Teams Most Likely to Produce 2015 Heisman Finalists
The Heisman Trophy isn't won in July, but that hasn't stopped anyone from talking about it.
Not surprisingly, updated Heisman odds from Odds Shark have plenty of household names listed as early award favorites. But which teams have the best shot at producing a Heisman winner this season? In the follow slides, we break down candidates based on stats, positions, team schemes/systems and all the other areas that make up the unofficial Heisman formula.
Even then, these are just guesses. As recent winners such as Johnny Manziel have shown, Heisman winners can come out of nowhere to take the college football world by storm.
Georgia
1 of 11
Potential Finalist: running back Nick Chubb
There are only so many ways to re-hash Chubb's rise to stardom as a freshman in 2014. So, here's why he's a legitimate candidate going forward: Obviously, he has past production (1,547 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns) to give him some push. More than that, though, he's a classic bell-cow running back in an offense that should rely heavily on the run. He also plays on a team that could win at least nine games and contend for a SEC East title.
Chubb is an entertaining player to watch for such a big runner, too, which counts for something. His blend of power, speed and vision is impressive for someone as young as he is. Chubb's ability to take over a game helps his Heisman chances as well.
Clemson
2 of 11
Potential Finalist: quarterback Deshaun Watson
The biggest thing holding Watson back is his health. He missed five games last season due to hand and knee injuries, the latter of which kept him out for the spring. When Watson is healthy, though, he's arguably the most impressive player in the ACC.
Bleacher Report colleague Michael Felder was on hand to see Watson practice at the Elite 11 throwing sessions last week. The knee doesn't appear to be an issue, which is good news for Watson as he prepares for the '15 season.
“This is a kid that’s going to be in New York City with an opportunity to win a Heisman trophy. I’m saying it right now in July," Felder said. "With Deshaun Watson at the quarterback spot, not only does Clemson have a guy that’s going to be in contention for a Heisman Trophy, but I think they’re the favorite to win the ACC.”
The Tigers' defense has some rebuilding to do, but there's no denying this offense has firepower with Watson and receivers Mike Williams and Artavis Scott. If Watson improves on his freshman campaign and puts up big numbers, which he's capable of doing, a trip to New York looks probable.
TCU
3 of 11
Potential Finalist: quarterback Trevone Boykin
According to Odds Shark, Bovada lists Boykin as the odds-on favorite for the Heisman at 6-1. There's a good reason for that. Boykin went from an underwhelming, part-time starter on track to possibly switch positions to a full-fledged stud in a single year. His transformation under co-coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie was as dramatic as any player's in college football.
The thing is, though, he can actually get better—he threw for 3,901 yards, rushed for another 707 and totaled 42 touchdowns in 2014.
With practically the entire offense returning, the Horned Frogs should have no problem putting up big numbers once again. There's a special chemistry that comes with experience, and TCU has a lot of it. That's a good thing for Boykin.
He's a dual-threat quarterback, meaning he's a one-man show in a big offense on a championship-caliber team. It adds up that Boykin would be a Heisman finalist, if not a favorite.
Ohio State
4 of 11
Potential Finalists: running back Ezekiel Elliott; quarterback J.T. Barrett; quarterback Cardale Jones; quarterback Braxton Miller
No, it's not exactly adventurous to claim the defending national champs will have another great year, but this 2015 Ohio State team is l-o-a-d-e-d. Not only could the Buckeyes have a big draft day in 2016, they could have multiple Heisman finalists.
Elliott is at 7-1 odds to win the Heisman, making him the favorite as far as running backs go. Though mostly overshadowed last year by a banner group of running backs in the Big Ten, no one finished stronger than Elliott, who had three straight 200-yard games in the postseason. Elliott won't be overlooked this year, and another 1,800-yard season would probably earn him a trip to New York.
As far as Ohio State's quarterbacks go: Pick one. Any one. The Buckeyes might be a deep team, but it's not like they'll get to the playoffs in spite of their quarterback. Whoever leads Ohio State on offense is going to put up numbers worthy of Heisman consideration.
Ohio State's Heisman finalist may be a running back or a quarterback, but it wouldn't be too far-fetched for it to be both.
Mississippi State
5 of 11
Potential Finalist: quarterback Dak Prescott
This is a borderline selection, to be honest, though Prescott is the best returning quarterback in the SEC. In a conference that will be heavy on running backs, Prescott stands out at the quarterback spot. Prescott was very much in the Heisman running for much of last year's banner season.
However, the Bulldogs have a lot to replace. A lot.
Did we mention there's a lot to replace?
As such, projections for Mississippi State will be low for the 2015 season. Granted, projections are just that, and Mississippi State has surpassed them before.
"After that season like we had last year and to come back and be preseason No. 7 [in the SEC], that chip just gets bigger," Prescott told Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com at SEC media days.
But if those projections come to fruition and Mississippi State does finish at or near the bottom of the SEC, you can probably say goodbye to Prescott's Heisman chances. That would be a shame since Prescott is an outstanding player.
However, if Mississippi State once again exceeds expectations, it could actually boost Prescott's chances as the guy who put the weight of the team on his shoulders. In that sense, Prescott's chances as a Heisman finalist have a boom-or-bust theme.
USC
6 of 11
Potential Finalists: quarterback Cody Kessler; wide receiver/cornerback/returner Adoree' Jackson
Kessler is the no-brainer choice. He was the second-most efficient quarterback in the Pac-12 behind Marcus Mariota last season, which means he was among the most efficient quarterbacks anywhere in college football. The hype train for USC is full speed ahead, and Kessler's Heisman bump isn't too far behind.
