4 Dark Horse Heisman Candidates Who Won't Be Ignored

You can't keep a good man down. You also can't tell some people that they don't belong in the Heisman Trophy race. They don't listen.

We've heard the names thrown about. Heck, I've thrown them around as much as anyone.

There's Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore. And there's Marcus Lattimore and Russell Wilson.

But what about guys like Tajh Boyd? How about Jeff Demps?

Are they less deserving of being a part of the discussion? If you say "yes," then don't tell them that. These guys are quietly making their case. They may be dark horses, but they're not going away.

They just keep winning. They keep putting up big numbers, and they keep looking better and better every week.

 

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Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson

Do you still think Clemson doesn't belong in the Top 25? They proved that tonight with their 35-30 victory over No. 11 Florida State.

Boyd is a very big part of Clemson's perfect 4-0 start to the 2011 season.

Against Florida State, Boyd completed 23-of-37 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. That goes along pretty well with his No. 2 ranking in the ACC for passers, putting up an average of 303.7 yards per game.

Coming into this game, Boyd had completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 911 yards, 10 touchdowns and just one interception. That would put his new total at 91-for-138 (65.9 percent) for 1,255 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Not Heisman numbers?

I beg to differ.

Boyd had the ninth-best passer rating in the nation coming into this game. These numbers should help the cause more than a little.

Boyd hasn't been rattled by anyone yet. Auburn didn't rattle him. Florida State didn't rattle him.

We'll see how he performs next week against Virginia Tech, but Boyd has been a solid leader for the Tigers and continues to put up good numbers against good competition.

Jeff Demps, RB Florida

He's not even the leading rusher for Florida. Chris Rainey holds that position. Rainey is on Heisman watchlists. Demps is not.

And yet, Demps is right there with Rainey. In fact, through the first three games of the season, Demps had a larger yard per carry average than Rainey (6.79 versus 6.38). That's with only 24 carries versus Rainey's 48, mind you.

Still, he'd scored as many touchdowns (two) as Rainey.

As I write this, Chris Rainy has 15 carries for 106 yards (7.1 average) against Kentucky. What does Demps have?

Try 10 carries for 157 yards (15.7 average) and two touchdowns.

So, if Rainey's numbers are worthy of Heisman hype, how can Demps' not be? He is every bit the runner Rainey is and is making solid arguments that he might be even better.

The Gators have the enviable position of having two superstar running backs on their team but don't be too surprised if Demps is the one getting the most Heisman love of the two by the time the season ends.

Brandon Weeden, QB Oklahoma State

He's not really a "dark horse" now is he? After all, he's been on virtually every watchlist since the season started.

He's not been at the top, though. In fact, he hasn't even been amongst the top three on most watchlists.

Why is that?

This week, against No. 8 Texas A&M, Weeden completed 47-of-60 passes (are you kidding me?) for 438 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

I'm not sure which is more impressive there: that he threw 60 passes or that he threw 60 passes and didn't give up a pick.

Coming into the week, Weeden was leading the nation in yards passed per game at 384.7. He was completing 72.5 percent of his throws and had amassed more than 1,100 yards.

His team is a perfect 4-0, and Weeden is the chief reason for their offensive success. Andrew Luck, Kellen Moore, Robert Griffin III and Denard Robinson are getting all the love, but what do they have on Weeden?

Nothing.

Kendall Wright, WR Baylor

Wide receivers get no love anymore. Not from Heisman voters anyway. Good luck finding one anywhere high on the list. In fact, good luck finding one on the list.

Yet, these quarterbacks would be nothing without their receivers. Who are they throwing the ball to?

Through their first two games of the season, Wright averaged 156 yards per game with three touchdowns. With a quarter left to go in Baylor's game against Rice, Wright has 11 more catches for 108 yards and another score.

He's doing as much as any receiver in the nation and is a big target for Robert Griffin III. The Baylor offense is hitting a stride it hasn't seen in a very long time, and Wright has been a huge part of that success.

I have no illusions that Wright is going to jump to the front of the Heisman race. I have no illusions that he'll even enter the discussion.

Maybe he should, though. Without guys like him, these QB's wouldn't be getting the love they're getting, and Wright is one of the best in the league.