Every SEC Team's Best 2015 Heisman Candidate
There's no shortage of stars in the SEC in 2015, but aside from Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, there aren't many who play quarterback.
That presents a bit of a problem in the race for the Heisman Trophy—which has gone to a quarterback every year but two since 200.
Who will step up in the SEC? Our best Heisman candidate for each team based on position, impact, talent and scheme are in this slideshow.
Alabama: RB Kenyan Drake
1 of 14Alabama is one of those unique schools and systems that doesn't have to produce a top-tier quarterback in order to land a Heisman finalist. Former wide receiver Amari Cooper made the trek to New York City last year, and former running back Mark Ingram took home the most prestigious individual award in college sports in 2009.
With that in mind, keep an eye on running back Kenyan Drake.
He can be the "Reggie Bush"—who, not coincidentally, benefited from former USC/current Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin—of this year's Crimson Tide offense. The 6'1", 210-pounder has been known as the home run threat over the last couple of years but is bigger than people give him credit for and can be a nice setup man early in games before bruising running back Derrick Henry comes in as the "closer" against worn-out defenses.
What's more, Drake will likely line up at receiver quite a bit, and he could see some work on special teams. Non-quarterbacks need to be special to win the Heisman, and Drake's versatility makes him just that.
Arkansas: RB Jonathan Williams
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For the last two seasons, Jonathan Williams has served as the "Robin" to Alex Collins' "Batman." Despite that, Williams has rushed for 2,090 yards and 16 touchdowns while splitting No. 1 carries.
This offseason, though, the world started to take notice of the 6'0", 223-pounder after he passed up the NFL draft to return for this senior season.
He's a true all-purpose back who has the size to take the punishment between the tackles and the jets to be a home run threat in space.
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema always likes to use several running backs but has been successful in the Heisman race as well. In 2011, he sent Montee Ball to New York as a finalist from a team that included quarterback Russell Wilson.
Williams is the best chance Bielema has to repeat the feat in 2015.
Auburn: QB Jeremy Johnson
3 of 14Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn produced a Heisman Trophy winner as Auburn's offensive coordinator in 2010 when Cam Newton led the Tigers to a national championship, and junior Jeremy Johnson could be the next in line.
The 6'5", 240-pounder put his big arm on display in the season opener last year when he started in place of the suspended Nick Marshall, and promptly lit up the Arkansas defense to the tune of 243 yards and two touchdowns in a half. He has plenty of wide receivers to help ease the transition, including senior monster D'haquille "Duke" Williams, and an offense that is ready-made to put up video game numbers.
What's more, his ability on the ground is very underrated.
"He’s a very good runner in his own right," Malzahn said in May. "At 6’6”, 240, he runs a high 4.5. He can run it very well if he has to. He throws extremely well and has a very strong arm. The best thing is, despite not being a starter, he has plenty of game experience. Because of that, he got a lot of practice time with the ones, and very few backups got as much as him."
He has the skills and system to be a star, and if Auburn's defense doesn't take a major step forward under new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, he might have to light up opposing defenses.
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Florida: CB Vernon Hargreaves III
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Florida doesn't have a ton of options in the Heisman Trophy department.
The Gators have an uncertain quarterback situation, which eliminates a wide receiver from the mix. The offensive line is wildly inexperienced, which eliminates running backs Kelvin Taylor, Adam Lane and Jordan Scarlett.
We're almost forced to look to the defensive side of the ball, where cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III is lurking.
The 5'11", 192-pound junior has six interceptions for his career and has broken up 24 passes, establishing himself as one of the nation's top lockdown corners. If Florida is going to win games, it's going to have to have the defense force turnovers at key times and put its offense in short field position. Hargreaves is the key to that.
Georgia: RB Nick Chubb
5 of 14All Nick Chubb did during his first season in Athens was rush for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns in essentially a half-season as the starting running back. His work in a pinch—filling in for suspended/injured star Todd Gurley and injured running backs Sony Michel and Keith Marshall—was one of the most surprising stories of the 2015 season.
The 5'10", 220-pounder has track-star speed with linebacker size, which has created a monster in the back of the Georgia backfield.
He has a veteran offensive line to run behind and uncertainty at quarterback and the top of the wide receiver depth chart.
It takes a lot for a running back to win the Heisman, but that sounds like a recipe for Heisman success for Chubb.
Kentucky: RB Stanley "Boom" Williams
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Running back Stanley "Boom" Williams won't be on any Heisman Trophy lists this fall, but if he were on team with a little more visibility than Kentucky, that might not be the case.
The 5'9", 196-pounder averaged 6.57 yards per carry last year, gaining 486 yards and five touchdowns for a Kentucky air-raid offense that needs to have the threat of the run in order to truly thrive.
He's more than just a big-play threat, though.
"He's so talented, he always wanted to just make a big play every play, wasn't really satisfied with getting what was there, wouldn't just stick his foot in the ground and get the tough yards," running backs coach Chad Scott told Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal this spring. "Now he's understanding that, and because he's understanding that, the defense softens up a little bit and he's in position."
Kentucky still has a quarterback battle brewing between Patrick Towles and Drew Barker this offseason, but whoever wins the job will have a versatile running back in Williams to rely on in a variety of ways.
