College Football 2011: Updating the Heisman Front-Runners, Post-Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor was not a Heisman front-runner, and in reality, he had no shot due to his scheduled five-game suspension.
However, there is no denying the guy had an athletic talent rarely seen on the football field and would have made an impact in his senior season gunning for another BCS win.
Now that the TP for Heisman talk has settled down in Columbus, it's time to look at guys who have true Heisman potential.
To win the Heisman, it's been a pretty safe bet that a player's team must be a BCS-caliber squad, he must put up incredible individual numbers and the obvious one, he must play on the right side of the ball.
There are also those "requirements" that drive purists crazy, such as he probably has so much preseason hype we are sick of hearing it already, and he has had a great career.
The following list identifies 15 guys who have all, or some, of these things going for them.
Honorable Mention
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Ryan Lindley, QB (San Diego State): He has the gun to put up monster numbers.
Chris Polk, RB (Washington): An explosive running back, Polk was underrated in Jake Locker's time at Washington
Manti Te'o, LB (Notre Dame): Scary good linebacker; Notre Dame's defense is going to be tough.
Ronnie Hillman, RB (San Diego State): This back rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 17 TD's in 2010.
Brandon Weeden, QB (Oklahoma State): A QB with a Heisman-caliber receiver. Monster numbers? I think so.
Case Keenum, QB (Houston): With Keenum returning from injury, Houston might be a potential BCS buster...
Kirk Cousins, QB (Michigan State): Cousins leads a solid Michigan State offense.
Vontaze Burfict, LB (Arizona State): A hard-hitting Arizona State linebacker, if Burfict develops a little more discipline, he may be the best defensive player of the year.
Mark Barron, S (Alabama): This Alabama safety is a freak of nature; extremely athletic.
15. Denard Robinson, QB (Michigan)
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It will be interesting to see how Denard operates in the new offensive scheme being implemented at U of M.
His athletic ability make him a threat to score almost every play, but last season, he showed durability issues, as well as poor decision-making technique.
Robinson will have an improved offensive line and will put up big numbers, but it's still a question of whether or not he can put up enough to win the Heisman.
14. Aaron Murray, QB (Georgia)
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Aaron Murray's numbers last season were well north of pedestrian, but not unbelievably good.
He was only a freshman though.
Even with the departure of A.J. Green, Murray has plenty of talent to rely on and will put up big numbers this season, especially with another full year of experience under his belt.
While the SEC competition is going to be very tough again this season, Georgia does not face the monster defenses of LSU and Alabama. Murray will have a field day against almost every other team in the conference.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
13. Cyrus Gray, RB (Texas A&M)
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Gray will be part of an extremely good running back duo. Along with Christine Michael, the Aggies have a punishing couple of guys with speed to outrun opposing defenses.
As Gray goes, so go the Aggies.
In their four losses last season, Gray was held to only 107 yards on the ground, and that's including 100 against LSU in the Cotton Bowl. When he is healthy and effective, Gray is hard to bring down, and should provide the Aggies' offense with plenty of fireworks.
12. James White, RB (Wisconsin)
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White scored 14 touchdowns and averaged almost seven yards per carry in 12 games last season. As a sophomore, he will be the Badgers' home run threat and should be a part of the passing game.
While he is a bit of a dark horse, either White or fellow UW back Montee Ball are primed for a great season.
Should White win the starting job, he will take advantage, and he is a great change of pace from the typical bruising Wisconsin running back. He may be on the fringe of the race this season, but expect him to be right in the thick of the conversation going into 2012.
11. Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)
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Richardson plays for one of the most storied programs in sports, has tremendous talent and has had a couple years in the system.
But the biggest thing he has going for him in 2011 is an experienced O-line. Four starters return to the squad, and Richardson will have the added benefit of extra carries with an inexperienced QB under center.
As long as he can stay healthy, Richardson will be in the picture at the end of November.
10. Taylor Martinez, QB (Nebraska)
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Martinez is an enigma.
If he can translate his incredible success early in the year to success against tough Big Ten defenses, he and the Huskers will have a shot at greatness next season.
