Remembering Top 2016 Heisman Contenders as College Football Recruits

Every Heisman Trophy race has its origins.

Some contenders established themselves as can't-miss prospects in high school, while others emerged as national college football stars after relatively under-the-radar recruitments. For a few, those journeys will intersect this December during the celebrated award ceremony in New York City. 

This latest collection of Heisman hopefuls will attempt to join an esteemed group of trophy recipients that includes eventual NFL Hall of Fame inductees such as Barry Sanders, Tim Brown and Marcus Allen. Before we look forward to the season ahead, let's review their previous rises as recruits. 

Here's a glimpse at the accolades and collegiate interest these players garnered during prep careers. We've focused on athletes considered the top 10 overall 2016 Heisman Trophy contenders, according to Odds Shark.

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2014

High School: Gainesville (Gainesville, Georgia)

Rating: 4-star

Composite Ranking: No. 1 dual-threat quarterback; No. 41 overall

Early Highlights

It didn't take long for Deshaun Watson to solidify his status as one of Georgia's most accomplished prep players, setting the state record for career passing yards before his senior season. His Gainesville legacy features 13,077 passing yards, 4,057 rushing yards and 214 touchdowns, per MaxPreps.

Clemson landed his commitment when Watson was just a sophomore, and it lasted through national signing day despite efforts from schools such as Ohio State, Georgia and Auburn. He was an Elite 11 finalist following his junior year, using the experience to progress as competition increased.

“Being an Elite 11 quarterback, you represent your family, your school and all of the other guys who came before you in this fraternity," Watson told Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani. "There’s only one quarterback on the field, and he’s usually the guy that is responsible for the team’s failures and successes."

With just one full collegiate campaign to his credit, he's already been identified by Alabama head coach Nick Saban as "the best player in college football since Cam Newton." Watson enters the 2016 season considered the odds-on favorite to earn Heisman honors after traveling to New York as a finalist last year.

LSU RB Leonard Fournette

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2014

High School: St. Augustine (New Orleans)

Status: 5-star

Composite Ranking: No. 1 running back; No. 1 overall

Early Highlights

Perhaps we take it for granted today, but many prospects wouldn't have managed to live up to the expectations Leonard Fournette encountered in high school. Recognized as the No. 1 overall recruit in a 2014 recruiting class that produced multiple Heisman contenders at this position, the New Orleans wunderkind rivaled likely NFL Hall of Fame inductee Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) in terms of hype upon university enrollment.

Larger than multiple blue-chip defensive ends (226 pounds as a senior), Fournette tallied 9,000 offensive yards and 90 rushing touchdowns at St. Augustine. He asserted himself as a major force during his 2010 freshman campaign, gaining 1,735 yards and 22 scores on the ground, and eventually chose in-state LSU over suitors such as Alabama, Texas and Notre Dame.

"The coaches, and overall, Louisiana, they kept pushing me to stay home," Fournette told Jerit Roser of NOLA.com. "It wasn't too much pressure, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere that I was getting from the whole state, so I decided to stay home."

He's essentially served as the face of this Tigers roster since he stepped on the field in Baton Rouge.

Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2014

High School: Valor Christian (Littleton, Colorado)

Rating: 4-star

Composite Ranking: No. 2 all-purpose back; No. 91 overall

Early Highlights

The son of former Stanford standout and Super Bowl-winning receiver Ed McCaffrey, an impressive football pedigree garnered attention from the time Christian McCaffrey put on a uniform. It wasn't long before he established his own reputation in the sport, rising to No. 1 overall among Colorado recruits in the 2014 class after a high school career that foreshadowed the dynamic elements we've come to expect from the Cardinal sensation.

McCaffrey made his presence known in multiple phases of the Valor Christian attack, collecting 5,335 rushing yards, 2,515 receiving yards and 133 offensive touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. An expansive offer list included Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame, but he opted for a future in Palo Alto.

