Five Dark Horses to Watch in College Football

Certain guys that play NCAA football enter the year as what some would call "locks." 

With Tim Tebow, we all knew what Florida would get.  Same with Reggie Bush and Carson Palmer when they were in school.

These men are not "dark horses."  Some would say that last year's Heisman winner, Cam Newton, was a dark horse.

For some reason, there are talented young student athletes that fly under the radar every year.  No one considers a dark horse a threat until it's far too late to do so.

This year, the college football world has a stacked group of men.  Guys like Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson, and LaMichael James do not qualify as dark horses, just to be clear.

The following five men have been working out recently and after learning about them, I've learned that they have all of the necessary tools to be Heisman candidates. 

Am I saying they'll blow away the competition like Cam Newton?  Absolutely not, but what I am implying is that they have the capability of doing so.

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State Quarterback

The man who I deem as the "Top Dark Horse" will also lead off the list.

Osweiler certainly has all the attributes and ability to bust out in 2011.  It also helps that he's a monstrous quarterback, standing 6'8" tall and weighing 240 lbs.

In five appearances (two starts) in 2010, Osweiler threw for 797 yards and five touchdowns.  His interception number:  goose egg.

He's being overshadowed by some of the more well-known Division I-A quarterbacks like Andrew Luck and Denard Robinson—good news for the Sun Devils.

Osweiler is the tallest man on the 2011 ASU roster, and watch for him to use that size to his advantage.  His passing numbers speak for themselves, and he has plenty of receivers to spread the ball around to.

In addition to throwing the ball, Osweiler isn't afraid to leave the pocket and scramble for a few yards when he needs to.  Given his size, he's bound to roll a few people over.

The Pac-12 is going to be tough this year, and I'm interested to see how it plays out.  Osweiler knows that Arizona State is his team and it's up to him to lead them—he'll be among tops in the nation in passing by the year's end.

Kenbrell Thompkins, Cincinnati Wide Receiver

Thompkins will be interesting to see in 2011.  He's a Junior College transfer whose original intent was to attend Tennessee.  When Lane Kiffin left, that all changed.

He'll be starting in Cincinnati this season, and many comparisons build him up to be similar to former Bearcat, Mardy Gilyard.  What does this mean the expectations are?

Gilyard was a two-time All-American and two-time First-team Big East.  Throughout 2008 and 2009, GIlyard was Cincinnati's go-to guy.

After a rough patch as a young teenager, Thompkins has become an idol student at UC, and has waited for his opportunity to start.  Now, he is the new go-to guy.

Like Gilyard, Thompkins shows some amazing breakaway speed and can weave through defenders just as well as anyone in the nation. 

Pending the performance of UC's quarterback, Zach Collaros, Thompkins could compete for the Biletnikoff come January.

Harvey Langi, Utah Running Back

Langi is going to be the starting running back this season for the Utes as a true Freshman.  Langi is different from LaMichael James and Trent Richardson in that they're both speed runners—Langi is a powerful guy.

Many times, he's larger than opposing defenders, and they have a hard time wrapping Langi up. 

This is where Langi becomes impressive—yards after contact.  With elusive moves and a mean power game, Langi may be able to give James a run (no pun intended) in the Pac-12.

On an otherwise lackluster Utes team, Langi is going to be the star.  He will be at least half of the offense this year in Utah.

Ryan Radcliff, Central Michigan Quarterback

I'm going to receive some heat for this one—Radcliff was one of the tops in the nation in 2010 in interceptions.

To justify, Radcliff had three picks in each of two consecutive games against Miami(OH) and Northern Illinois.  Otherwise, Radcliff showed a lot of bright spots, including a strong arm.

He threw for over 3,300 yards over 12 games in what was an ugly season for Central Michigan.  One thing that makes Radcliff a dark horse is his school in and of itself.

Central Michigan has always been a passing school, thus throwing more attention on Radcliff.

He's been working over the offseason to make better decisions and improve his pocket presence.  Under pressure last year, Radcliff made foolish throws.

Now that he's a junior and a bit more mature, watch for those picks to stop being so abundant and look for an increase in touchdowns.

Mike Ball, Nevada Running Back

Ball has shown flashes of being a great running back over his first two seasons with the Wolfpack.  Unfortunately, he's just not been their main guy, thus limiting his time.

He's now a junior and the leader in the backfield.  Ball has amazing speed and an incredible ability to spin away from defenders.

Playing in a WAC that is now without Boise State, Nevada is poised to make a run.  With Colin Kaepernick having left school, the ball is in Ball's court (again, full of the puns). 

If Ball can get comfortable in his element as a starter, he has a lot of the great ability that Mike Bell showed at Michigan.  The only concern has been his maturity, which Ball claims to have improved.

Ball will lead the WAC in rushing in 2011, and be in the top ten in the NCAA.