9 Juniors with the Best Shot at the Heisman Trophy in 2015
For elite college football players, their junior season is perhaps the most important. By now, they’ve likely proved their worth to their coaches and programs and achieved a prominent place on their programs' depth charts.
They’re veterans. They’re expected to carry a big load. Oh, yeah, and after this season, they’re officially eligible for the NFL draft and the payday that comes with it.
It is no surprise that juniors have achieved a prominent place in college football and with regard to the Heisman Trophy. Three of the last five Heisman winners have been juniors, including the 2014 winner, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota.
While there are a number of talented contenders for the 2015 Heisman (here is a breakdown of the top 25 candidates by Sports On Earth's Matt Brown), juniors will play a prominent role. Here are nine juniors with the best shot at taking home the stiff-arm trophy this fall.
Wisconsin RB Corey Clement
1 of 9
Last fall, Wisconsin fans enjoyed one of the best seasons ever by a college tailback.
Melvin Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns, hitting or surpassing the 200-yard mark in six games, including a 408-yard effort against Nebraska that set the FBS single-game record (until Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine passed it a week later). Gordon’s season was No. 2 on the FBS all-time list behind Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders in 1989, so it was no surprise that the Heisman Trophy runner-up left early for the NFL.
Don’t cry for new Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst, though. He has a very capable replacement in Corey Clement. As Gordon’s understudy last fall, he rushed for 949 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging an impressive 6.5 yards per carry. He had four 100-yard rushing games, including 105 yards in the Badgers’ Outback Bowl win over Auburn.
Given free rein as the No. 1 back, Clement could easily double those figures this fall—and then some. If Wisconsin is as successful as it was in 2014, he could easily find himself in New York for the Heisman ceremony.
Pittsburgh RB James Conner
2 of 9
As has been the case recently, Pitt was a strikingly average football team last fall. But there was nothing average about tailback James Conner’s performance. Conner built on a strong freshman season and emerged as one of the best tailbacks in college football. He had 298 carries for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns.
He surpassed 200 yards in three games, including an impressive 263-yard, three-touchdown effort against Duke. He also averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
Paul Chryst, who loved to run the ball, left for Wisconsin, but new coach Pat Narduzzi hired Arkansas offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, who, of course, put an emphasis on the run with the Razorbacks.
At 6'2" and 250 pounds, Conner is an imposing force in the backfield. He’ll be a focal point in the Panthers offense and could crack the 2,000-yard mark this fall, which would earn him, at the very least, Heisman finalist status.
Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott
3 of 9
One of the most important figures in Ohio State’s national title run was tailback Ezekiel Elliott. While there were serious concerns about the team's backfield following Carlos Hyde’s graduation, Elliott’s emergence proved them unfounded.
A punishing back, the 6'0", 225-pounder had just 29 carries in Ohio State’s first three games, but he announced himself with a 28-carry, 182-yard breakout in a win over Cincinnati.
And he was at his best when the stakes were the highest.
Elliott ended the season with three consecutive 200-yard rushing efforts, and he got better each time out. Remarkably, his best game was in the College Football Playoff National Championship. He rushed 36 times for 246 yards and four scores in Ohio State’s 42-20 rout of Oregon.
Elliott is a quick, physical back who will thrive in Ohio State’s offense. After rushing for 1,878 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2014, he should have a shot at 2,000 yards this fall and earn himself an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
California QB Jared Goff
4 of 9
Last fall, Cal was one of the nation’s most improved teams, going from 1-11 in Sonny Dykes’ first season to 5-7 and just out of the postseason picture. The Golden Bears thrived behind a strong passing offense, passing for 346 yards per game, No. 6 nationally, and scoring 38.3 points per game, No. 11 nationally.
The linchpin of that offense was sophomore quarterback Jared Goff. The 6'4", 210-pounder is an excellent pocket passer. He passed for 3,973 yards with 35 touchdowns against seven interceptions, taking a big leap from his freshman numbers of 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
If Goff can lead the Bears into Pac-12 contention and take a similar leap forward, his numbers should be even better and national voices will take notice. So will Heisman Trophy voters.
Alabama RB Derrick Henry
5 of 9
This fall, Alabama’s offense will be in something of a state of transition. The Crimson Tide scored 36.9 points per game in 2014, No. 16 nationally, but they lost a number of standout skill players from that offense. Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin must replace quarterback Blake Sims, tailback T.J. Yeldon and their top two receivers in All-Americans Amari Cooper and DeAndrew White.
Fortunately, tailback Derrick Henry is still around and could be the centerpiece of Kiffin’s 2015 offense.
