Heisman Hunt 2009
Who will strike the Heisman pose in ‘09?After reading multiple previews on who are the frontrunners to win next year’s Heisman Trophy, I decided I would take a stab at running down the top ten candidates who I feel have the best chance to win college football’s most coveted award.
While there are three frontrunners for the award in Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Colt McCoy, we would certainly like to see the other seven names on this list man-up this year and protect Archie’s legacy as the only two-time winner of the award. There are obviously names that will not be on this list that will emerge as viable Heisman candidates, but heading into the summer here is the list of ten players, from least likely to most likely, to bring in the golden hardware come next winter.
Honorable Mention: RB Noel Devine (WVU), RB Jacquizz Rodgers (OR ST), QB Todd Reesing (Kansas), RB C.J. Spiller (Clemson), QB Matt Grothe (USF), RB Joe McKnight (USC), QB Jimmy Clausen (ND), QB Zac Robinson (OK ST), WR Julio Jones (Alabama), WR A.J. Green (UGA), and QB Tyrod Taylor (Va. Tech)
10. Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State: I know, I know-I’m going to get shelled for this one, but I had to put a controversial sleeper in the mix. Clark came on as a pleasant surprise to Nittany Lion fans last year, throwing for 2,592 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushing for another 10 scores as Penn State earned a bid to the Rose Bowl and shared the Big Ten title with the Buckeyes. With running back Evan Royster back, the only question for Joe Pa’s squad is at receiver, but with the ground game Royster and Clark can produce, the Lions should be successful through the air. I don’t think Clark has the absolute “it” factor to be a Heisman Trophy winner, but his smart decision making and stats on the ground and through the air (especially a high efficiency rating) could make him a top 10 vote getter next year.
9. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech: Dwyer is one of the lesser known players on this list, but with Georgia Tech picking up steam in the early rankings for next season, expect to see his name a lot next year. Dwyer rushed for 1,395 yards (7.0 averae) and 12 touchdowns in his first year under new coach Paul Johnson. He expects to go over that number this season and will get plenty of touches in the Jackets’ run-heavy offense. Now that he is out of Knowshon Moreno’s shadow in the Peach State, expect Dwyer to be a contender to the end, but ultimately lose out on the award to a player from a more prestigious school.
8. Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss: Snead’s Heisman hopes can be placed on the pending boom or bust season the Rebels are bound to have in 2009. If Snead can get the Rebels through the brutal SEC schedule with 9 wins or more and put Ole Miss into a legitimate bowl game expect Snead to be a strong candidate for the Heisman. Expect the former Longhorns quarterback to improve on the 2,762 yards and 26 touchdowns he totaled last season, but the fate of the Rebels’ season will ultimately tell if he is invited to New York.
7. DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma: Murray is infamous for not being able to play in last year’s MNC against Florida, but is looking to bounce back in 2009 with a Heisman qualifying campaign. Murray rushed for 1,002 yards and 14 scores as a sophomore last season and also caught 31 passes for 395 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air. Murray, who stands at 6-1, 205 is a strong, versatile back who could be the key offensive player for the Sooners this year. Heisman or no Heisman, Murray is likely to be a first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and the hardware would be a nice addition to his mantle.
6. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State: While wide receiver is not a position too common for the award the last decade, Bryant will be the best receiver in college football this year and could post stats too gauntly to be left out of consideration. Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Cowboys last season including a 13-167-1 performance in the Holiday Bowl again Oregon. Thanks to Michael Crabtree departing for the NFL, Bryant gets his turn to shine in the spotlight and make himself a Heisman contender and future top 10 pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
5. Jahvid Best, RB, California: Best is a name known to college football’s most ravid fans, but is not too common here on the eastern part of the country. What the average fan doesn’t know is that Best racked up 1,580 yards and 15 scores on the ground while averaging 8.1 yards per carry for the Bears. His 2008 season included a 311 yard performance and two 200-yard performances. He rushed for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns against Miami in the Emerald Bowl and even put up all those statistics while missing Cal’s game against Arizona State and only rushing for 30 yards against USC. Best is going to be the nation’s top back this season and the best (no pun intended) part is that he will only be a junior. I would love to have this guy in Scarlet and Gray.
