wilson, RB Knile Davis, WR Cobi Hamilton and TE Chris Gragg, the Razorbacks offense should be one of the most potent and powerful attacks in college football this season. 

Last year, Wilson stepped into the starting role and flourished, throwing for over 3,600 yards and hitting 24 touchdown passes compared to just six interceptions. 

While Wilson will surely miss receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, who were all selected in the fourth round of this year's NFL draft, he'll still have plenty of firepower at his disposal in 2012. 

5. Geno Smith, West Virginia

Many onlookers thought that it would take some time for Geno Smith to adapt to new coach Dana Holgorsen's Air Raid-style passing attack last season. However, Smith proved to be a quick study and he turned out to be the perfect strong-armed quarterback for Holgorsen's scheme. 

Last year, Smith completed 66 percent of his passes for over 4,300 yards and 31 touchdowns with his best performance coming in the Orange Bowl when he accounted for 433 yards of offense and seven touchdowns in the 70-33 blowout of Clemson. 

That showing has helped the 6'3'', 214-pound senior gain some considerable buzz this offseason. 

Smith may have to deal with the tougher defenses that he'll face in the Big 12 this season. However, with explosive receivers Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Ivan McCartney and JD Woods all joining him in the huddle, the Mountaineer signal-caller has the weapons he needs to light up secondaries once again in 2012. 

6. Landry Jones, Oklahoma

Oklahoma may have been the most disappointing team in college football last season, but that certainly doesn't mean that QB Landry Jones had a bad year. 

Jones may have faded down the stretch after his top receiving target Ryan Broyles went down with an injury, but he still managed to compile some monster passing numbers, as he threw for over 4,400 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2011. 

The 6'4'', 229-pound senior made the wise decision to come back to Norman for one more season to repair his damaged NFL stock, and he'll now be the trigger man of one of the top offenses in college football. 

After ranking in the top three nationally in total passing yards in each of the past two seasons, Jones will likely once again be one of the most productive passers in the country in 2012, as he'll be looking to redeem himself after failing to meet expectations last year. 

7. Denard Robinson, Michigan

Denard Robinson burst onto the college football scene back in the early part of the 2010 season when he came out and put together a monster six-game stretch that left fans amazed by his ability. 

Robinson helped to solidify his star status last year when he led Michigan to an 11-win campaign and the team's first BCS bowl victory since the 1999 season. 

The 6'0'', 195-pound senior is one of the best overall athletes in the country, and he's one of the most gifted running quarterbacks to grace the college game in the last decade. 

After completing just 55 percent of his throws and leading the Big Ten with 15 interceptions in 2011, it's clear that Robinson has to improve as a passer. However, now that he'll have another offseason to learn more of the nuances of coordinator Al Borges' offensive system, he should fare much better this year. 

With running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, receivers Roy Roundtree and Jeremy Gallon and one of the nation's strongest offensive lines surrounding him, the exciting and explosive dual-threat quarterback should be able to put together his best season yet in 2012. 

One thing's for sure—we'll find out a lot about Robinson's Heisman chances in the first week of the season when the Wolverines battle defending national champion Alabama at Cowboys Stadium. 

8. Collin Klein, Kansas State

Kansas State turned out to be college football's biggest surprise team of the 2011 season, as the Wildcats unexpectedly went from being a preseason unranked afterthought to a top-15 ranked 10-game winner by the time the year was done. 

QB Collin Klein is the one who deserves the most credit for the team's rise to prominence, as he became one of the biggest breakout stars in college football last year. 

Klein certainly wasn't one of the the top passers in the country, as he only completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,918 yards. However, it's what he did with his legs that was really impressive. 

The 6'5'', 226-pound senior tore through defenses, rushing for 1,141 yards and accounting for 40 touchdowns. 

If he can improve on his passing over the offseason and continue to wow fans with his running ability in 2012, Klein should be one of the most talked-about players in all of college football this year. 

9. Zach Mettenberger, LSU

LSU may have dominated opponents during its undefeated run through the regular season last year, but the Tigers did have at least one notable weak spot, and that was the passing game. 

Last season, LSU ranked 106th in the nation in passing offense, as the Tigers averaged just 152 yards through the air per game. 

That number should definitely increase this year, however, as new quarterback Zach Mettenberger is a much better passer than his two predecessors Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. 

The former highly touted junior college transfer who started his career at Georgia is the type of big, strong-armed, accurate signal-caller who should bring a valuable new element to the offense in 2012. 

If LSU runs the table and wins the SEC again, and if Mettenberger puts up impressive stats, then he certainly has a good chance to make it to New York City, as we've seen plenty of quarterbacks on No. 1-ranked teams take home the award in recent years. 

