College Football Rankings: The Top 10 Heisman Trophy Hopefuls of 2011
The Heisman won't be handed out for quite some time, but during the grueling summer months that college football fans will endure in anticipation of the 2011 season, it's fun to speculate who will be hoisting the trophy in December.
Last year, Cam Newton ran away with the trophy. This year may not see such a clear-cut winner. Here are 10 guys who have a legitimate shot at contending for the Heisman Trophy in 2011.
10: Michael Dyer, Auburn
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Michael Dyer is going to need to pick up the slack left in the Auburn offense with the departure of 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, National Championship winning QB and first overall draft choice Cam Newton.
Dyer ran for over 1,000 yards in his freshman season. His coaching staff will likely rely on him more heavily to set the tone of the offense, which could make for some serious rushing yards and make him the benefactor of a lot of Auburn touchdowns.
9: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
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It's rare that a receiver comes away with a Heisman. As talented as A.J. Green was last season, he had no shot at taking away a Heisman. Alshon Jeffery probably doesn't even have the best shot of anyone in his offense.
Desmond Howard was the last wideout to come away with the trophy. In order for Alshon Jeffery to win, he will have to outdo his seven games of over 100 yards, capped off with a 130-yard performance against Florida State in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
We need to start seeing 200-yard performances out of Jeffery. What separates him from the rest of the nation? He has a long road ahead of him if he wants to beat out the competition.
8: Matt Barkley, USC
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Matt Barkley has had to endure more than he probably anticipated when he signed his letter of intent at USC. In the midst of a coaching change and highly publicized scandal, Barkley has remained one of the program's few constants.
He has improved every year he has been in college. His arm is pro-ready and he has the moxie that scouts crave. That may go far for Barkley when he is being evaluated for the next level, but he is going to need more than a rare arm and polished footwork to bring home the Heisman.
Bringing USC back to glory and launching an aerial assault on a tough schedule will be the only way he can follow in the footsteps of Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7: Trent Richardson, Alabama
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Trent Richardson has a chance to be the second running back in Alabama history to take home a Heisman. Mark Ingram took home the Heisman and Richardson may be even better than Ingram.
Don't ever underestimate the momentum the leading rusher in the SEC can gain in the Heisman voting.
Richardson has a chance to do that. Now that he is the featured back in the offense, his stats are expected to increase exponentially.
He has all the talent to do it, but until he starts producing the necessary numbers, he can't break past this spot on the list.
6: Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina
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There might not be a more complete running back in the nation than Marcus Lattimore. His ability to run the ball, coupled with his hands out of the backfield, makes him a great double threat.
Georgia, Florida and Tennessee saw him bolt for at least 180 yards on the ground. Six multiple rushing touchdown games in 2010 made him a standout back. If he wants to beat out the rest of the field, though, we will need to see his receiving stats really take off.
5: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
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Justin Blackmon "suffered" a season-low 105 yards against Oklahoma last season. It's a feat, when a receiver produces a 100-yard game. Doing it every week is almost unheard of.
The only reason he ranks so low on this list is because, once again, it's nearly impossible for a receiver to win the Heisman.
Receivers and defensive players have a very tough time breaking through, even though they may be the best player in the nation.
Blackmon is going to have to approach a whopping 2,500 yards if he is to really make a case for the Heisman.
As good of a year as he and Oklahoma State had last season, he didn't make noise in the Heisman voting. The committee is going to need more.
4: Kellen Moore, QB
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There are some who would take Kellen Moore over Andrew Luck in the last two minutes of the football game. All he does is win.
Boise State is one of those schools who is always going to be disrespected because they don't have the history of Michigan, Notre Dame or the SEC schools.
As a result, Moore often falls victim to being discounted as a Heisman hopeful. What if he takes Boise State to an undefeated season?
Moore could legitimately throw or 4,000 yards and make another push for the National Championship. If that is the case, I don't see any reason he can't compete for the trophy.
3: Denard Robinson, Michigan
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Denard Robinson has the best wheels of any QB in the nation. He ran for over 100 yards in nine games, two of them being 200-yard games.
His passing numbers are going to have to increase to put him in the same class as Andrew Luck, and his overall offensive production could be dwarfed by LaMichael James.
He has the tall task of resurrecting the Michigan program resting on his back. The new coaching regime may be exactly what he needs to get him to that level.
2: Andrew Luck, Stanford
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Andrew Luck might be the quarterback prospect of the century. He's got it all; the size, the arm, the polish, the decision making, the "it" factor, etc.
Jim Harbaugh decided to take his talents to the next level and took a huge portion of the coaching staff with him. It's unclear how Stanford will handle the change of coaching regime, but it seems as though Luck will be spot-on regardless.
If he is able to keep Stanford in the National Championship picture, people will no longer be pointing to Harbaugh as the catalyst for Stanford's success.
This is Andrew Luck's team. He finished second in the voting last year. Improving on his ridiculous resume almost locks up the Heisman.
1: LaMichael James, Oregon
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This could be a very tight Heisman race, with Andrew Luck and LaMichael James leading the way. James plays in an offense that allows him to produce monster numbers, and his team will be gunning for a National Championship this season.
He's posted back-to-back 1,500-yard rushing seasons. An onslaught of touchdowns in Oregon's ridiculously high-octane offense are going to be unleashed week after week.
Luck is an outstanding quarterback prospect and will undoubtedly have a stellar senior season. This one could be decided when the two face off on Nov. 12.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