4. Terrelle Pryor, QB, The Ohio State University: I can’t tell if I’m being a homer or if I really feel T.P. is the fourth most likely player to win the Heisman. For now, I will go with the latter, as LiC will be counted on to be the centerpiece of the Buckeyes’ offense this year and his performance will be the primary factor that influences the team’s success in 2009. With a year under his belt and his first spring practice in the books, Pryor should be much more effective through the air and continue to truck defenders that get in his way when he decides to get moving on the ground. It will be exciting to see Pryor’s growth this season and I think there is a very strong possibility he will finish in the top 5 voting for the Heisman Trophy.
3. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: Last year’s winner gets bumped down a few spots, not because he will not perform this season, but because it is so hard to win the award two year’s in a row as Tim Tebow knows. Bradford also has a year of film on him now and team’s will learn how to take advantage of any weaknesses the Sooner’s signal caller may have. Because of this, Super Sam will have to rely on the plethora of talent surrounding him in the OU offense and he won’t stand out as much as he did last season. Like Tebow in 2008, Bradford will once again get an invite to New York, but will walk away empty handed.
2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas: McCoy loses some talent from last season’s Fiesta Bowl winning squad, but his main target, Jordan Shipley, returns for another season in Austin. McCoy, like Pryor, will rack up yards on the ground as well as he showed when he amassed 561 to go along with 11 touchdowns last season. It’s hard to believe Colt also threw for 3,859 yards and 34 scores through the air, but when you look at the fact that he threw only 8 interceptions and completed almost 77% of his passes, it is possible he can improve on those numbers in 2009. With Tebow and Bradford already winning one Heisman Trophy, Colt could be the guy to preserve Archie’s record.
1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida: Of course college football’s “golden boy” had to come back for one more year and some can argue that he should have won the Heisman last season as well. There is no question Tebow will put up the stats and if there is another moment like this one in 2009, the voters might just have give Timmy the award. I pray every night that the Gator’s drop at least two games next season so that they are denied another National Championship and Tebow is denied his second Heisman Trophy. I guess all we can do is pray.
“…should have one the Heisman last season…” Oh, homonyms. :D
all fixed…..and maybe the pun was intended there?????
Jahvid Best.. is actually best known for getting JACKED UP by Kevin Barnes (Maryland)… “WOOH! Bitch!” – Terry Tate
If we put in a solid-win vs. SC, Pryor will most def. be in the front of the pack for the Heisman voting. But in all seriousness, it will come down to the same 3 as last year IMO.
Check out Mike Conley’s gal pal at totalprosports.com – she looks like a ho!
Consider me a temporary Colt McCoy fan.
Actually, an Ohio-State vs. Texas matchup for the MNC would be fantastic.
Clark won’t exactly be helped by losing 4 of his offensive linemen. I think that’s a bigger hindrance than the WRs. The ground game and QB pressure are both going to be working against him.
Correction: He loses three of his O-lineman. Landolt and Wisnewski are returning. Shipley, Ornberger, and Cadogen moved on. You’re right, though… still a lot of new blood to get integrated into things.
What does LiC mean by Pryors name?
Lebron in Cleats. No way Pryor sniffs the Heisman this year. I’m pulling for Colt.
I think Bradford will have a hard time becoming a finalist this year. He loses people from the line and receiver. He’ll still put up numbers but it’ll be tough for him to match or do better than last year.
I think it’s going to be Mc Coy or Tebow. We know how much the media loves St. Tebow of Gainesville, and his team will be awesome this year. I hate to say it but I think, barring injury of course, he’s going to get it. The Heisman has become a popularity contest and an MVP award, it’s not longer the best player and there is a difference. That was obvious to me last year when Crabtree was not a finalist. The year before, I felt that Mc Fadden was definitely the best college football player but Tebow did have the stats. Troy Smith benefitted from this as well. He was great don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t hurt that he was the leader of the undefeated, number 1 team that year.
To me, it’s disappointing to watch the Heisman selection show now too. There used to be 4 or 5 finalists every year, now there are only 3 and I know that can change. It seems like it’s become a QB award too. There have been some great receivers that got snubbed. Calvin Johnson and Crabtree are 2 great examples. I think the Heisman is about as big of a joke as the BCS anymore. It’s whoever ESPN, and the school PR departments market the most and not who the player of the year in college football is.
I’m not sure I would rank Tebow as even the best player on his own team. He’s a good quarterback, but he wasn’t the one who broke open the national championship game, or the game against Alabama. That would be Percy Harvin. Florida was being out-played in both of those games until Harven broke a couple of his ridiculously long dance-a-thons to the end zone.