10. E.J. Manuel, Florida State

E.J. Manuel's first season as a starter didn't go as well as Florida State fans were hoping for, as the Seminoles went from preseason top-5, ranked title contenders to unranked 9-4 also-rans in 2011.

Manuel certainly wasn't solely to blame for the team's struggles, however.

He did end up having a respectable overall showing, completing 65 percent of his passes for over 2,600 yards and accounting for 22 total touchdowns. 

Still, it's obvious that if Florida State wants to make a move back onto the national scene in 2012, the Seminoles are going to need the 6'5'', 245-pound senior to step his game up in his final season. 

The former highly touted 5-star recruit has the skill-set to become a star. He simply has yet to reach his full potential. 

If Manuel can prove that he can handle the pressure and if he can lead Florida State to an ACC championship in 2012, he should finally be considered one of college football's top-tier quarterbacks. 

11. A.J. McCarron, Alabama

A.J. McCarron will be the first to tell you that he was just a small part of Alabama's national title run last season, as he was asked to simply be a game-manager who let RB Trent Richardson and the Tide's dominant defense carry the team to the promised land. 

Since Richardson is gone and the defense has lost many of its key veteran leaders, however, it's now going to be time for McCarron to make the transition from game-manager to offensive leader in 2012. 

The 6'4'', 205-pound junior proved that he has it in him with a big performance in the BCS championship game. Now, he just has to show that he can replicate that effort for an entire season. 

Alabama may be a bit inexperienced at some key positions, but with the way Nick Saban has recruited over the last few years, the Tide are still loaded with elite talent.

If McCarron plays up to his potential and emerges as a leader this season, Alabama will once again be a force to be reckoned with in 2012.

12. James Franklin, Missouri

It's never easy to replace a top-10 NFL draft pick, but Missouri's James Franklin was clearly up to the task last season, as he stepped in for Blaine Gabbert and quickly showed that he was a worthy successor. 

In his first season as a starter, Franklin completed 63 percent of his passes for over 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The supremely athletic 6'2'', 225-pound junior is definitely deserving of the dual-threat quarterback label.

Franklin may not have injured running back Henry Josey with him in the backfield again this year. However, with skill-position players such as running back Kendial Lawrence and receivers T.J. Moe, Marcus Lucas and incoming freshman Dorial Green-Beckham, he'll have all the help he needs to take on the tougher defenses he'll face in the SEC this season. 

It may be too early to call Franklin this year's version of Robert Griffin III, but if his shoulder is fully healed by the time the season starts, don't be surprised if he turns into a major breakout star in 2012. 

13. Tajh Boyd, Clemson

Tajh Boyd had to wait his turn, as he was forced to sit on the bench for his first two years at Clemson, but when he was finally given the chance to prove himself as a starter in 2011, the former 5-star recruit certainly made the most of it. 

Boyd helped lead the Tigers to an ACC championship and the school's first ever BCS bowl game. 

Although he performed poorly in the team's four late-season losses to Georgia Tech, N.C. State, South Carolina and West Virginia, the 6'1'', 230-pound junior still managed to throw for over 3,800 yards and 33 touchdowns. 

While he's definitely going to have to work on his consistency this offseason, Boyd should be ready to help Clemson put together a strong title defense campaign this year. 

With running back Andre Ellington and receivers Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins all returning, Boyd will again be the centerpiece of one of the most explosive and electric offenses in the country in 2012. 

14. Keith Price, Washington

It didn't take long for Keith Price to get Washington fans to forget all about his predecessor Jake Locker. 

Last year, Price took over at quarterback and immediately made a huge impact, as he helped lead the Huskies to five wins in their first six games. However, he couldn't keep that success going in the second half of the season and Washington struggled down the stretch, losing five of their last seven games. 

Still, there was one big bright spot at the end of the year in the Alamo Bowl when the 6'1'', 195-pound junior out-dueled Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III and overwhelmed the Baylor defense, racking up 469 yards of offense and accounting for all seven of his team's touchdowns in a 67-56 defeat. 

That impressive effort now has many wondering just what Price will be capable of in 2012. 

After completing nearly 67 percent of his passes for over 3,000 yards and hitting 33 touchdown passes last year, the Husky signal-caller now seems like he's set to really do some major damage to defenses in his second season as a starter. 

15. Casey Pachall, TCU

Over the last seven years, TCU has been one of the most successful and consistent teams in all of college football, averaging 11 wins a season during that time. 

That was against Mountain West competition, though.

This year, we'll get to see how the Horned Frogs handle BCS-caliber foes when they make the move to the Big 12. 