Kessler is a well-known name whose Heisman ceiling has a lot of room to grow, and the Trojans are a blue-blood program. All of that works to Kessler's advantage, but he'll have to play well in big games against Stanford, Notre Dame, UCLA and Oregon. That's when his spotlight will be the brightest.
As for Jackson, consider him a dark horse of the extremely dark variety. Heisman trophies just don't go to defensive players, but that's why Jackson is unique. He's not simply a cornerback; he's a wide receiver, running back and return specialist, and he excels in every area. That's the kind of versatility a player like Jackson needs to display to even have a chance.
The flip side to that versatility is that it's the responsibility of head coach Steve Sarkisian not to over-work Jackson.
Oklahoma
7 of 11
Potential Finalist: running back Samaje Perine
Like Chubb, Perine burst on to the scene last year when the expectation was that someone else—in Oklahoma's case, Joe Mixon—would be the star. All Perine did was rush for a Big 12-best 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 427 yards against Kansas set a new FBS single-game rushing record, previously held for one whole week by Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon.
Perine's value was also evident in that he was responsible for what little identity Oklahoma's offense had last year. Don't be fooled by the Sooners' new Air Raid title with new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. Riley knows what he has in Perine, and he'll use him. Perine's carries won't go away. If anything, the versatility in his touches may go up.
We've already seen how Perine can take over a contest. If he can do that in big games against Baylor and/or TCU, the two Big 12 preseason favorites, his Heisman stock will skyrocket.
Pitt
8 of 11
Potential Finalists: running back James Conner; wide receiver Tyler Boyd
We'll start with a shameless plug: If you haven't read Adam Kramer's feature on Conner, once a linebacker recruit with Mid-American Conference offers, do so here. The recruiting system is an inexact science because the sheer number of recruits dictates that. Sometimes the star system gets it right with recruits, and sometimes it gets it horribly, laughably wrong. Conner's case would be the latter.
In addition to being an excellent running back, Conner also plays in the right system. That's not a dig; just about everyone who succeeds plays in a system that highlights their talents. The Panthers run the ball a lot. They had a 2-to-1 run-pass ratio last year. Not 50-50, not even 60-40. That's a huge difference over the course of the season. Conner can take advantage of that type of offense in the way Melvin Gordon did at Wisconsin last season.
That probably makes you wonder why Boyd would be included here. In short, he was Pitt's passing game, accounting for about 50 percent of the receiving statistics. However, like a defensive player, wide receivers generally need to do a little more than their job description assigns to earn Heisman recognition. Not only does Boyd need to, at the very least, maintain those types of numbers—he had 1,261 yards and eight touchdowns last season—he needs to improve on special teams. He was a decent returner in 2014 but didn't record any touchdowns.
Ole Miss
9 of 11
Potential Finalist: wide receiver Laquon Treadwell
Remember how I literally just said wide receivers generally have to do more than catch passes to have a shot at the Heisman? Treadwell would be the exception.
From a raw talent standpoint, there probably isn't a more dominant player at the wide receiver spot in 2015 than Treadwell. This is a pass-catcher of the Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson mold in terms of his ability to take over a game. Before his horrific season-ending leg injury in 2014, Treadwell was on pace to grab 70 catches for 913 yards—and that was with inconsistent quarterback play.
The big question for Treadwell, obviously, revolves around who will throw him the ball this year. The Land Sharks are in the middle of a tight quarterback battle. If Ole Miss can make an SEC West run and Treadwell can improve on his numbers given a full, healthy season, it's not impossible to think he could have a Kevin White or Amari Cooper type of year.
LSU
10 of 11
Potential Finalist: running back Leonard Fournette
As a freshman, Fournette made it clear he had the Heisman Trophy in his sights. While Fournette didn't earn a trip to New York, he put up good numbers—1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground—and contributed on special teams with 24 kickoff returns for 625 yards and a touchdown.
He'll need to do all of that again, and more, to finally get to New York in 2015. But he plays in the right offense to do just that. Additionally, he can become the leader of the team if quarterback play is still suspect.
According to ESPN's Joe Schad, Fournette earned high praise during SEC media days from Florida defensive tackle Jon Bullard, who said Fournette was tougher to slow down than Nick Chubb. That counts for something.
Best of the Rest
11 of 11
Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson: Johnson is already getting a lot of Heisman chatter, namely from Bleacher Report colleague Barrett Sallee. However, unlike other players listed here, Johnson doesn't have a lot of experience. His Heisman status is therefore basically a projection. But it's not unwarranted—remember, Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston were first-year starters when they won the Heisman.
Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook: The senior could easily be one of the top quarterbacks in next year's NFL draft. But the Spartans are also replacing their top two receivers, and it's fair to wonder if Cook will put up the necessary stats.
UCLA running back Paul Perkins: Perkins is an interesting Heisman hopeful. He led the Pac-12 in rushing a year ago, but some might favor Utah's Devontae Booker as far as running backs go. Perkins certainly doesn't have the same name recognition as Chubb, Perine or Elliott. However, he'll play on a talented, possibly playoff-bound team with a first-year starting quarterback, meaning a sound running game will be important. That's a good Heisman formula.
Oregon running back Royce Freeman: Freeman was another one of those freshman running backs who was hot out of the gate in 2014. Since Oregon's offense is a stat sheet's best friend, Freeman has the chance to once again put up ridiculous numbers. Vernon Adams Jr., should he win the starting quarterback job, could be an interesting addition to the offense, though.
BYU quarterback Taysom Hill: I hesitate to call him a poor man's Dak Prescott (or Tim Tebow) because there's nothing poor about Hill. The guy is a one-man wrecking crew for the Cougars, but he's had major health problems during his career. His best chance to make it to New York is to stay healthy and fill the role of a Jordan Lynch (NIU) or Colt Brennan (Hawaii), both of whom made the finalist cut as small-school dark horses.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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