Top 2015 Heisman Candidates from Non-Power Five Programs
When Marcus Mariota ran away with the Heisman vote last season, it wasn't much of a surprise.
What was a surprise in the results for college football's biggest individual award was that every player who finished in the top 10 of the 2014 vote played on a Power Five team. Last year marked the first time since 2000 that there were no players on the top 10 of the ballot who played on a school outside a Power Five or a BCS conference.
Don't expect that to happen again in 2015. Several stars from non-Power Five schools who had incredible 2014 seasons are back this fall, ready to put their names into the national spotlight.
But what will it take for a non-Power Five player to contend for the Heisman this season?
In the past five seasons, five different offensive players from non-power conference schools—Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch, Fresno State's Derek Carr, Houston's Case Keenum, Boise State's Kellen Moore and Nevada's Colin Kaepernick—have finished in the top 10 of a Heisman vote.
All five of these quarterbacks had two things in common: They each finished in the top five of a major statistical category, and their teams had each won double-digit games heading into the night the Heisman results were announced. Putting up gaudy numbers isn't enough for these Heisman candidates—they have to be winning a lot, too.
With those criteria in mind, here are six non-Power Five playmakers—and one special exception—who have already been some of the nation's best from a statistical standpoint and play on teams that could break the 10-win barrier this season.
These are the names and numbers to watch outside of the Power Five in 2015.
BYU QB Taysom Hill
1 of 7
Number to watch: Total offense (No. 10 nationally in 2013)
Hill's start to the 2014 season had him on pace to contend for the Heisman Trophy. He averaged 326 yards of total offense and scored 15 all-purpose touchdowns before breaking his leg in the fifth game of the season against Utah State. Now he's back for one more season at BYU.
"If he's healthy, he will put up big numbers for the Cougars," NFL.com's Mike Huguenin wrote. "Hill has OK speed and is a physical runner who'd just as soon run over a defender as run around him. And while he's not a highly polished passer, that facet of his game showed improvement before he was hurt last season."
The senior will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his skills on the national stage early this fall as BYU opens the season with Nebraska, Boise State, UCLA and Michigan. Big numbers—and wins—against that level of competition will undoubtedly make Hill a candidate to become the first non-Power Five Heisman winner since fellow BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990.
Colorado State WR Rashard Higgins
2 of 7
Numbers to watch: Receiving yards and TDs (No. 1 nationally in 2014)
Amari Cooper made it to New York City as a Heisman finalist last season after having an incredible season as SEC champion Alabama's go-to playmaker on offense. But Cooper finished second nationally in both receiving yards and touchdowns to one player—"Hollywood" Higgins.
The Colorado State star did the rare double of leading the nation in both major receiving categories while grabbing some All-American honors last season. He is back to do it again in 2015, but the challenge looks even greater this season for him and the Rams.
Higgins has a new head coach and a new quarterback this season, which will make repeating his successes from 2014 a tough ask. If the star wideout can establish a rhythm again in this new-look program, a Heisman campaign and a great record won't be out of the question for Higgins and Colorado State. The Rams have possibly the easiest schedule in the Mountain West.
Marshall RB Devon Johnson
3 of 7
Number to watch: Rushing yards per play (No. 5 nationally in 2014)
Johnson defines "big play" in more ways than one. First of all, he averaged a stunning 8.58 rushing yards per play last season in Marshall's exciting offense, which ranked first among the 47 players who recorded at least 200 carries. He also made the most of his six receptions last year, averaging 20 yards in that category.
Secondly, Johnson is literally a big player. He's a converted tight end who weighs 243 pounds, which should be terrifying for the defenses the Thundering Herd will face in 2015.
Star quarterback Rakeem Cato is now gone, but Marshall still remains the team to beat in the Conference USA. Having a big-play threat like Johnson, who should get more touches this season, will help the transition at signal-caller for the Herd as they look to record double-digit wins for a third straight campaign.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Navy QB Keenan Reynolds
4 of 7
Number to watch: Rushing TDs (No. 5 nationally in 2014)
Reynolds has already made a legendary career out of finding the end zone at Navy. He already holds the record for most career rushing touchdowns as he passed Kaepernick, who finished third in voting for the 2010 Heisman Trophy.
The Navy senior needs just 14 touchdowns this year in order to break former Wisconsin RB Montee Ball's FBS record for career rushing scores. Reynolds put up 23 last season despite sitting out two games. If he stays healthy and Navy can succeed with their easier 2015 schedule and new AAC affiliation, there's no reason the record and some Heisman recognition won't be his.
"Reynolds feels like he's been around forever, and while he's not going to win the award, he's the type of known smaller-school player who could pull a Jordan Lynch and get some votes if Navy has a big season," Sports On Earth's Matt Brown wrote.
Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire
5 of 7
Number to watch: Notre Dame's 2015 wins
Here is the exception to the rule. Notre Dame is far from the typical non-Power Five program. The Fighting Irish are one of the biggest names in the game, and the spotlight is always shining on those Golden Domes each season.
In this case, Zaire might not have to put up the ridiculous numbers players from smaller schools must do in order to get into the Heisman discussion. For example, former Irish linebacker Manti Te'o wasn't near the top of the national lists in tackles or sacks, but his seven interceptions and role on Notre Dame's elite defense earned him a runner-up finish in the 2012 Heisman race.
If Zaire excels in his new role and leads a Notre Dame team filled with playmakers to championship-contending heights in 2015, there is a strong chance the new Irish quarterback will put himself in the running for the Heisman. Although he's only seen extended action in two games, the potential is there for Zaire.
San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey
6 of 7
Number to watch: Rushing yards (No. 4 nationally in 2014)
San Diego State's offense is built on hammering the ball at defenses on the ground, and it's led to some great Aztec running backs in recent seasons. The Aztecs have had a 1,000-yard rusher each of their last five seasons, but Pumphrey went above and beyond in 2014 with his school-record mark of 1,873 and 20 touchdowns.
Pumphrey put up those ridiculous numbers as a sophomore last season, and he should continue to improve as the No. 1 running back for a dangerous SDSU team this year. Double-digit wins looks possible on the Aztecs' schedule, which has several winnable nonconference games and doesn't have a matchup with Mountain West powerhouse Boise State.
"If SDSU is ever going to break the nine-win barrier, it will be this year," SB Nation's Bill Connelly wrote. "This is an incredible opportunity for SDSU to break through, and while I get a little bit anxious saying so many nice things about a team with a new quarterback, that's how much I like Pumphrey and the defense."
Western Kentucky QB Brandon Doughty
7 of 7
Number to watch: Passing yards (No. 1 nationally in 2014)
Doughty led the nation in passing last season and is back to do it one more year for the Hilltoppers, who return eight offensive starters from a team that has now won eight games in back-to-back seasons.
What will it take for Doughty to garner some Heisman consideration this season? Look to Carr's 2013 season and Keenum's 2009 and 2011 campaigns. Both Heisman vote-getters broke the 5,000-yard mark and played on teams who recorded at least 10 wins.
Doughty was just 170 passing yards shy of 5,000 last season, and the Hilltoppers could realistically break into 10-win territory with the talent it returns for 2015. If the Hilltoppers make some more noise this season, Doughty could join Carr and Keenum as one of the most successful small-school quarterbacks of the last decade.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.
Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
