Heisman Watch 2015: Top Contenders in Race for College Football's Biggest Honor

The race for college football's most prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy, is certainly heating up. Below, we'll break down the top-five contenders for the honor as the season winds down. 

Spoiler alert: Welcome to the year of the running back.

1. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama

When you rush for 200 yards in three of your last four games down the stretch of the SEC schedule—and you post those games against Texas A&M, LSU and Mississippi State—then, yes, you are probably going to shoot to the top of the Heisman watch list.

That's just what Derrick Henry has done. The Alabama back now has 1,458 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns on the season, and he has registered a rushing touchdown in 15 straight games. 

What makes Henry so dangerous is that he can not only wear down a defense with his size and physicality, but he can also burn them with his speed and vision. 

“I think that’s the kind of back that he is," his head coach, Nick Saban, told Alex Scarborough of ESPN. "As long as he is, he does a good job of picking his way through holes. But I think that once he gets rolling, he’s fast—faster than people think and faster than he looks. But what you can always tell is he outruns the angle, and that’s when you know someone is pretty fast.”

Henry probably doesn't need to continue his streak of 200-yard rushing games down the stretch to win the Heisman. Strong performances down the stretch that pad his stats will probably be enough. 

2. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Ezekiel Elliott is the No. 2 candidate at the moment, but there is a major asterisk next to his name. Why? Because in the next two weeks, Elliott and the Buckeyes will face their biggest challenges of the season in matchups against Michigan State and Michigan. 

If Ohio State wins those games—and Elliott has big performances—it's very possible he could vault past Henry in the Heisman race. His stats are comparable to Henry's, as he's rushed for 1,425 yards and 16 touchdowns, albeit against an easier schedule. 

If he blows up down the stretch like he did last year and puts up huge numbers against Michigan State, Michigan and likely Iowa in the Big Ten title game, he's going to make the job of the Heisman voters very difficult. 

3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

In the year of the running back, Baker Mayfield has his supporters. ESPN's Danny Kanell is a fan, as he told the Mike and Mike radio show:

Mayfield certainly has the stats. He's thrown for 3,082 yards, 31 touchdowns and five interceptions, completing 70.2 percent of his passes. What he needs now, however, are the major, prime-time wins.

Beating Baylor was a strong start, but how he performs against TCU and Oklahoma State will likely determine not only where he finishes in the Heisman voting, but also whether the Sooners can sneak into the College Football Playoff.  

4. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

One thing should be clear—Leonard Fournette is the best running back in the country. From a pure talent standpoint, few can compare. 

But despite his dominance for much of the year, Fournette rushed for just 31 yards against Alabama in his team's biggest game of the year. A week later, he again failed to reach 100 rushing yards in a shock loss to Arkansas, rushing for 91 yards and a score. 

And that, in a pretty tight Heisman race where no one player has completely separated himself from the pack, was costly. 

5. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State

Dalvin Cook is quickly becoming the en vogue sleeper choice to win the Heisman. And why not? In nine games, he's rushed for 1,369 yards and 14 touchdowns while maintaining a ridiculous 8.1 yards per carry. 

NFL Philosophy certainly thinks highly of him:

Florida State's two losses will probably keep him from winning the trophy, but Cook shouldn't be forgotten. He's having a spectacular season.