I don’t disagree with you, at all but who got the MVP of the NC game? I believe it was Tebow. I can’t swear to that, but I’m pretty sure he got it not Harvin who definitely was the deserving player.
Thats because if you swabbed Herban Meyers mouth right now it would be like a breeding ground for Tebow DNA.
LOL TEBOW LOVES
Coach
Urban
Meyer
I couldn’t make the first letters bold, but you get the idea.
Clever giiiiiiirl……lol
Tebow gets everything because all the broadcasters can do is talk about Tebow.
We get it, he’s a good player and a good Christian (like I care about that in my football players). He is an amazing short yardage back. I think he is very, very good – but he is definitely at best the third best quarterback in the NCAA last year.
Look at the stat line for the NC game- Bradford was the more dangerous player. Both of his interceptions slipped right through his receiver’s hands. Tebow’s were missed reads and bad throws.
Percy Harvin somehow had 171 total yards and one score and did not get the MVP for Florida.
I can respect the guy being a good football player, but I am so sick of the media worship.
I agree with you totally, but that’s what the media does. They take a good team with a good coach and the run with it’s best player. Florida has had a lot of success and Tebow is their poster boy. Was the speech last year after the Ole Miss game that great? Is he a legend well I don’t know about how “legendary” all that was but that’s the Media.
The best example I can think of is in basketball when JJ Reddick was at Duke. He was a great shooter to be sure, but he wasn’t the greatest college basketball player ever, like ESPN said he was. The same can be said for Matt Leinart to an extent. Every time we have a chance to see a 2 time Heisman winner or a player on a team that has had a lot of success they’ll ride that wave. Even Troy Smith got a lot of media attention. Nothing like Tebo, but he was mentioned a lot. I felt he deserved it though.
Tebow was not able to do one thing that Troy did though.
BEAT MICHIGAN.
Mike – do you actually watch the games or just catch a few highlights on sportscenter?
1st of all – Harvin was INJURED he didn’t even play in the SEC championship game against Alabama.
2nd of all – Tebow led 4th quarter, game winning drives in both games where he practically WILLED the team to victory. Did you somehow miss those big runs he had in the 4th to put the game away against Oklahoma?
Harvin was clutch with those big runs in the NC game – especially the one where we stopped them on the goal line – but Tebow was the undisputed leader and MVP
The Alabama game you are absolutely correct, Harvin didn’t play, and in my mind is why the struggled so bad. I did watch that game and Tebow did bring them back to beat Alabama. However, I don’t feel that Alabama was quite the team everyone thought they were and I think Utah proved that. They destroyed Alabama.
I do however feel that Harvin was the key to Florida beating Oklahoma, there was just no answer for him on Oklahoma’s defense. I think Tebow is good player and anyone would take a player like him, but I don’t think he’s as great as the media makes him out to be.
I must be remembering things wrong. I did watch both games. I had thought that Harvin had played injured in both, but I must have confused the two games. Sorry for that mistake.
I still say that Florida was not even in the NC game without Harvin, that he was the difference, Tebow “willing” them to victory in a fourth-quarter drive for a field goal or not.
I may be mistaken, but I believe that Percy was out for the Alabama game.
Good thing other offers are being made….
Nick Montana, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound quarterback from Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, Calif. – and son of legendary NFL QB Joe Montana – has apparently verbally committed to Washington over scholarship offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others, the Los Angeles Times is reporting Monday night. Montana is ranked as the No. 13 QB in the country by Scout.com
Well Sarkisian IS from USC, they seem to know how to pull recruits down there, maybe a page from the old Tim Shady Floyd playbook?
I think folks are underestimating Harvins importance to the UF offense, I mean what a great escape guy for when Teblow was in trouble.
I got McCoy this year. This guy got DOUBLE screwed last year, how sickening. You have a 70% comp. and you beat Okla head to head on a nuetral field and THEY go to the MNC and Bradford wins the Heisman? (puke)
Im pulling for Colt McCoy, he deserves it. LIC will have his day.
Yeah, but the only reason you’re thinking of it in terms of two teams (Okla. and Texas) and not three teams (Okla., Texas and Texas Tech) is because Okla. crushed Texas Tech (who, incidentally, beat Texas). The Okla-Texas head-to-head argument conveniently ignores the fact that Okla. crushed Texas Tech, and thus punishes them for it.
