7 Way-Too-Early SEC Heisman Trophy Contenders for 2015
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota just hoisted the 2014 Heisman Trophy in New York City, but it's never too early to talk 2015.
Several stars will return in the SEC—many of them quarterbacks and offensive players, which are two key criteria for the award.
First-team All-SEC quarterback Dak Prescott of Mississippi State was mentioned prominently in the Heisman talk into November, before two losses knocked him out down the stretch. If he returns, will he make another push for the most prestigious individual trophy in American sports? Who else from the SEC could join him in the conversation?
Our way-too-early SEC favorites for the Heisman Trophy are in this slideshow.
Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
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Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott told Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel earlier this month that he could choose to stick around Starkville for his senior season if he doesn't receive a first- or second-round grade when his evaluation paperwork comes back from the NFL.
If that doesn't happen, and he returns to run head coach Dan Mullen's offense in 2015, he will be at the forefront of the SEC's Heisman field entering the season.
Leading receiver De'Runnya Wilson will return along with Fred Ross and several others, and Josh Robinson—the Bulldogs' leading rusher who doubles as a bowling ball—could choose to return to Starkville as well. If he does, Prescott and the Mississippi State offense will pick up right where it left off and not miss a beat.
On top of that, Prescott will have the benefit of a full offseason of hype and all of the Heisman publicity that comes along with being one of the best quarterbacks in college football.
Unlike 2014, he will start in the discussion rather than having to play his way in.
Georgia RB Nick Chubb
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It's safe to say that the running back position at Georgia is in good hands after Todd Gurley—a draft-eligible junior—moves on to the NFL.
Nick Chubb handled the No. 1 running back duties out of the bullpen this season when Gurley sat out four games on suspension and then tore his ACL late in the win over Auburn. Now, it's his turn to be the ace.
Chubb rushed for 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year, earning Freshman of the Week honors from the conference five times.
What's he going to do for an encore?
Georgia will be breaking in a new starting quarterback and will lose receivers Chris Conley and Michael Bennett, so the running game will likely become even more of a focal point for head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo than it was in 2014.
Only two non-quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy since 2000, but both of those—Reggie Bush (2005) and Mark Ingram (2009)—were running backs. Chubb has the skills and the system to break through that glass ceiling.
South Carolina WR Pharoh Cooper
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Alabama's Amari Cooper proved this season that a wide receiver can be the most valuable player for an offense, as he helped quarterback Blake Sims and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin stabilize the Crimson Tide offense. His work—and an SEC-record 115 catches—landed him in New York City as a Heisman finalist.
South Carolina's Pharoh Cooper can follow in his finalist footsteps, although it would be for different reasons.
Unlike Amari Cooper, Pharoh Cooper lines up all over the field, is used as a Wildcat quarterback and—when head coach Steve Spurrier really wants to get fancy—will be used as an actual quarterback.
Cooper caught 40 passes for 966 yards and eight touchdowns; had 24 carries for 198 yards and two touchdowns, completed 5 of 8 passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns and returned 14 punts for 78 yards.
Any non-quarterback who's going to legitimately contend for the Heisman Trophy is going to have to be really special, and Cooper's versatility makes him incredibly special. With quarterback Dylan Thompson gone and running back Mike Davis likely declaring for the draft, Cooper will be even more of a focal point for the Head Ball Coach in 2015.
If he's successful and South Carolina sneaks back into the SEC East picture, don't be surprised to see him get some Heisman love.
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Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett
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What? A Texas A&M defensive player could get Heisman love?
It takes a lot for any defensive player to join that conversation, but if Texas A&M undergoes a defensive renaissance now that coordinator Mark Snyder is gone, defensive end Myles Garrett will be a big reason why.
Garrett had 50 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks during his true freshman campaign—the second-most sacks in the conference and most ever by a freshman.
His next step could lead him into superstar status and lead opposing offensive coordinators and offensive line coaches to several sleepless nights. The experience he gained as a freshman coupled with a new (better) scheme and the potential arrival of stud defensive tackle recruit Daylon Mack to take up space, and Garrett could explode with a huge season.
Texas A&M could certainly use it. It's been a while since the program has been associated with that pesky thing known as "defense."
Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson
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The world got to know Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson early in 2014, as the then-sophomore completed 12 of 16 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, as he started in place of suspended senior Nick Marshall.
Instead of a run-based power rushing attack out of the spread, Auburn's offense looked more like a run-and-gun offense with a potential superstar as its signal-caller.
Stud wide receiver Sammie Coates will enter the draft, according to Justin Hokanson of 247Sports, and Duke Williams could as well. If Williams chooses to return, Johnson won't just be a contender, he'll be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Whatever happens with Williams, Johnson will still have Ricardo Louis, Melvin Ray, Marcus Davis, depth at running back and an offensive genius to help in his Heisman push.
Malzahn helped Chris Todd have a fantastic senior season in his first season as Auburn's offensive coordinator in 2009 and helped David Johnson throw for more than 4,000 as Tulsa's offensive coordinator in 2008.
He's never had a passer quite like Johnson, though. So expect big things from the rising junior from Montgomery.
LSU RB Leonard Fournette
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LSU running back Leonard Fournette came on strong late in the season, earning more than 20 carries in three games since Oct. 11 and capped it off with a 19-carry, 146-yard performance on Thanksgiving night in the win over Texas A&M.
He spent his freshman campaign splitting time with Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard but will enter his sophomore season as the unquestioned No. 1 running back in Baton Rouge. Couple that with a quarterback situation that is unstable at best and inconsistent at worst, and head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will rely heavily on Fournette in 2015.
Will it be enough to get to New York as a Heisman finalist?
If LSU can ride Fournette all the way to the Georgia Dome and its first SEC championship game appearance since 2011, it might be enough for Fournette to break the quarterback trend that has developed in the chase for the Heisman.
Alabama RB Derrick Henry
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Alabama running back Derrick Henry saved his best for last, rushing for a career-high 141 yards and two touchdowns in Alabama's SEC championship game win over Missouri, which clinched a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff for the Crimson Tide.
He scored six of his 10 touchdowns during the final month of the 2014 season and will enter 2015 as the unquestioned No. 1 back—assuming draft-eligible junior T.J. Yeldon departs early for the NFL.
At 6'3", 241 pounds, Henry is a nightmare to tackle and will be counted on to ease the new quarterback—Jake Coker, Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell or incoming freshman Blake Barnett—into the job.
He can handle it.
Henry will be the focal point of an offense for one of the highest-profile teams in the country from the moment toe meets leather in early September.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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