Preseason Heisman Candidates Most Likely to Flop in 2015

The Heisman Trophy race for any particular season is always a fascinating sight to behold. 

Multiple top candidates have the ability to stay in the race from the start of the season to the conclusion. Similarly, a few athletes come out of nowhere to make a name for themselves every year. 

This piece will attempt to look at the candidates with the most potential to flop heading into 2015. Players on this list are considered favorites for the award heading into the new season. 

To be fair, every player on this list is talented. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the five in question remain as legitimate Heisman candidates. 

However, there are reasons why their perspective candidacies may suffer.  

Leonard Fournette

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Running back Leonard Fournette.

Let's get something clear: Leonard Fournette is an awesome talent. 

The big back out of New Orleans has all the potential in the world. With Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard gone from the program, the role as the featured back is all his. 

With that said, there are a few reasons why he might not be in contention for the Heisman toward the end of the '15 season.

As is the case in most years, LSU faces a brutal conference schedule with games on the road against South Carolina, Ole Miss, Alabama and Mississippi State. This doesn't even mention home contests versus Texas A&M, Auburn and Arkansas.

Instability also exists at the quarterback position. The opposition will likely key in on Fournette, stacking the box and making the eventual starting quarterback win with his arm. 

Lastly, LSU yet again has a deep running back corps. Darrel Williams, Derrius Guice and Nick Brossette all will get time. As a result, Fournette might not accrue the same sort of statistical output as someone such as Georgia back Nick Chubb. 

Taysom Hill

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Hill breaking a tackle in space.

Taysom Hill is one of the more underrated players in the country. 

Before suffering a grisly leg injury last year, he was dominating the play on the field with his combination of arm talent and running ability. 

The dynamic signal-caller should be healthy in time for BYU's season opener on Sept. 5. While he has good talent to throw to on the perimeter, BYU's schedule will make it difficult for Hill to stay in the Heisman race. 

The Cougars open their 2015 season with seven games versus major competition. This portion of the schedule includes road games at Nebraska, UCLA and Michigan and also features contests against the likes of Boise State, East Carolina and Cincinnati. 

BYU also has a game toward the end of the season in Kansas City versus Missouri. 

As a result, it's unlikely Hill and the Cougars will finish with a double-digit win total. For the BYU quarterback to be a prominent member in the race, his team will have to have a good record since it doesn't hail from a power conference. 

Cardale Jones

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Jones is a fantastic player, but his numbers could be neutralized by his running back.

One might be surprised—even shocked—to see Cardale Jones on this list.

The signal-caller out of Cleveland is atop the college football mountain with his stellar performances versus Alabama and Oregon.

Despite his talent, some circumstances within the Ohio State football team could hinder his chances at winning the most prestigious individual award in the sport.

Although most expect Ohio State to name him as the starter, the Buckeyes boast other elite talent at quarterback in Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. Surely, head coach Urban Meyer will want to integrate all three into the mix if he can.

Conventional wisdom would suggest Ohio State accumulating multiple blowout victories in '15. As such, there's a real chance two—if not all three of the quarterbacks—will get substantial time on the field. This would, in theory, spread out the possible statistical output. 

Additionally, the Buckeyes will rely upon stellar running back Ezekiel Elliott. There's no question he will get a big chunk of the yards offensively. Again, this will take some of the possible numbers away from Jones. 

For these reasons above, it's conceivable to believe Jones will be a victim of circumstance when it comes to his Heisman chances. 

Dak Prescott

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Prescott might be in line for a tough 2015 season.

Dak Prescott was the early front-runner for the award in 2014 before his play tailed off a bit. Regardless, he led the Bulldogs to one of their best seasons in history. 

In 2015, it may be a different story. 

The Bulldogs lost productive starting running back Josh Robinson early to the NFL draft. Receivers Jameon Lewis and Robert Johnson have also departed, as have three starting offensive linemen from a season ago (including center Dillon Day and guard Ben Beckwith). 

Mississippi State has a daunting conference slate this year. It includes games at Auburn and Texas A&M and home contests versus Alabama and LSU. 

It's asking an awful lot for Prescott to replicate the season he had a year ago—especially considering the amount of talent head coach Dan Mullen has to replace at integral positions. 

Anu Solomon

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Solomon had a nightmarish game versus Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Anu Solomon had a good redshirt freshman campaign in 2014.

The Las Vegas native by way of Hawaii finished with more than 4,000 yards of total offense and threw 28 touchdowns. 

However, Solomon's year ended in a tough loss to Boise State. While he put up big numbers, he was victimized at times by inconsistent play. This often was the case versus the better competition Arizona faced. In 2015, Arizona will yet again play a challenging conference slate. 

Although he is touted as a candidate for the award by multiple publications, it may be a year too soon to consider Solomon a surefire contender.