Heisman Watch 2011: 6 Darkhorse Candidates With Legitimate Chances

The race for the 2011 Heisman Trophy is shaping up to be one of the deepest and most exciting chases we’ve seen in years.

Every week, it seems like you have to keep adding a few more contenders to the list and so far we’ve seen a ton of breakout players who have unexpectedly burst onto the national stage.

At this point, the usual suspects like Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Oklahoma QB Landry Jones, Alabama RB Trent Richardson and Boise State QB Kellen Moore are still dominating most of the discussion and grabbing most of the headlines, but there’s plenty of room for under-the-radar players to make their presence known.

Here’s a look at some dark-horse Heisman candidates that you better not overlook.  

CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

There are a lot of great defenders in college football this year but none of them have made the type of impact that LSU CB Tyrann Mathieu has.

Mathieu is a true defensive difference-maker in every sense and he’s made LSU fans forget about departed star cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Although Ndamukong Suh broke the trend a few years ago, it’s rare to see a defensive player enter the Heisman discussion.

Charles Woodson is the only defender who has ever won the award, but Mathieu just might be one of the best defensive playmakers we’ve seen since the former Michigan star took home the trophy back in 1997.

If LSU runs the table and makes it to the national championship game, the honey badger will be a huge reason why.

QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson

Is it too early to start calling Tajh Boyd this year’s Cam Newton?

The Clemson quarterback has been one of the hidden gems of the early part of the 2011 season but now that the Tigers have had so much success against top teams, it’s almost impossible to keep Boyd a secret anymore.

We’re finally starting to see the manifestation of the former 5-star recruit’s enormous potential.

Boyd has thrown for 1,742 yards and 15 TDs but his most important numbers of the season are the three straight victories he had over ranked opponents.

Clemson has been flying up the polls over the last few weeks and if the Tigers can keep up their current pace, Boyd will soon find himself in the heart of the Heisman discussion.

QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

Everyone wants to talk about Oklahoma QB Landry Jones, but what about his in-state counterpart over there in Stillwater?

As it turns out, Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden wasn’t just a product of Dana Holgorsen’s pass-happy system.

After throwing for over 4,200 yards and 34 TDs in 2010, Weeden has picked up right where he left off, as he’s torn opposing secondaries to pieces, throwing for 1,880 yards and 15 touchdowns in just five games.

With his trusty No. 1 receiving ace Justin Blackmon by his side, Weeden will have a great opportunity to top his extraordinary numbers from last season.

He’s also got the pieces around him to guide the Cowboys to a Big 12 championship this season.

If Weeden can show up Jones and beat the Sooners in the Bedlam game, he’ll gain a lot of respect from the Heisman voters.

QB Darron Thomas, Oregon

Now that LaMichael James has been sidelined for at least the next couple of weeks, it’s up to Oregon QB Darron Thomas to pick up the slack and keep the Oregon offensive train rolling.

Thomas has obviously matured as a passer from last season, as he’s completing nearly 60 percent of his passes and he’s already thrown 15 TDs.

Now it’s up to the junior signal-caller to step up and guide the Ducks to another conference championship.

If he can accomplish that and put up some big numbers along the way, Thomas will start to assume some of his injured star teammate’s Heisman attention.

QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

The Big East conference hasn’t produced a Heisman winner since 1992 when Miami’s Gino Torretta took home the trophy.

It doesn’t look like that drought will end this year, however, one Big East player that’s worth the price of admission is West Virginia's Geno Smith.

In his second year as a starter, Smith has made a huge leap and really turned out to be the perfect linchpin for Dana Holgorsen’s offensive attack.

Because of Smith, the Mountaineers currently rank sixth in the country in passing.

The junior signal-caller is on pace to throw for over 4,300 yards and 32 TDs. 

With Smith at the helm, West Virginia has to be the odds on favorite to win the Big East this year.

QB Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois

I tried to tell you guys that you were going to need to learn how to spell Scheelhaase this year and so far, the Illinois quarterback hasn’t let me down.

The athletic dual-threat signal-caller has totaled 1,585 yards of offense and scored 14 TDs, as he’s guided the Illini to a surprising 6-0 record.

Sure, you can say the schedule hasn’t been all that impressive, but Scheelhaase will have a great opportunity to make a statement when Ohio State comes to town this weekend.

Right now, it’s Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson and Michigan’s Denard Robinson who are the two quarterbacks that are soaking up all of the Big Ten spotlight, but if Scheelhaase keeps it up, he’s going to start stealing some of their thunder.