"The combination of academics and athletics made Stanford a place I felt I could call home," McCaffrey told Justin Hopkins of 247Sports.

Since following in his father's footsteps, achievements include breaking Barry Sanders' single-season all-purpose-yardage record (now set at 3,864). McCaffrey finished runner-up to Alabama running back Derrick Henry for the Heisman last year.

Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2013

High School: Rider (Wichita Falls, Texas)

Rating: 4-star

Composite Ranking: No. 2 dual-threat quarterback; No. 137 overall

Early Highlights

Despite the abundant loss of NFL talent, Ohio State is still viewed as a national title contender this season due in large part to redshirt junior quarterback J.T. Barrett, who started shining as a dual-threat weapon on Lone Star State fields. He emerged as a serious threat during his junior campaign, gaining 1,521 yards on the ground and 1,605 yards through the air with 23 total touchdowns.

Barrett again bullied opponents in fall 2012 (more than 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns through five games) but saw his senior season cut short by a torn ACL. The Buckeyes landed his pledge before the injury, beating out programs such as Nebraska, LSU, Texas Tech and Baylor during the final stretch of Barrett's junior year.

Now back in full-time control of Ohio State's offensive attack, he'll aim to recapture the magic of his record-setting 2014 effort. Barrett will attempt to become head coach Urban Meyer's second Heisman-winning quarterback (Tim Tebow, 2007).

Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2012

High School: St. Joseph School (Buffalo, New York)

Rating: 4-star

Composite Ranking: No. 5 dual-threat quarterback; No. 178 overall

Early Highlights

Chad Kelly, the oldest member of this list, took a winding road to success in Oxford. Before arriving at Ole Miss, he attended Clemson and East Mississippi Community College, which wasn't exactly the intended path for a player considered one of the top high school prospects at his position.

The nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, he earned offers from Florida State, Alabama, Michigan State and nearby Syracuse before pledging to the Tigers prior to his senior season. Kelly would go on to rack up 4,041 offensive yards and 41 touchdowns that fall, according to his college bio, though his Clemson career prematurely ended after two years with the program when he was dismissed by head coach Dabo Swinney.

Kelly proceeded to shred defenses at the junior college level (4,352 total yards and 51 touchdowns) and was named the No. 1 dual-threat JUCO quarterback of the 2015 recruiting cycle. He'll look to cap off his redemption story at Ole Miss with an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony, proving again how unpredictable the collegiate journey can be for recruits of any stature.

Florida State RB Dalvin Cook

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2014

High School: Miami Central (Miami, Florida)

Rating: 5-star

Composite Ranking: No. 2 running back; No. 13 overall

Early Highlights

Dalvin Cook teamed up with fellow top-10 2014 running back prospect Joseph Yearby (a 1,000-yard rusher for Miami last season) at Miami Central to form America's most intimidating high school offensive backfield. He led the charge during a state title run his senior season with 1,940 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, and he capped it off with a 223-yard, four-touchdown performance in the championship game, according to Cook's college bio.

Florida and Clemson each carried his verbal commitment before a late decision to join Florida State's class. The Seminoles landed an instant offensive catalyst in Cook, who gained 3,391 yards and 56 scores on the ground as a high school upperclassman. 

He averaged 11 yards per carry as a senior at Miami Central, becoming the face of Florida State's post-Jameis Winston era just two years later.

Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield

Recruiting Class: 2013

High School: Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)

Rating: 3-star

Composite Ranking: No. 40 pro-style quarterback; No. 989 overall

Early Highlights

Baker Mayfield is undoubtedly the underdog story of this 2016 Heisman Trophy chase, though his success shouldn't surprise anyone following a scintillating trip to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season. As a high school senior sharing a city with the Texas Longhorns, his only scholarship offers arrived from Florida Atlantic, New Mexico and Rice, according to 247Sports.

