College Football Predictions 2011: Top 25 Heisman Trophy Candidates
If you're a college football player and you don't win a national championship, then what's the next best achievement?
Well, winning the Heisman Trophy, of course.
And as we saw last year with Cam Newton, you never know who's gonna explode for a monster season and win college football's most coveted individual prize
Because the list of players with a shot at taking home the Heisman is as long right now as it ever will be.
But here's the 25 players who I think have the best chance of winning the award in 2011.
25. Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford
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Lost in all the hoopla surrounding Andrew Luck last season was Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor.
But the 5'11, 200-pound back quietly put together a very productive season, with 1,137 rushing yards, 266 receiving yards (on 28 catches) and 16 total touchdowns.
That's not bad for a guy who's name was hardly mentioned in 2010.
However, I would expect you to hear the name Stepfan--how awesome is that?--Taylor a lot more often in 2011.
24. Chris Relf, QB, Mississippi State
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Is Chris Relf a poor man's Cam Newton? No, don't freak out, because that's not what I am saying.
But I do think that's who Relf should pattern his game after.
Last season, Relf threw for 1,789 yards, rushed for another 713 and scored 18 total touchdowns.
Those stats aren't going to blow anyone away, but if Relf stays behind center all season long and continues to develop, then he could greatly improve his numbers and his Heisman chances in the process.
23. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
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As a guy whose production has increased each and every season, Michael Floyd could be on the verge of a monster 2011.
Last season, he caught 79 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns, and now has 28 total touchdowns while at Notre Dame.
Though Floyd may be one of the most physically gifted wide receivers in the nation, his success will depend largely upon the play of his quarterback.
If Dayne Crist can keep it all together for a full season, Floyd could put up record-setting numbers for the Fighting Irish.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
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You'll notice a heavy QB focus on this list, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles, as only two non-QBs (both RBs) have won the Heisman Trophy since 2000.
And if the quarterback trend continues in 2011, then Baylor's Robert Griffin could be the guy.
As a sophomore in 2010, he completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,501 yards, rushed for another 635 yards and scored 30 total touchdowns.
Considering that Griffin played for a so-so Baylor team, I'd say that's a pretty big testament to this guy's playmaking ability.
21. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
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With Justin Blackmon coming back to Oklahoma State in 2011, Brandon Weeden is poised for another remarkable season behind center.
In 2010, the Cowboys gunslinger completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 4,277 yards and 34 touchdown passes, helping give OSU the nation's No. 2 passing offense and No. 3 scoring offense.
Translation: Weeden puts up a ton of points and even more passing yards.
That'll look good on his resume come Heisman voting time.
20. David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
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In 2010, David Wilson wasn't anything special, totaling 619 rushing yards, 234 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns.
But he was stuck in a three-back rotation then, and now he won't have to split carries with Ryan Williams and Darren Evans.
And that means that big things are on the horizon for Wilson, who will see a huge increase in his workload in 2011.
If his 5.5 yards per carry average stays put, Wilson could rush for 1,500-plus yards, with 20-25 total touchdowns.
19. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
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Denard Robinson's Heisman candidacy will depend largely upon how well he transitions from Rich Rodriguez's spread attack to Michigan's new system under Brady Hoke.
The early favorite last year, Robinson accounted for more than 4,200 total yards (1,702 rushing) and 32 total touchdowns.
The production was there, but the wins weren't.
If Robinson can find a happy medium between winning and putting up ridiculous numbers, he's got as good of a chance as anybody to win this award.
18. Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas
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Ryan Mallett is gone from Arkansas, and the Razorbacks appear to be in good hands with Tyler Wilson behind center.
But even if Wilson plays well, you can still expect Arkansas to rely on the guy who's name sounds like a river in Egypt, Knile Davis.
As a sophomore in 2010, Davis totaled 1,322 rushing yards, 139 receiving yards (on 19 receptions) and 14 total touchdowns.
But look for him to be even better in 2011 now that he's a bit more experienced.
17. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
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I'm not sure anyone really noticed, but Geno Smith played incredibly well for the Mountaineers last season.