LSU: RB Leonard Fournette
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Picking LSU running back Leonard Fournette as the Tigers' Heisman Trophy candidate is the college football equivalent of a "gimmie" putt in golf.
As a freshman in 2014, he rushed for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns, evolving into the No. 1 running back in Baton Rouge as the season progressed. At 6'1", 230 pounds, Fournette is the every-down force LSU needs thanks to its uncertainty at the quarterback position.
What's more, he has one of the best offensive lines in the country opening holes in front of him.
His versatility makes him special, but it's his importance to his roster that will vault him into the Heisman discussion.
Mississippi State: QB Dak Prescott
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The most prominent name in the preseason Heisman talk in the SEC is the man who finished eighth in the voting last year—Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.
The 6'2", 230-pounder from Haughton, Louisiana, threw for 3,449 yards and 27 touchdowns last year and added 986 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
That was with a stout offensive line plowing the road and running back Josh Robinson taking some pressure off. With three starters up front gone and Robinson off to the NFL, the "Dak Prescott show" has to become the "Dak Prescott experience" in 2015 if Prescott is going to make it to New York and Mississippi State is going to succeed.
He did it once, and if he does it for an encore, he could land in the Big Apple.
Missouri: QB Maty Mauk
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Maty Mauk threw nine touchdowns and zero picks in the final frames of games in 2014, leading Missouri to its second straight SEC East title and proving that he's one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the game.
During the first three quarters of games, though, Mauk left a lot to be desired. If he can change that, and not dig his team into holes early in games, he's got everything it takes to be a star.
Mauk has a big arm that can take the top off opposing defenses, can make the tough passes sideline-to-sideline and has above-average running ability. A little more consistency could go a long way for Mauk; it could land his team back in the SEC Championship Game and send Mauk to New York.
Ole Miss: WR Laquon Treadwell
10 of 14Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell was well on his way to having an All-American caliber year in 2014, when he reeled in 48 passes for 632 yards and five touchdowns through nine games. But a broken fibula suffered in the final minutes of the loss to Auburn ended Treadwell's season and sent Ole Miss' season into a bit of a tailspin.
The 6'2", 229-pounder from Crete, Illinois, should be back to full strength by the start of fall camp and will lead an Ole Miss wide receiving corps that could put up video game numbers in 2015.
Treadwell proved from day one as a freshman in 2013 that he can be an elite possession receiver, and he added downfield threat responsibilities in 2014 before his injury. You can bet your bottom, top and middle dollars that the new quarterback in Oxford will rely on Treadwell early and often this season, which should give him Heisman-like numbers.
South Carolina: WR Pharoh Cooper
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Amari Cooper was a special player last year, and he is the exception to the rule. If a wide receiver is going to truly get involved in the Heisman race, it's probably a good idea for that receiver to get involved in the offense in a variety of ways.
That's exactly what South Carolina wide receiver Pharoh Cooper has done.
In 2014, Cooper caught 69 passes for 1,136 yards and nine touchdowns; rushed 27 times for 200 yards and two scores; completed five of eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns; and returned 15 punts for 75 yards.
If he replicates last season's success and South Carolina jumps back into the SEC East title discussion, that should be enough for Cooper to get some Heisman love.
Tennessee: QB Joshua Dobbs
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Dual-threat quarterback? Check.
Plenty of help at running back at wide receiver? Check.
A high-profile program? Check.
Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs has everything he needs to make a Heisman run in 2015.
Dobbs burst onto the scene last year when he threw for 1,206 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushed for 469 yards and eight touchdowns, helping lead the Vols to their first bowl appearance since 2010. Now with first-team snaps for an entire offseason for the first time in his career on Rocky Top, Dobbs is the face of the new-look Tennessee program.
If the Vols jump back into the national picture, it will likely be on the heels of strong performances from Dobbs, which should vault him into the Heisman discussion quickly.
Texas A&M: QB Kyle Allen
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Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin already produced one Heisman Trophy winner when he helped Johnny Manziel become the first redshirt freshman to ever take home the award.
Can Kyle Allen repeat the feat?
The 6'3", 205-pounder from Scottsdale, Arizona, took over for Kenny Hill late in the season and finished the year with 1,322 yards and 16 touchdowns—including a five-touchdown performance (four passing, one rushing) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against West Virginia.
He's taken No. 1 snaps all offseason with a very talented wide receiving corps and will benefit from the coaching staff's stated goal to become more balanced with a heavier emphasis on the run. That means those passing lanes are going to be wide open for Allen to light up opposing defenses, which he should do early and often in 2015.
Vanderbilt: RB Ralph Webb
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If you don't know Vanderbilt's Ralph Webb, you should.
The 5'10", 200-pounder from Gainesville, Florida, rushed for 907 yards and four touchdowns last year in an offense that was about as unstable as any in college football. As first-year head coach Derek Mason rotated quarterbacks throughout the year, all eyes were on Webb—and he succeeded with flying colors.
With former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig now running the offense, that should mean even more carries and more responsibility for Webb under a coordinator who's well-versed on producing offenses that churn out elite running backs.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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