College Football Predictions: Ranking the Top 10 Heisman Candidates for 2011
It is never too early to begin speculating on who will strike the Heisman pose next season.
As usual, some talented quarterbacks, tailbacks and receivers lead the group of Heisman hopefuls.
Will one player blow away the competition with a storybook season similar to that of Cam Newton's 2010 campaign, or will it be a fight till the end?
Spring football is just wrapping up, and schools are already starting to build hype for their Heisman hopefuls.
There is still a long way to go before the Heisman trophy presentation takes place next December, but right now these 10 players have an inside track at the award.
10. Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)
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Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly has all the pieces in place to put his patented spread offense on full display in South Bend next season.
Michael Floyd will be the go-to wide receiver in Kelly’s fast-paced attack, and will get plenty of opportunities to make big plays.
Floyd accumulated 1,025 receiving yards as a junior. He had arguably his best game in Notre Dame’s bowl appearance versus Miami [Fla.] where he had 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
At 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, Floyd has the size and athleticism to stretch the field as well as make tough catches in traffic.
Michael’s Heisman candidacy will be contingent on the fact that Notre Dame gets off to a fast start, and is sitting in the upper half of the top 25 at season’s end. Floyd certainly will not have to worry about a lack of television exposure.
Michael is far from one of the favorites to strike the Heisman pose, but if Floyd can put up big numbers and lead the Irish to victories you will see this man’s stock increase at breakneck speed.
9. Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma)
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Oklahoma Sooners fans everywhere rejoiced when they learned that Ryan Broyles would return for his senior season at Oklahoma.
Broyles had a magnificent junior season, catching 131 passes for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2010.
Many people thought that Ryan would skip his senior season and make the jump to the NFL.
Instead, Broyles remained loyal to his school, and now he is finding himself on many preseason Heisman watch lists.
Ryan Broyles will benefit from the return of quarterback Landry Jones and a talented cast of supporting skill players.
Broyles will have to put up massive statistics if he hopes to make a serious claim at the Heisman. He is definitely worth a look on this list during the offseason, though.
A Sept. 17 matchup vs. Florida State will be a very important game for Broyles and the Sooners.
A strong performance and an Oklahoma victory in this contest could serve as a launching pad for Ryan’s Heisman candidacy.
8. Kellen Moore (Boise State)
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Kellen Moore will have to break in new receiving targets to replace the production of Titus Young and Austin Pettis.
Regardless, Boise State will likely win 10 games once again next season, and Moore should put up gaudy passing numbers as a senior in 2011.
Moore threw for 3,845 passing yards and 35 touchdowns in 2010. He will need to replicate those statistics or even increase those numbers if he hopes to be a legitimate Heisman candidate in November.
An opening-weekend contest against Georgia and a home game against TCU late in the season will be Moore’s two opportunities to shine on a national stage.
There is a lot to like about Kellen Moore. One has to wonder, though, what will the Boise State quarterback have to do in order to put himself in a position to strike the pose?
An undefeated Broncos season and phenomenal individual statistics must occur, but even if that scenario played out would it be enough to push Kellen over the top?
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7. Landry Jones (Oklahoma)
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Do you remember when most people knew Landry Jones as the quarterback who replaced the injured Sam Bradford?
It was only two years ago that Jones replaced Bradford in the Sooners' 2009 season-opening loss to BYU.
Now on the eve of the 2011 season, Landry Jones is on the national radar in a big way as a junior.
Jones silenced any critics he might have had in 2010 by throwing for 4,718 yards and leading Oklahoma to a Fiesta Bowl victory over UCONN.
The pressure will be turned up a couple notches next season, though. Oklahoma is at the forefront of the preseason National Championship conversation.
Landry Jones is also receiving preseason Heisman buzz after his breakout 2010 campaign.
An early season matchup vs. Florida State, the midseason rivalry game vs. Texas and the finale vs. Oklahoma State will serve as the three critical junctures of Landry’s Heisman candidacy.
Landry will have the benefit of his entire receiving corps returning as well as the majority of his offensive line. The fact that Oklahoma returns almost their entire offense will only benefit Jones.
6. Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)
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Anyone who thought that Oklahoma State would be without a big play wide receiver in 2010 after the departure of Dez Bryant obviously missed the memo on Justin Blackmon.
Blackmon burst on the scene as a sophomore in 2010 averaging 16.1 yards per catch and amassing 1,782 receiving yards.
The return of quarterback Brandon Weeden will go a long way in ensuring that Blackmon does not falter in his 2011 encore campaign.