Though he's no Pat White when it comes to running the football, Smith proved to be a pretty good gunslinger, completing 64.8 percent of his passes, for 2,763 yards, 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
And now Smith has some help at West Virginia: former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who helped develop one of the nation's most prolific passing attacks last season with the Cowboys.
If Holgorsen can do at WVU what he did at OSU, then Smith could be a darkhorse candidate.
16. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
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Ryan Broyles surprisingly decided to stay at Oklahoma for his senior season, during which the Sooners will be a preseason national title favorite and Broyles will be a Heisman and All-American candidate.
He's got 266 career receptions for 3,429 yards and 35 receiving touchdowns.
But Broyles' best season came in 2010 when he caught a ridiculous 131 passes for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He also brings added value as a return man, which could help his stock in the eyes of Heisman voters
15. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
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You forgot about Case Keenum, didn't you?
Well, the Houston quarterback is back in his sixth year of eligibility after missing most of last season due to an injury.
And if Keenum is healthy, it wouldn't be a shock to see him put up video game-like numbers.
In 2008, he threw for 5,020 yards and scored 51 total touchdowns, and in 2009, he threw for 5,671 yards and scored 48 total touchdowns.
If Keenum played for a better/bigger school, he'd undoubtedly be a top-five candidate.
14. Matt Barkley, QB, USC
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Matt Barkley didn't get much publicity last season, but the USC quarterback took a huge step up from a freshman season in which he threw almost as many interceptions (14) as touchdowns (15).
In 2010, Barkley completed 62.6 percent of his passes, threw for nearly 2,800 yards and accounted for 28 total touchdowns.
He still needs to cut down on his interceptions—he threw 12 last season—but he's gradually improved throughout his time at USC.
A highly-touted prospect out of high school, Barkley could finally be reaching his potential
13. Michael Dyer, RB, Auburn
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Auburn's best player in the BCS National Championship Game wasn't Cam Newton, it was Michael Dyer.
The true freshman running back ran for 143 yards on just 22 carries against Oregon, asserting himself as one of the breakout stars of the 2010-11 college football campaign.
For the season, Dyer ran for 1,093 yards and five touchdowns, which isn't phenomenal but is very good considering how many other options Auburn had in the running game.
Dyer may continue to get a limited amount of touches in 2011 because of Onterio McCalebb, but the talent is certainly there for him to be a top-tier Heisman contender
12. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
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I almost left Taylor Martinez off this list because he's not even a lock to be Nebraska's starter next year—the Cornhuskers could go with Cody Green or one of two incoming freshmen.
But alas, I looked at Martinez's stats, looked at those of Eric Crouch and figured Martinez would be a legit contender if he does win the starting job.
He accounted for more than 2,500 total yards and 22 touchdowns in 2010 despite missing two full games and being pulled from a few others.
If Martinez can get himself together and stay behind center all season, there's no reason to think he can't put up 2,500 passing yards, 1,000 rushing yards and 30-plus touchdowns
11. Montee Ball/James White, RB, Wisconsin
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Montee Ball's 2010 production: 163 rushes, 996 rushing yards (6.1 YPC), 18 rushing TDs
James White's 2010 production: 156 carries, 1,052 rushing yards (6.7 YPC), 14 rushing TDs
Completely remove John Clay from that equation, and what you have is not one but two Wisconsin running backs who could threaten that 1,500-yard mark in 2011.
Though the fact that they'll split the carries could hurt them both, you never know if one of them will take over as the team's primary back.
And, heck, even if they do share the load 50/50, this is run-heavy Wisconsin we're talking about--Ball and White could both be in that Heisman conversation next season.
10. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
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I'm not quite as high on Texas A&M as everybody else seems to be, but Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill has made the smoothest transition from wide receiver to quarterback in recent memory.
After taking over at the team's starter halfway through the season, Tannehill led the Aggies to six straight regular season wins, threw for 1,600 yards and accounted for 14 total touchdowns in his seven starts.
Tannehill does need to work on protecting the ball—he threw three interceptions in the Cotton Bowl against LSU—but he's 6-1 as the starter for a team that will have lofty preseason expectations.