I would say Colt or Tebow have to be the front runners clearly, but all bias aside, TP can blow up this year. A win over USC and a couple big performances in Big 10 play, coupled with a trip to Pasadena (Rose Bowl or MNC) and Pryor will be there
It’s going to be someone from one of the best teams next year. So Mc Coy and Tebow automatically jump to the forefront. If the buckeyes beat USC and have a great year, TP has a shot to be a finalist. In recent years it’s become painfully obvious though, that if you team is not in contention, you have to put up out of this world numbers to even be considered.
I tried to hate Tebow for as long as I could but eventually I couldn’t do it any more. And I’m a die hard buckeye fan just like most of you reading. Say what you want but I’m a fan.
Have any of you seen the clip of him speaking at a prison? I saw it when I still hated the dude and it gave me chills.
You can be a fan and still be annoyed by the unrelenting praise for him last season. His faith should not be brought up at all. Recently Craig Krenzel was inducted into The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Malcolm Jenkins and James L. were honored at the ceremony. Anybody read about that? There is a also clip of Colt McCoy kneeling and praying with JL, Jenkins and Marcus Freeman after the Fiesta Bowl. I will be pulling for McCoy for the Heisman if he is in the race this year.
Pray?! How can you pray against Tebow? God has apparently given him everything he has!
I like him, I tried to not like the guy. He’s a good kid and you can see that in his interviews and off field stuff too. But Colt Mc Coy is a great guy and very spiritual and does the right thing etc. ESPN just doesn’t take it and run with it like they do Tebow. I will say though, it would be hilarious if a Michael Phelps type picture came out about Tebow so we woudln’t have to listen to another season of Tebow being the greatest.
Yeah, I think there are very few people who hate Tebow so much as the Tebow worship we are stuck listening to any time we try to watch football.
Here’s how I see it: I’m not a religious man any longer, but I did go through 12 years of Catholic schooling. Jesus said, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” In other words, don’t allow ESPN to follow you on a mission trip where you’re performing surgeries (which you’re not trained to do) for the less fortunate as a commercial for your Heisman campaign. Don’t let ESPN tape you preaching the Gospel to Florida inmates for your Heisman campaign. Tebow markets his “faith” worse than if he were a politician.
Jesus also said, “Turn the other cheek,” not, “Turn the other cheek, unless someone takes a cheap shot at you during a football game, then you are commanded by God to lose your cool and do a Gator-chomp in his face.”
I find his faith-based football, where God has “blessed him” with extraordinary talent, full of all kinds of bullshit. It seriously does a disservice to God, if there is a God, to link his name with a sport, any sport, let alone a sport based on primal warfare. I don’t have any qualms with disliking Tebow for the very reason that he glamorizes himself, saying it’s God’s will, if not in so many words.
And if he wore Scarlet and Grey? How can you hate on a man who took time out of his life to travel as a missionary, spreading joy to so many people. I saw the faces of those kids he met with and they were over joyed…..if only those kids knew that Tebow was using them to fuel his hunt for his second heisman. What a terrible person he is. And the inspirational speech he gave to those who have lost hope in prison…they’d beat him in the showers knowing Tebow was trying to glamorize himself. The way I see it in a much more positive light, someone who is over the loss 4 years ago, is that Tebow is in an unique position to spread his faith and goodwill. Yes, he uses the media. That part is true, but it is not to advertise himself for a second heisman.
The second part of your statement is just as ridiculous. You want to point out, sarcastically, the fact that “god commanded him to gator chomp”. He was in the heat of battle. Tebow is a follower of God, not God or Jesus himself. This means he is not a perfect human. How many of us at one point playing hoops in the yard stated and 1, or thats in your eye after drilling a shot? Am I a bad christian? I must be.
He states it’s Gods will, as in Gods will in him that gives him strength to work harder and become better, not it’s Gods will to have Tebow and the Gators win. If that were the fact God would show up himself and strike down Tebow’s opponents. It’s a metaphor.
I pray for you my friend to release the hate and accept who you are and what you have instead of dwelling on what others have better than you.
I don’t think Tebow uses the media to say look at me, I think the media uses him. The problem I have is when they portray him as unique, when there are dozens of players out there at big time schools doing the same kinds of things and they are never mentioned. Now ESPN sponsors the SEC and has a contract with them, so they want to push their product. That’s not Tebow’s fault.
