Remembering Top 2015 Heisman Contenders as College Football Recruits
The annual Heisman Trophy race captivates college football fans across the country, vaulting young athletes into national stardom. Several players enter the 2015 season surrounded by sky-high expectations and aim to justify the hype when games begin.
Every award-winning campaign has its origins, back to the hometowns and high schools that ultimately shaped these standouts. Those roots are also tied to their respective recruiting processes, as Heisman hopefuls took various paths into the spotlight.
Here's a look at eight potential candidates and how they performed as young prospects. Players listed are considered the top Heisman Trophy contenders, according to OddsShark.com.
Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson
1 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2013
High School: Carver (Montgomery, Alabama)
Status: 4-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 11 pro-style quarterback; No. 165 overall
Early Highlights
Jeremy Johnson dominated at Alabama powerhouse Carver High School, doubling as a standout on the state championship basketball team. He posted impressive numbers at quarterback, throwing for 8,223 yards and 79 scores during his final three seasons.
His Carver career culminated with a sensational senior campaign that included 31 touchdown tosses and 3,900 total yards. Johnson commanded extensive SEC attention, securing offers from Ole Miss and LSU before enrolling at in-state Auburn.
USC QB Cody Kessler
2 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2011
High School: Centennial (Bakersfield, California)
Status: 4-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 4 pro-style quarterback; No. 142 overall
Early Highlights
Cody Kessler emerged as one of the West Coast's top talents while orchestrating a high-octane Centennial offensive attack. He earned California Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a senior after throwing 36 touchdowns and just two interceptions for a 10-win team.
His achievements included 70 total touchdowns as an upperclassman, along with Bakersfield Area Player of the Year accolades in both football and basketball. Kessler's list of scholarship offers featured Alabama, Arizona State and Washington, where USC head coach Steve Sarkisian previously worked.
Georgia RB Nick Chubb
3 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2014
High School: Cedartown (Cedartown, Georgia)
Status: 5-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 5 running back; No. 33 overall
Early Highlights
Nick Chubb produced at a prolific rate typically reserved for video games, rushing for 5,417 yards and 77 touchdowns during his final two seasons at Cedartown. He led the state in rushing yards as a junior, garnering early offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida State and Notre Dame.
He was one of two 5-star running backs to sign with the Bulldogs in 2014, teaming up with Florida product Sony Michel. Chubb churned out 2,690 yards and 41 scores as a high school senior.
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Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
4 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2014
High School: Gainesville (Gainesville, Georgia)
Status: 4-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 dual-threat quarterback; No. 41 overall
Early Highlights
Deshaun Watson set the Georgia high school record for career passing yards before the end of his junior season, piling on to that total as a senior. He graduated from Gainesville with 13,077 yards through the air and another 4,057 yards on the ground.
Watson tallied 218 career touchdowns in high school, capped off by a personal-best 71 total scores as a senior. He committed to Clemson as a sophomore and stuck by that pledge despite interest from Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon and other high-profile college programs.
Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott
5 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2013
High School: John Burroughs School (St. Louis)
Status: 4-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 4 all-purpose back; No. 69 overall
Early Highlights
Ezekiel Elliott emerged as a formidable force during his junior campaign, collecting 2,200 total offensive yards and 40 touchdowns. He led his high school squad to the state title game as a senior, erupting for 3,061 all-purpose yards and 50 scores.
His efforts earned him St. Louis Post-Dispatch Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2012. Elliott elected to sign with Ohio State over in-state Missouri, where his father played college football.
TCU QB Trevone Boykin
6 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2011
High School: West Mesquite (Mesquite, Texas)
Status: 3-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 53 athlete; No. 767 overall
Early Highlights
Despite a dynamic high school career at quarterback, few college programs paid much attention to Trevone Boykin at the position. Some viewed wide receiver as his ultimate landing spot, and the decision came down to TCU over UTEP.
Boykin punished opponents at West Mesquite, rushing for 1,799 yards and 30 scores as a senior. He displayed a well-balanced skill set that season, completing 61 percent of pass attempts for 2,930 yards and 28 touchdowns.
LSU RB Leonard Fournette
7 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2014
High School: St. Augustine (New Orleans)
Status: 5-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 running back; No. 1 overall
Early Highlights
Perhaps the most hyped high school running back since Adrian Peterson, New Orleans phenom Leonard Fournette fit the bill as an eventual feature college rusher early in his high school career. He rushed for 1,735 yards and 22 touchdowns as a freshman, and that would ultimately be his lowest statistical output.
His St. Augustine efforts included nearly 9,000 career offensive yards and 90 rushing touchdowns. Fournette opted to remain in-state at LSU after weighing offers from Alabama, Florida State and Notre Dame.
Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett
8 of 8
Recruiting Class: 2013
High School: Rider (Wichita Falls, Texas)
Status: 4-star
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 3 dual-threat quarterback; No. 137 overall
Early Highlights
Years before he obliterated Big Ten Conference offensive records, quarterback J.T. Barrett showcased his multi-faceted skill set in the Lone Star State. He broke out as a junior in 2011, rushing for 1,521 yards and throwing for another 1,605 yards.
His senior season started in a similarly scintillating fashion, as Barrett tallied more than 1,600 total yards and 12 touchdowns in the first five games, but a torn ACL ended things prematurely at Rider High School. He pledged to Ohio State before that campaign, picking the Buckeyes in spring 2012 over offers from Baylor, Texas Tech, Nebraska and LSU.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