At 6-foot-1, 207 pounds, Justin Blackmon has the build along with the talent that makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Blackmon is great at stretching the field and finishing in jump ball situations, which is something he gets the opportunity to do a lot in Mike Gundy’s wide-open spread offense.
The one concern regarding Justin Blackmon is the pressure that comes with preseason expectations and Heisman buzz. Blackmon was unknown on the national stage in 2010.
He will be examined under a much larger microscope next fall. It remains to be seen if Justin will be able to duplicate his 2010 performance in spite of the increased scrutiny and attention.
5. Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina)
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Head Coach Steve Spurrier enjoyed a major recruiting coup when he signed five-star running back Marcus Lattimore out of nearby Byrnes High School.
The expectation was that Lattimore would be able to contribute to the rushing attack as a freshman, but no one thought that Marcus would gain 1,197 yards and score 17 rushing touchdowns in his first year on campus.
Lattimore’s strong freshman campaign helped elevate the Gamecocks to victory over then No. 1-ranked Alabama as well as a berth in the SEC Championship game.
Now going into the 2011 season, South Carolina is a consensus preseason top 25 team. Marcus Lattimore is garnering Heisman buzz as big expectations follow him into his sophomore season.
Lattimore will have plenty of chances to impress voters throughout SEC play, but he cannot afford a “sophomore slump” or else his Heisman candidacy will fade away.
4. Trent Richardson (Alabama)
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Trent Richardson shared the rushing duties with Mark Ingram throughout his first two seasons at Alabama.
Now on the eve of the 2011 season, Ingram has moved onto the NFL, and Richardson will inherit sole ownership of Alabama’s rushing duties.
Let me make this clear, any opposing SEC fan who thinks that Alabama’s running game will falter under Trent Richardson is sorely mistaken.
Richardson was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, and he has lived up to his billing since the moment he stepped on campus in Tuscaloosa.
Trent only rushed for 700 yards last season, but he averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
The Crimson Tide will lean heavily on Richardson as they break in their new quarterback. Expect Alabama to run with Trent on a consistent basis in 2011.
If Richardson can come anywhere close to duplicating his 6.3 yards per carry from last year, then he will be a serious threat to take home the Heisman.
3. Denard Robinson (Michigan)
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New Michigan head coach Brady Hoke exhaled a big sigh of relief when Denard Robinson ended any speculation that he might transfer from Michigan.
The dual-threat quarterback from Florida has the ability to score any time he touches the football.
Robinson scored 32 touchdowns last season, and had it not been for Michigan’s lack of success as a team, Denard would have been a much more legitimate Heisman candidate.
Michigan returns all their skill players from last year so there should be no lack of familiarity. On paper, Denard Robinson appears poised to have another monster season next fall.
The one question associated with his Heisman candidacy is whether Michigan will be able to win enough games to keep him in the thick of the discussion.
Six losses will kill any hope Robinson might have of striking the Heisman pose. It will take strong individual performances on Denard’s part as well as consistent winning on Michigan’s part for the quarterback to take home the trophy.
2. LaMichael James (Oregon)
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LaMichael James came up just short in the Heisman voting last year, but still attended the ceremony in New York.
It is not far-fetched to think that James could be striking the Heisman pose at the ceremony next December.
At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds LaMichael James has speed and agility that is simply awe inspiring. James’s 21 touchdowns last season as a sophomore has elevated him to the forefront of the Heisman conversation in 2011.
The fact that skill players such as quarterback Darron Thomas, running back Kenjon Barner and wide receiver Josh Huff all return only bolsters LaMichael’s candidacy.
Oregon’s offense will be as fast paced as ever next season, and James will once again have plenty of opportunities to show off his remarkable skill set.
Combine LaMichael James’s talent with the fact that Oregon is expected to once again compete for a National Title next season, and you will understand why there is so much buzz surrounding this Duck.
1. Andrew Luck (Stanford)
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Andrew Luck’s talent simply cannot be questioned. Luck was penciled to the Carolina Panthers at pick No. 1 before deciding to return to Stanford for his junior season.
The quarterback threw for 3,338 passing yards and 32 touchdowns last season, helping lead the Cardinal to an Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Luck has the skills to put up similar numbers next fall, but he does have a few things working against him.
Two of Luck’s favorite receiving targets, Ryan Whalen and Doug Baldwin, have departed. Also gone is former Stanford head coach and offensive guru Jim Harbaugh. David Shaw enters as the new head coach of the Cardinal football program.
Andrew Luck has all the skills a Heisman Trophy winner needs, and I have no problem with ranking Luck No. 1 here. He will have to adjust to new personnel, though, as he tries to take home the Heisman.
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