His prep career featured a 25-2 record, 6,255 passing yards, 67 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, according to Mayfield's college bio, but he ultimately enrolled at Texas Tech as a walk-on player. That didn't prevent him from immediately earning the starting role, and Mayfield stunningly claimed Big 12 Conference Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors despite his status as a non-scholarship athlete.

He transferred to Oklahoma (where a scholarship awaited) following that fall, citing a "miscommunication" with the Red Raiders staff. After sitting out for a year, Mayfield picked up where he left off by claiming Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year accolades last season.

Needless to say, several college coaching staffs whiffed on this recruitment, and he's done an excellent job making them pay for the mistake.

Georgia RB Nick Chubb

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2014

High School: Cedartown (Cedartown, Georgia)

Rating: 5-star

Composite Ranking: No. 5 running back; No. 33 overall

Early Highlights

Georgia secured a 10-star running back tandem in the 2014 cycle, signing Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Both suffered injuries last fall but may have a shot at lofty NFL draft opportunities following their respective junior seasons, and Chubb is especially in the limelight after rushing for 2,294 yards through his first 19 games as a Bulldog. 

He was a prolific producer out of the backfield in high school, gaining 6,996 yards on the ground during his final three prep campaigns. Chubb averaged 9.6 yards per carry as a senior en route to 2,720 yards and 39 touchdowns. 

He held offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ohio State and several other high-profile programs by the end of his dominant Cedartown career. Chubb opted to join in-state Georgia, verbally committing to the Bulldogs in June 2013 over fellow finalists Auburn and South Carolina.

“Georgia is a place I feel comfortable, where I feel like I want to raise my family and live the rest of my life,” Chubb told Radi Nabulsi of DawgNation (via ESPN.com) after his announcement.

UCLA QB Josh Rosen

Credit: Student Sports

Recruiting Class: 2015

High School: St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California)

Rating: 5-star

Composite Ranking: No. 1 pro-style quarterback; No. 12 overall

Early Highlights

The golden-armed California prospect didn't disappoint as a true freshman at UCLA, warranting Pac-12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year recognition. A starter from the season opener, Josh Rosen did plenty to legitimize expansive hype that surrounded him at national powerhouse St. John Bosco.

Rosen, a 2014 Elite 11 finalist, threw for 8,473 yards and 90 touchdowns during a high-profile prep career, according to his college bio. He led St. John Bosco to a No. 1 national ranking as a junior, per MaxPreps, and ultimately seized the status of No. 1 overall passer in the 2015 class.

Rosen committed to the Bruins over fellow finalists Cal and Michigan in March 2014. Dating back to his early ambitions for UCLA, he hasn't shied away from an intense spotlight.

"I'd love to take snaps on opening day," he told Bleacher Report at Elite 11 finals. "I'm going to work as hard as I can to make that happen."

A year later, he checked that goal off his list. He is the youngest member of this list and already has scouts salivating over his professional potential well in advance of the 2018 NFL draft. 

Oregon RB Royce Freeman

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting Class: 2014

High School: Imperial (Imperial, California)

Rating: 4-star

Composite Ranking: No. 6 running back; No. 37 overall

Early Highlights

Yet another marquee member of the memorable 2014 running back class, Royce Freeman altered Southern California record books as a high school standout. He rushed for 2,824 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2013, according to his college bio, and eclipsed 300 yards in three games that fall.

Among the most powerful prep backs we've scouted in recent years, Freeman set the all-time San Diego Section career rushing mark with 7,601 yards on the ground. He averaged 11 yards per attempt as a senior, spending the entire season as an Oregon pledge following his mid-summer commitment.

Freeman's alternative college options included USC, UCLA, Florida, Stanford and Alabama.

"I love the coaching staff [at Oregon] and how they support the players," he told Justin Hopkins of 247Sports after his decision. "At first I was concerned about the offense, but I figured if those big offensive linemen can run, then I could too. I think I'll be a great fit for them."

His journey in Eugene began with Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors, and Freeman hasn't slowed since.

Tyler Donohue is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings and rankings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.