Big 12 Football: 5 Biggest 2015 Heisman Contenders
Spring practices have just started for some programs. Naturally, it's time to peer into the crystal ball and pick out some Heisman Trophy contenders with what will surely be 100 percent accuracy.
Being a Heisman finalist is as much about fitting into a formula as anything else. Are the individual stats good enough? Are there enough highlight-reel plays sprinkled in? Is the team's record good enough? Are non-quarterbacks versatile enough?
Believe it or not, those things matter.
With that in mind, here are five players from the Big 12 who could become Heisman contenders in 2015. Or, more specifically, here are two with a legitimate shot and three others, should the circumstances be right, who could get some chatter.
No. 5 Iowa State WR Allen Lazard
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Ah, yes. The true Heisman dark horse. That's Iowa State wide receiver Allen Lazard. As far as up-and-coming players go, Lazard seems primed for a breakout.
Comparisons can be tricky, but Lazard's trajectory could be similar to that of Kevin White at West Virginia. Both are big, physical receivers who can win in a jump-ball fight, but the pattern extends beyond that. In 2013, White, a first-year player for the Mountaineers, caught 35 passes for 507 yards and five touchdowns. Now, compare those to Lazard's freshman numbers: 45 catches, 593 yards, three touchdowns.
Obviously, White had a far better second year, with more than 100 receptions and 1,447 yards with 10 touchdowns. Could Lazard's sophomore campaign reflect similar numbers? The former 4-star prospect stands at 6'5" and 218 pounds and has already made some miraculous catches.
I'll be lucky if you only call me insane, but Iowa State has the potential to be a bowl-eligible team. Sam B. Richardson is back at quarterback and his arsenal of receiving weapons—Lazard, Quenton Bundrage and D'vario Montgomery—is legit. Throw in offensive coordinator Mark Mangino, one of the most creative play-callers in the game, and the Cyclones could have something going on offense.
If Lazard takes that next step, he'll be one of the Big 12's best players. If Iowa State wins six or seven games, Lazard will get national attention too.
No. 4 Oklahoma LB Eric Striker
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If you're wondering: Yes, I have a pro-defense Heisman agenda. It's too offense-centric. And there aren't too many players who are more entertaining to watch than Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker.
Striker has made a name for himself as a pass-rusher. He finished fourth in the Big 12 last season with nine sacks and tied for third with 17 tackles for loss. He also once sent former Texas quarterback Case McCoy for a roller-coaster ride. (Yes, the clip is two years old, but it's basically timeless.)
Defensive players in general are a long shot for the Heisman. You need to have Ndamukong Suh-like dominance to be considered one of the best players in college football. For Striker to get to that level, his stats need to have more diversity. He'll have to uphold his reputation as a top-end blitzer but contribute in other ways as well. He'll need to force fumbles, score defensive touchdowns, etc.
No. 3 Baylor WR Corey Coleman
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Surprise! Baylor's wide receiver depth chart is once again 50 players deep.
Leading that group heading into 2015, though, is junior Corey Coleman. Coleman is the returning Big 12 leader in receiving yards (1,119), touchdowns (11) and receptions per game (6.4). And he didn't even play in the first three games of last season.
As Max Olson of ESPN.com writes, Coleman can lead the charge for another year of Baylor being "Wide Receiver U":
"It’s time once again for the Bears’ track-speed studs to pass the baton. Kendall Wright and Terrance Williams needed Tevin Reese and Antwan Goodley to keep “WRU” rolling once they left. Now it’s on Corey Coleman and KD Cannon, but they’re going to have a lot of help in 2015.
Can a group replacing Goodley and fellow seniors Levi Norwood and Clay Fuller get even better in 2015?“If I’m leading it, it has to,” Coleman says bluntly.
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If Coleman can add some special teams flair to his resume—he returned five kickoffs for 132 yards in '14—he becomes an intriguing Heisman possibility.
Assuming Baylor's 400-pound tight end doesn't get the invite first, that is.
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No. 2 Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine
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The Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year has the best chance of any non-quarterback on this list of becoming a Heisman finalist.
Perine was the rock of the Sooners offense last season, rushing for 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns. Both of those numbers were best in the Big 12. His 6.51 yards per carry were far and away the best in the conference when number of touches was taken into account (Perine had 263 carries).
Oklahoma is shaking things up offensively by bringing in offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley from East Carolina. While Riley's Air Raid background would lead you to believe that Perine's numbers will decrease, nothing may be further from the truth.
On the contrary, Perine's numbers may be every bit as good if Oklahoma has a more balanced passing attack. Furthermore, Perine could become more involved in the passing game after catching just 15 passes a season ago.
Yes, how players fit into a system is always a concern. However, Riley is smart enough to know what his best weapons are, and Perine is one of them. He'll find a way—perhaps multiple ways—to get the sophomore the football.
No. 1 TCU QB Trevone Boykin
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I'll say it again: The Heisman Trophy is a glorified Davey O'Brien Award given to the nation's best quarterback. Thirteen of the last 14 winners have been quarterbacks. I don't like that voting has become that lazy, but that's what it is.
For that reason, among others, TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin tops the list of Big 12 Heisman candidates.
Make no mistake—Boykin is a remarkable player, and the transformation he underwent from 2013 to '14 has been well-documented. Last year, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen called him "the most improved player in college football."
He's also among the most dangerous. Boykin accounted for 4,608 total yards and 42 touchdowns. He's always been a tremendous athlete—head coach Gary Patterson has experimented with Boykin as a receiver—but now he has a potent passing game to complement. With another year in TCU's Air Raid offense and the same group of receivers, he should be, in theory, even better in 2015.
If Boykin gets an invite to New York as a Heisman finalist, he'll have earned it. Remember that he finished a distant fourth in the voting last year.
But he also checks off all the boxes (right position, right skill set, right offense). That's important too.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.
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