But to win the Heisman, he will have to go through Madison, Happy Valley and Ann Arbor—a pretty tall task for any team.
His dual threat abilities give him a shot, and a stellar defense will give him the ball back plenty of times, but whether or not he will capitalize remains to be seen.
9. Marcus Lattimore, RB (South Carolina)
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Lattimore was a pleasant surprise as a true freshman for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks.
SEC defenses won't be surprised this season, but with the plethora of talent South Carolina has on the offensive side of the ball, there should be plenty of room for Lattimore to rack up yardage and scores.
The Gamecocks would have to be pretty near to perfect for him to get consideration, but the way the schedule stacks up this year, it's a possibility.
8. Ryan Broyles, WR (Oklahoma)
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When Broyles scores, the Sooners win.
In both of their losses last season, Broyles was kept out of the end zone. He found it 14 times in the rest of the Sooners' games, while also catching a mind-boggling 131 passes.
A repeat performance, which is very possible, should earn him consideration.
7. Darron Thomas, QB (Oregon)
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Thomas is being a little overlooked in this race due to Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore, but at the end of the season, he will be right there with them.
Thomas' versatile style of play will help him adjust to some inexperienced line play, but the explosive playmakers all over the field for the Ducks will help this guy put up huge numbers.
Call him a "system quarterback" or whatever else you want—the guy knows how to play.
6. Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)
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Blackmon is even better than Sooner counterpart Ryan Broyles.
He led the FBS in recieving yards per game last season and averaged more than 16 yards per reception. His leaping ability and elusiveness give him the edge over Broyles, but realistically, neither of these guys will win the Heisman unless there is some sort of cataclysmic event wiping college quarterbacks from the face of the earth.
Biletnikoff?
Yes.
Heisman, probably not.
5. Landry Jones, QB (Oklahoma)
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Oklahoma is loaded on both sides of the ball, but Jones is the man to lead the Sooners to the BCS promised land.
He passed for 4,718 yards in the 2010 campaign.
If he can improve on his 65 percent completion percentage, and the Sooners can avoid being upset, Jones has the inside track to a trip to New York in December.
The one knock on Jones seems to be his limited mobility, and dual threat quarterbacks have been all the rage in recent years.
4. Matt Barkley, QB (USC)
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In spite of USC's woes with the NCAA in recent years, they still churn out great players.
Barkley is the next quarterback who will be a great NFL prospect.
With wide receiver Robert Woods available for him to throw the ball to, Barkley may challenge Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore for best quarterback in the country.
He will have a hard time winning the Heisman though unless the Trojans go undefeated.
Even then, it might still be a long shot.
3. LaMichael James, RB (Oregon)
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An average of almost six yards per carry and 24 total touchdowns is pretty impressive, even in the Ducks' potent offensive scheme.
The difficulty lies in the fact that James will have to do his running behind an untested offensive line with three starters are gone.
There is no doubt he is an incredible athlete, but that only goes as far as the blocking can take him.
If the Ducks finish with fewer than two losses, he will be in the conversation.
2. Kellen Moore, QB (Boise State)
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In spite of those who might say he has not played against a great level of competition, Moore is on track to become the NCAA's all-time winningest QB and can probably remain on top for a long time.
But the Heisman is supposedly for single-season effort.
If BSU can find receivers to replce Titus Young and Austin Pettis' productions, Moore could top his numbers from last season. He finished 2010 with more than 3,800 yards, 35 TD's and only six interceptions to go with a 71 percent completion rate.
Talk about accurate.
1. Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)
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Luck is the best quarterback in the country (sorry Kellen Moore fans), and unlike Landry Jones, he has surprising mobility, registering positive rushing yards in every game last season, save the last game of the regular season.
Luck's pocket presence served him well, and in spite of attempting 372 passes, he threw only eight picks and completed 70 percent.
With deep threat receiver Chris Owusu finally returning to form, if Stanford can shore up their O-line, Luck will be the runaway Heisman winner.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
