Matt Barkley Returning to USC: Ranking the Top Five 2012 Heisman Contenders

It's a good day to be a Trojans fan as quarterback Matt Barkley is returning to USC next season. Of course that not only makes the Trojans championship contenders, but it also makes him a front runner for the 2012 Heisman trophy.

The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in college football. The trophy winners are among the most elite players. Win it, and your life will change forever.

Before every season, everybody throws out several players who have a chance at winning the award. Some are favorites while others are dark horses who, if they are able to play to their potential, have an outside shot of winning the trophy.

The reality is that there are many talented college football players, but only a handful have a chance of winning the Heisman.

Including Barkley, here are the top early five candidates for the award.

Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson has interest in possibly leaving early for the NFL, but it would be absolutely foolish for him to do it. I expect him to return to Michigan for his senior season and remain a Heisman favorite for next year.

The Wolverines quarterback is one of the most exciting players in the country and rushes for more yards than quite a few running backs do. With the recruiting class coming in and the help from Fitzgerald Toussaint, he will have a lot more help.

If Robinson can limit his interceptions, he will have a great chance to win the award. 

Tyrann Mathieu

Mathieu led LSU in tackles this season and always seemed to make the big play for the undefeated Tigers. He made unbelievable plays on defense and returned punts for a touchdowns, which were huge boosts for the team.

You can expect Mathieu to continue to have a knack for the football and to make big plays. But Les Miles will likely also get him involved on offense a little bit as well. That will put his Heisman stock through the roof and increase his chances of winning the award.

When Charles Woodson won the award, he was dominant on all three sides of the ball. If the Honey Badger can get a few plays on offense next year, he may become the second defensive player ever to win the Heisman.

Sammy Watkins

Some may have the freshman receiver as an underdog to win the award next year. But if they watched the same Sammy Watkins that I did, they'd have him as one of the favorites.

This speedy receiver is the real deal and will only improve on the 77 receptions for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns he had this season. He also missed time due to an injury.

Clemson has an extremely talented team that is returning the majority of their young players next season. If the Tigers can avoid another letdown at the end of the year and compete for a national championship, Watkins will receive an invite to New York.

Marcus Lattimore

It seems like ever since Lattimore went down with a season-ending injury, everybody forgot about him. Let's not forget he rushed for over 1,000 yards in his freshman season and had over 800 this year, all while missing five games.

With LaMichael James going to the NFL and Trent Richardson likely leaving, Lattimore is the best back in all of college football. He will have plenty of key games to build his resume, since he plays in the SEC and has the track record to prove he can get the job done.

I would not bet against this guy at all.

Matt Barkley

Barkley should have received some credit this season, but for whatever reason, he was blacklisted.

With an extremely talented group returning, Barkley has to be the favorite to win the award, especially with players like Robert Griffin and Andrew Luck likely leaving for the NFL.

Barkley was absolutely amazing this season, completing 69 percent of his passes for over 3,500 yards and 39 touchdowns. 

Now that the Trojans are off punishment and can compete for a PAC-12 title and national championship, expect Barkley to have a lot to say about who wins this award.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]