Leading the way will be second-year starting quarterback Casey Pachall. 

Pachall had some big shoes to fill, replacing Andy Dalton last year, but he didn't show any signs of stress, as he stepped in and completed 66 percent of his passes for over 2,900 yards and 25 touchdowns.

The 6'5'', 216-pound junior is a tall pocket-passer who has the type of arm strength to torch opposing secondaries. 

With running backs Matthew Tucker and Waymon James and receivers Josh Boyce, Skye Dawson and Brandon Carter all returning, Pachall will be the leader of one of the most dangerous offensive attacks in college football in 2012. 

16. Tyler Bray, Tennessee

Tyler Bray has only played in 16 games during his two years at Tennessee, but he's still managed to throw for over 3,800 yards and 35 touchdowns during that time. 

Bray is one of the most talented quarterbacks in all of college football, and he has the look of a future first-round NFL draft pick. 

While Tennessee probably won't win enough games for Bray to be a serious candidate for this year's Heisman Trophy, he should still be one of the top passers in college football in 2012. 

The 6'6'', 213-pound junior will have one of the best receiver duos in the country comprised of juniors Da'Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter to throw to, and he should be able to have a breakthrough campaign this season. 

17. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville

Teddy Bridgewater may only be just a true sophomore, but he already looks like he's destined to become a star at Louisville over the next few years. 

Bridgewater, a former 4-star recruit out of Miami powerhouse Northwestern High School, managed to immediately live up to his high school hype last season when he took over the starting job and helped the Cardinals earn a share of the Big East championship. 

The coaching staff may have kept the offense pretty basic and vanilla for the athletic 6'3'', 207-pound dual-threat quarterback, but now that he's proven he can handle himself, they should finally let him off his leash in 2012. 

With one of the Big East's best running back duos comprised of Dominique Brown and Jeremy Wright lining up behind him, along with one of the best receiver trios in the country made up of Michaelee Harris, Eli Rogers and DeVante Parker flanking him, Bridgewater will have the ingredients he needs to cook up a truly lethal offensive attack this season. 

18. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska

In his two years as a starter at Nebraska, Taylor Martinez has proven that he's one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks in college football,

Martinez has totaled over 1,800 yards on the ground and scored 21 rushing touchdowns during that time. 

The problem is, he hasn't yet taken the proper steps as a passer at this point in his development.

The 6'1'', 200-pound junior has just a 57 percent career completion percentage, and that just won't cut it if the Cornhuskers truly want to compete for a Big Ten championship this year. 

If Martinez can work on his accuracy and his decision-making this offseason and improve as an overall passer, he'll really be able to keep defenses guessing in 2012. 

19. Jordan Wynn, Utah

Utah could be one of this year's biggest surprise teams of 2012, but if the Utes really want to make some noise in the Pac-12 this season, they're going to need QB Jordan Wynn to stay healthy and play at a high level. 

Wynn played in just four games in 2011 before going down for the year with a shoulder injury. 

After rehabbing for months, the 6'2'', 208-pound junior will be ready to prove himself in 2012. 

With a 13-6 total record as a starter and over 4,300 passing yards in just 20 games of action on his resume, Wynn clearly has the chops to have Utah competing for a conference championship this season. 

Running backs John White and Harvey Langi and receivers DeVonte Christopher, Dres Anderson and Luke Matthews will form one of the best offensive skill-position groups in the Pac-12, and Wynn will definitely have plenty of intriguing talent to work with in 2012. 

20. Connor Shaw, South Carolina

Connor Shaw took over the full-time starting quarterback job at South Carolina after Stephen Garcia was booted from the team following the Gamecocks' fifth game of the 2011 season.

After taking over, Shaw proceeded to lead South Carolina to seven victories in its final eight games of the season, and he showed plenty of flashes of his enormous potential. 

The 6'1'', 204-pound junior completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,448 yards and threw 14 touchdowns compared to just six interceptions. He also showed that he could be a rushing threat as well, as he added 525 yards on the ground. 

Shaw will obviously miss star receiver Alshon Jeffery. However, with coach Steve Spurrier showing him the ropes, and with the return of running back Marcus Lattimore to the backfield, he's certainly still got a chance to have a big campaign in 2012. 

Other Quarterbacks to Watch

Andrew Maxwell, Michigan State

B.J. Daniels, South Florida

Braxton Miller, Ohio State

Bryn Renner, North Carolina

James Vandenberg, Iowa

Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Mike Glennon, N.C. State

Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State

Seth Doege, Texas Tech

Terrance Owens, Toledo

Tyler Russell, Mississippi State