In 2014, Henry, not Yeldon, was the Tide’s leading rusher, running for 990 yards to Yeldon's 979. Both had 11 touchdowns, but Henry averaged 5.8 yards per carry to Yeldon’s 5.0. He had three 100-yard games. At 6'3" and 241 pounds, he possesses an appealing blend of power and speed.
Last fall, Henry had 172 carries to Yeldon’s 194, but he should be a bell cow this fall and get the lion’s share of carries. If that’s the case, he could follow the path set by Alabama tailback Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman winner.
Ohio State QB Cardale Jones
6 of 9
Did any player have a more meteoric rise in 2014 than Cardale Jones?
For much of the season, the Ohio State quarterback was a completely forgotten man in Columbus. Following Braxton Miller’s season-ending shoulder injury, he was passed by redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett for the Buckeyes’ starting role, and he watched as Barrett took Ohio State to the brink of the College Football Playoff as a dynamic dual-threat passer.
But when Barrett suffered a broken ankle in the regular-season finale against Michigan, Jones was elevated to the starting role.
All he did was lead the Buckeyes to a national title.
Jones threw for 860 yards with seven touchdowns against two interceptions, completing 60.9 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 296 yards and a touchdown.
At 6'5" and 250 pounds, Jones cuts an imposing figure in the pocket and has an impressive arm. He drew legit comparisons to 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton with his ability to bowl over tacklers on the ground. There were serious questions about whether he’d even return for his junior season, but Jones decided it would be best.
Zac Jackson of Fox Sports Ohio says Jones is "college football's most interesting man," but even Jones admits he has work left to do in college.
"I definitely don't feel like a veteran," Jones said. "I haven't been through a full season. I've played like 400, maybe 500 snaps overall in my career. I understand what [Urban Meyer] is saying from that standpoint. I didn't do anything on my own during those three games."
He faces an intriguing three-way race with Barrett and Miller this fall for the starting role, but if he can emerge as the starter, Jones has the talent (and the supporting cast) to make a Heisman run.
UCLA RB Paul Perkins
7 of 9
With virtually every key offensive player, save quarterback Brett Hundley, back from a 10-win team in 2014, UCLA should have a potent offense this fall.
One of the biggest reasons why? Tailback Paul Perkins.
Perkins took the leap as a great tailback in 2014, rushing for 1,575 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
He had six 100-yard games and had his best game in the Alamo Bowl against Kansas State, carrying 20 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes for 201 yards and two scores during the 2014 season. At 5'11" and 200 pounds, Perkins is solidly built but also has excellent speed.
With a new starting quarterback, Perkins will be a focal point of the Bruins offense. If UCLA can take the next step towards becoming a College Football Playoff contender, Perkins’ national and Heisman profiles will rise accordingly.
Georgia Tech QB Justin Thomas
8 of 9
Georgia Tech had one of the most surprising runs in 2014, breaking a four-year string of mediocre seasons to go 11-3 with an ACC Coastal Division title and an Orange Bowl win over Mississippi State.
One of the biggest reasons why? Quarterback Justin Thomas.
Thomas excelled in his first season as a starter and was a perfect triggerman for Paul Johnson’s flexbone option offense.
He passed for 1,719 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions and was also Tech’s leading rusher with 1,086 yards and eight touchdowns. Tech will lose four of its top five rushers and its top two receivers from a year ago, but if Thomas can mesh well with his replacements, he’ll pile up stats in Johnson’s offense.
If the Yellow Jackets can navigate a tough schedule that includes road games at Clemson and Notre Dame and a rivalry match with Georgia, Thomas could improve his profile enough to become a legit Heisman Trophy candidate.
Arizona LB Scooby Wright
9 of 9
It’s unthinkable that Arizona was Scooby Wright’s only FBS scholarship offer coming out of high school, but the Wildcats got a major steal with Wright. Last fall, the manic linebacker emerged as one of college football’s best defensive players. He piled up 153 tackles (No. 1 nationally), 14 sacks (No. 3) and 29 tackles for a loss (No. 1) while finishing ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
He won every major defensive award he could, taking home the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Lombardi Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, as well as the Jack Lambert Award and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award.
The big question: What does he do for an encore?
Wright plays all over the field and makes impacts from sideline to sideline. He has a great motor and excellent tackling skills. Michigan’s Charles Woodson is the only defensive player to win the Heisman, and he did so as a two-way player. But if Wright can meet or exceed his 2014 numbers and Arizona improves from last season’s nine wins, he could make a run at the Heisman.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
