Clemson's Sammy Watkins & 5 Freshman Who Could Be Future Heisman Trophy Winners

Clemson is 7-0 for the first time in a very long time and a lot of that has to do with the phenomenal play of freshman wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

The Heisman Trophy hasn’t been won by a wide receiver since Desmond Howard did it in 1991, but with the way Watkins has taken the nation by storm, he very well could do it in his time in South Carolina.

But he isn’t the only electric freshman with a good chance of winning the Heisman while in college. Here are some other top candidates.

De’Anthony Thomas

Oregon’s LaMichael James came close to winning the Heisman last season as a sophomore. Once he and Kenjon Barner are gone, it will be Thomas’ show and in limited action he has already shown he’s more than capable of leading another explosive offense.

He is averaging an incredible 8.3 yards per carry, is the Ducks’ leading receiver and has 8 touchdowns on just 79 touches. He also returns kickoffs. The future is bright for this kid.

Braxton Miller

When he was being recruited to Ohio State, I doubt Miller had any idea the situation he would find himself in. As a true freshman, he was forced to step up in a big way for his team and is now the starting quarterback.

He needs to improve in his passing game, but he also doesn’t have any receivers to throw to. He is already a threat to run for a touchdown on any play, but if he develops into a true dual-threat then the sky is the limit.

Sammy Watkins

Without Watkins, Clemson could easily be 4-3 instead of 7-0. He is averaging over 100 yards receiving per game and over 30 yards per kickoff return, which ranks sixth in the country. He returned one for a touchdown last week against Maryland, which ultimately gave the Tigers the win.

C.J. Spiller electrified from the running back position, but in Chad Morris’ offense receivers are even more important. With that boost in his numbers, Watkins could easily go down as one of the best players in Clemson history.

Jadeveon Clowney

According to any recruiting analyst, Clowney was a once in a generation recruit coming out of high school. He couldn’t be stopped then and teams are having trouble stopping him now.

He is averaging just over half a sack per game, which is better than preseason All-SEC and teammate Devin Taylor. A defensive player hasn’t won the Heisman since Charles Woodson in 1997, but he is just too good not to have a shot at the award.

Isaiah Crowell

Crowell is the starting running back at Georgia as a true freshman and while he isn’t there yet, he will likely become one of the premier backs in the SEC.

The Bulldogs’ offensive line is not that good either, but they will have some of the top recruits coming in. If they develop along with him, Crowell could be headed for big things at Georgia.

Ameer Abdullah

The Nebraska freshman set a school record for kickoff returns in just his second collegiate game. He also returns punts and ranks 24th in the country in return yards.

The Huskers currently have Abdullah as a running back, but they also have 5-star freshman Aaron Green at that position as well. If they can use him correctly and get the ball to Abdullah in space, he could become a household name in a year or two.