10 players not among Heisman favorites that deserve more attention
The preseason Heisman Trophy lists have already appeared, in this space and elsewhere, with a near-consensus on the early favorites: Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Saquon Barkley, in some order or another.
Two things are inevitable. One, that most of the preseason frontrunners will drop off the list before finalists are announced in early December. And two, a number of worthy candidates for the honor will make brief pops on Heisman watch lists before dropping out in favor of the best players on the nation’s best teams.
This week’s top 10 list takes a look at those all-conference and All-America contenders who fit into the second category. While the early leaders for the trophy make headlines, which overlooked challengers deserve a little more Heisman attention?
1. LSU RB Derrius Guice
Leonard Fournette’s replacement has experience in the role: Guice was essentially LSU’s top back last fall, when he paced the Tigers with 1,387 yards and 15 scores on an eye-opening 7.58 yards per carry. The sample size is large enough to suggest that Guice will rival if not match those totals in 2017.
2. UCLA QB Josh Rosen
Remember college football’s next great quarterback? Anointed before he even took a snap at UCLA, Rosen’s stock took a significant hit during a sophomore season lost due to a lingering shoulder injury. If healthy, Rosen will remind Heisman voters why his arrival with the Bruins was greeted with such acclaim.
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3. Florida State S Derwin James
An injury suffered in September cost James nearly all of his sophomore season. But it was clear during his true freshman campaign that James is one of the premier players regardless of position in the entire Football Bowl Subdivision. A healthy James could be the top defender on the Heisman board.
4. Stanford RB Bryce Love
Love will take the reins from Christian McCaffrey as Stanford’s do-everything offensive weapon after gaining 783 yards in a reserve role last fall. Replicating McCaffrey … well, that’s going to be difficult. But the Cardinal’s offense is built to revolve around a back capable of grinding out yards between the tackles and contributing in the passing game. Love’s breakaway speed doesn’t hurt.
5. LSU DE Arden Key
Key was outstanding as a true freshman in 2015 and even better as a sophomore in 2016. Barring injury, this will be his final season at LSU. What’s on the docket for the Tigers’ projected All-America end? Another year of strength training and conditioning will help Key develop into one of the nation’s top defensive players, as well as the crucial piece behind the Tigers’ push for an SEC championship.
6. Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald
A year ago, the Bulldogs lost to South Alabama, Brigham Young and Kentucky before the end of October, lost by 48 points to Alabama in November and, at 5-7 at the end of the regular season, only reached bowl play by virtue of a strong APR score. So you’re excused for sleeping on Fitzgerald, who threw for 2,423 yards, ran for another 1,375 and accounted for 37 total touchdowns.
7. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham
Stidham’s transfer to Auburn from Baylor places him in an offense that similarly suits his wide-ranging skill set. As seen in the past — both as a coordinator and a head coach — Gus Malzahn’s offense flourishes when given a quarterback with the ability to wobble defenses with his legs and deliver the ball downfield. Stidham’s a perfect fit.
8. Boise State QB Brett Rypien
One of two Group of Five quarterbacks on this list, Rypien’s candidacy is supported by his own growing experience under center and Boise State’s likely status as the preseason favorite for a New Year’s Six access-bowl bid. To truly be a finalist, however, Rypien might need to lead the Broncos to an undefeated regular season.
9. South Florida QB Quinton Flowers
Like Rypien, Flowers’ candidacy rests in large part on how USF fares in the race for a New Year’s Six bowl. The numbers are there: Flowers led the American Athletic Conference last season in yards per attempt and yards per carry, a fact that speaks to his unique blend of size, speed and arm strength.
10. Boston College DE Harold Landry
The FBS leader in sacks quietly announced in January that he would return for his senior season. Everything Landry achieved in 2016 — 22 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks for a top-25 defense — was done quietly, thanks in no small part to Boston College’s uneventful 7-6 finish. ACC coaches and offensive linemen know all too well how disruptive Landry can be against the run and rushing the passer. But the Eagles need to win games.
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