I respect Tebow, and I said earlier any team would be glad to him. Other people on this blog have also posted that not many people dislike him, it’s the hype surrounding him that is shoved down our throats all season long. Anyway, just like in college football, all the religion talk really is irrelevant as this isn’t the forum to debate what Jesus said and how it realates to any football player and their actions. We dont’ need to pray for anyone or interperet the bible. Let’s save that for Sunday mornings.
Well, if you’re going to be a follower of Tebow’s Gospel, that’s your perrogative, Big Buck Hunter. Since no one can argue “faith” your assertions are essentially meaningless. I can criticize Tebow’s interpretation as much as I want. If he wore Scarlet and Gray? No, it bothered the shit out of me when Troy said those things, too.
If you want to wear your faith on your sleeve, you’re bound to get it wrong. If you want to wear your faith on your sleeve IN THE PUBLIC EYE, then it’s open season.
You wrote this: “He was in the heat of battle. Tebow is a follower of God….” I don’t think there’s a better example of the glaring contradiction to which I’m referring.
I don’t wish this on any player especially TP but all these QB’s are one play away from getting hurt. Will Urban gamble and let Teblow run a lot? All it takes is one nasty LB to knock him to tomorrow. McCoy and Bradford are the front runners – they hand off and stay in the pocket – run as a last resort. We Buckeyes know the injury bugs.
Just saw a headline on the Atlanta paper web site – AJC.com all the Bulldog fans are crying that the Montana kid is going to UW. Didn’t know they were recruiting him that hard.
Ya I don’t know why they are so concerned they brought in Aaron Murray this year who is a stud
LIC would have to absolutely re-write every record, crush every team by 40 and carry the Bucks to a blowout win in the MNC for him to have any shot at beating out the clean cut, well spoken, white boys for the Heisman. Just not this year.
not true, he just has to carry them to the MNC, doesn’t have to win. Heisman voting is before the bowl games =)
A big win over SC can do wonders for a Heisman campaign as well.
Honestly, if he plays awesome, and puts up huge numbers he’ll be in the running. He has unbelievable talent, but his hopes hang on whether or not they beat USC. He won’t have a prayer otherwise just because they’ll say it’s just a good player dominating the weak Big 10 and when he played “good” teams he didn’t win.
In addition to that, USC may not be that great this year especially defensively, but it’ll be huge for them to win the game. I know USC has great running backs, but they also have a new QB and a lot of questions on D, just like Ohio State. If USC goes on and loses 3 tames they’re still going to be hyped. I think the toughest game is going to be Penn State, but beating them will be less important than beating USC in my opinion.
Five 5-star running backs and all five offensive linemen are back. And Taylor Mays. USC could lose 20 players to the NFL and I’d still be worried.
But Pryor gives us a good shot.
That’s why I keep saying we need to get LiC into a public speaking class ;-) He’s got to think of his future marketability.
I reluctantly agree, everyone ragged on Vince Young just recently for saying “them guys”, more importantly QB is a cerebral position and how you articulate can affect how some people view you. I think your play should do the talking.
IF we go undefeated, and LIC throws for 2,000 and runs for 1,000, with a high rating and comp. percentage, with about 25 td’s to 5 int’s, then he may have a shot. I just think the Heisman is about popularity and not what it is SUPPOSED to be, the award for BEST cfb player.
Ken Gordon wrote that Andrew Hendrix just got back from a visit to Notre Dame and almost immediately committed.
http://blog.dispatch.com/buckeyesblog/2009/06/struggling_to_recruit_a_qbagai.shtml
I cant see us getting a QB of any high rating, seeing as how LIC is back at least for 2010 and most likely 2011. Also, Braxton Miller already has an offer.
Miller will step in as a true freshman and play. I wouldn’t be shocked if TP goes pro after his Jr year. His passing is already improving faster then most thought it would. He’ll be better then Vince young when its all over, and that is saying alot.
I’ve got super dark horse, Jake Locker, winning the Heisman with an 8-4 turnaround season. And keeping with Washington football, I see Nick Montana is a Husky. Damn it!
LIC’s 12-15 arm punts per game is not going to garner many Heismann votes. He is the 3rd or 4th best QB in the Big 10 for Gods sake.
hahah what
Penn State fan. Don’t expect sanity.
I still can’t believe some people are rooting for tebow. If he wins the Heisman Trophy then it’s clear it has become a popularity contest and an MVP award, it’s no longer the best player. He’s good, but he’s not the best which is what this is all about.