Dark-Horse Candidates for 2017 Heisman Trophy

Lamar Jackson is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, crowned less than two weeks ago. He's only a sophomore, so when he returns next year he'll be the front-runner for a second Heisman—and rightfully so.

But, as we saw the last two times a Heisman winner returned to school—Johnny Manziel in 2013 and Jameis Winston in 2014—it takes a lot to repeat.

Rather than focus on top candidates, such as Jackson and returning Heisman finalist Baker Mayfield, this discussion is about those who don't immediately come to mind. So you won't see guys like Washington quarterback Jake Browning, USC passer Sam Darnold and LSU running back Derrius Guice—the heir apparent to Leonard Fournette.

Instead, we're focusing on the players whose Heisman push won't begin until they've put together a few strong performances next fall. But once that happens, you'll already be on the bandwagon after checking out our list of dark-horse candidates who could at least garner Heisman buzz.

Quinton Flowers, QB, South Florida

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Like what you've seen from Lamar Jackson? Then you'll love Quinton Flowers.

He's the same type of player as Jackson (and has put up similar numbers this season) yet didn't get nearly as much attention. And that was on a team that won 10 games, which enabled its coach, Willie Taggart, to take the Oregon job.

Flowers figures to have a much bigger spotlight in 2017—if he returns for his senior year—now that South Florida has brought in former Louisville and Texas coach Charlie Strong as Taggart's replacement.

And if Flowers can perform just as well if not better next year, it will be hard to keep him off the Heisman lists.

The 6'0", 210-pound quarterback is averaging 331.3 yards per game of total offense. He's thrown for 2,551 yards and 22 touchdowns and run for 1,425 yards and 15 scores. The rushing yardage is second only to Jackson among quarterbacks, and his TD count is third behind Navy's Will Worth and Jackson among QBs.

Flowers could be running even more in 2017 if teammate Marlon Mack (1,137 yards, 15 TDs) skips his senior year as most draft-eligible running backs tend to do. He'll also get a jump start on a potential campaign as South Florida opens next season a week earlier than most schools by playing Aug. 26 at San Jose State.

Brian Hill, RB, Wyoming

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Brian Hill is Wyoming's career rushing leader, earning that mark early in 2016 on his way to running for 1,860 yards and 22 touchdowns.

After going for 93 yards and a TD in Wednesday's Poinsettia Bowl loss to BYU, the 6'1", 210-pound junior said he hadn't made his decision about turning pro, per Brandon Foster of the Casper Star-Tribune.

If he returns for his senior year, he may find himself in the same position San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey did this season: in contention for the FBS rushing record.

Hill has 4,287 yards for his career, 15 more than Pumphrey had after three seasons before he added 2,133 and passed Ron Dayne's career record.

Hill would need 2,119 yards to pass Pumphrey, and he's capable of that based on the big games he's had. He has topped 200 yards seven times, including twice in 2016, and Wyoming is willing to feed him the rock, as he averaged 24.9 carries per game this season.

Pumphrey got shut out of the Heisman ceremony despite his tremendous senior year, but Hill might benefit from that snub if he can put up big numbers. He also has a pair of potential spotlight games next September against Iowa and Oregon.

Ed Oliver, DL, Houston

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It's a topic of discussion every year when talk turns to the Heisman Trophy: Will a defensive player ever win the award again? The last time it happened was in 1997, but Michigan's Charles Woodson was also a special teams star. Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o came close in 2012 when he was runner-up to Johnny Manziel.

Maybe Ed Oliver can break through and score one for the defensive guys. Based on how good he looked as a true freshman, it's possible.

Oliver, a 6'2", 290-pound defensive tackle who picked Houston over many power-conference schools, leads the FBS with 22.5 tackles for loss and has five sacks, nine pass breakups, seven quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.

If he'd done that for a team in the Big Ten or SEC he'd probably have been a Heisman finalist this season. Instead, he was just a guy who sacked eventual winner Lamar Jackson twice and took down third-place finisher Baker Mayfield two times.

Houston may not draw as much national attention in 2017 now that former head coach Tom Herman is at Texas, but Oliver could change that. Big performances in nonleague games against Arizona and Texas Tech would aid his cause.

John Ross, WR, Washington

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John Ross' teammate, Jake Browning, will be Washington's top Heisman contender entering the season after his monster sophomore year. But the quarterback's top target will warrant attention if he remains in school and continues to be a big-play threat.

Nearly half of Ross' 28 career touchdowns have gone for 50 or more yards, including seven of the first nine he scored. Those came before he aggravated his knee injury in 2015's spring practice after having surgery to repair a torn ACL, causing him to miss that season. This year, however, he returned with 17 receiving TDs on 76 catches for 1,122 yards along with rushing and kickoff return scores.

The 5'11", 190-pound Ross needs 11 TDs to become Washington's career leader, though it may be hard for him to pass up the NFL draft. B/R draft expert Matt Miller has him down as a first-round pick.

With Washington's College Football Playoff berth this season, it should spend much of 2017 in the spotlight. Ross' play would get plenty of attention even during the Huskies' many late-night games.

Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

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Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield may open 2017 as a top Heisman candidate, but don't forget about another quarterback from that state, one who has been incredibly consistent and productive in his two-plus seasons.

Since getting inserted as Oklahoma State's starter late in 2014 as a true freshman, Mason Rudolph has thrown for 8,400 yards with 52 touchdowns in 28 games. And the Cowboys have been among the top-scoring teams in the country during that run, averaging 43 points per game while going 21-7.

Rudolph was part of a quarterback tandem in 2015 with J.W. Walsh, who often took over in the red zone because of his running ability. But this season it's been all Rudolph.

An improved run game has aided the junior, but he has also held his own by throwing only four interceptions in 416 attempts, one of just two passers (along with North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky) with so few picks in 400-plus throws.

It would also help if Rudolph's best receiver, junior James Washington, came back with him. Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman has reported that both are expected to return for their senior years, but no official announcement has been made.

Logan Woodside, QB, Toledo

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Unless Washington's Jake Browning manages to be the first quarterback to throw for four or more touchdowns against Alabama this season, Logan Woodside will finish 2016 no worse than tied for first in the nation in TD passes. His 45 are three more than any other player after he had two against Appalachian State in the Camellia Bowl earlier this month.

Not bad for a player who had only 23 total TDs in his first two college seasons and was redshirted a year ago. Given the chance to run things this year, Woodside started hot and stayed that way all season with at least two TDs every game along with 4,129 yards and a 69.1 percent completion percentage.

Johnson finished one TD shy of the Mid-American Conference record, set in 2015 by Bowling Green's Matt Johnson. As a senior, he should challenge for it again and will have some quality non-league opponents to potentially shine against as Toledo will take on a 10-win Tulsa team as well as visiting Miami (Florida) before entering MAC play.

All recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com, unless otherwise noted. All statistics provided by CFBStats, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.