If he keeps the Aggies in the top five or 10 for most of the season, he's got a shot, though he is a bit of a dark horse candidate
9. Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia
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The 2010 stat line: 3,049 yards, 28 total touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
Would you think those numbers belonged to a freshman on a 6-7 team? Probably not.
But they did.
Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray had a stellar freshman campaign and was one of the few bright spots for the Bulldogs, but the kid is just getting started.
Unless Georgia is somehow a sub-.500 team again, Murray's name should be in the Heisman talk all season
8. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
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Justin Blackmon's numbers during his redshirt sophomore season (2010) at Oklahoma State were stupid good.
He caught 111 passes for 1,782 yards, scored 21 total touchdowns and had at least 105 receiving yards in every game he played in.
Blackmon's production could take a hit now that offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen is gone, but Blackmon is still a beast and his quarterback, Brandon Weeden, is also returning.
7. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
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Mark Ingram is headed for the NFL, and that makes Trent Richardson a very happy man.
Despite living in Ingram's shadow through his career, Richardson has put up very impressive numbers, especially in 2010 when he rushed for 700 yards (6.3 yards per carry), caught 23 passes for 266 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns.
Not to mention he did that despite missing two games.
Richardson is a real threat to win the Heisman, considering he'll be playing for an Alabama team that should contend for a national title.
6. Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon
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I still don't understand how Darron Thomas's name wasn't mentioned more often in the Heisman chatter last season.
His production certainly merited it.
Thomas threw for more than 2,800 yards, rushed for 486 yards, scored 35 total touchdowns and led Oregon's No. 1 scoring offense to an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game.
The Ducks should be a national title contender again next season, and maybe this time around, Thomas will get a little more love from the Heisman voters
5. Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina
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You wouldn't have known Marcus Lattimore was a true freshman this season, both because of the way he looks on the field and his production.
The South Carolina tailback accounted for more than 1,600 total yards and 19 touchdowns in his first season in the SEC.
Lattimore also had four games with at least three touchdowns, three games with more than 180 rushing yards and just three games in which he failed to reach the end zone.
If the Gamecocks can compete for another SEC title next year—and they should—Lattimore will be the reason why.
4. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
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It sure seems like Kellen Moore has been involved in the Heisman race for like 10 years now, although he's yet to win the award.
But it's almost a foregone conclusion that the Boise State quarterback will be a candidate once again in 2011.
In his three seasons as a Bronco, Moore has thrown for 10,867 yards, accounted for 102 total touchdowns and thrown just 19 interceptions.
He finished fourth in the 2010 Heisman voting and is a surefire candidate for 2011 if I've ever seen one.
3. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
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In 2010, Oregon running back LaMichael James finished third in the Heisman voting and was the Doak Walker Award winner.
But in 2011, he just might be: LaMichael James, Heisman winner.
The scrappy 5'9" running back rushed for 1,731 yards and scored 20 total touchdowns last season on the way to making Oregon the best offense in the country.
The Ducks should be very good again in 2011, and so should James.
2. Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
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Landry Jones was an afterthought in the 2010 Heisman race, but that's not happening in 2011.
He's coming off an incredible season in which he threw for more than 4,700 yards, completed 65.6 percent of his passes and accounted for 39 total touchdowns.
Jones had four games with at least four touchdown passes, and he led Oklahoma to a 12-2 record that was capped off with a Fiesta Bowl win.
With the Sooners likely the preseason No. 1 and Jones their best player, it only makes sense for him to be an early Heisman favorite, too.
1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
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The runner-up in the 2010 Heisman race, Andrew Luck shocked the world when it was announced that he would return to Stanford for his redshirt junior season.
He's coming off a stellar sophomore campaign in which he completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 3,300 yards, ran for another 453 and scored 35 total touchdowns.
Luck would undoubtedly be the preseason Heisman favorite if it weren't for the departure of Jim Harbaugh, whose loss can't be minimized.
I would say that the Heisman trophy will be Luck's to lose, but then again, it's far from a lock that the Cardinal will have another magical season in 2011.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
