Johnny Manziel accepting the Heisman Trophy in 2012[/caption]Every year in December, as the college football season begins to come to a close, a select few student-athletes are given the opportunity to visit New York City for the presentation of the Heisman Memorial Trophy. One of these college football players will be selected to join a fraternity that gives them the right to say they are the best college football player in the world. I will be giving names to keep an eye on, periodically, throughout the season. Here is a list of the earliest frontrunners to “strike the pose” in New York in December 2013.
Top 4:
Johnny Manziel, a sophomore at Texas A&M, is the defending Heisman trophy winner and was the first freshman to ever win the award. Despite his achievement, he has already been deemed a long shot to win the award this year by many ESPN panelists. This is because of the many off the field incidents he encountered during the off season, including being kicked out of the Manning Passing Academy, due to alleged partying. He was also suspended for the first half of the teams first game because he may have taken money for signing autographs, which is a violation of NCAA rules. However, despite all of this, I believe that Manziel should be viewed as the front runner because of his ability to sling the football, coupled with his explosive speed and elusiveness. He currently has thrown for 497 yards and six touchdowns while completing 69 percent of his passes with only one interception, while also rushing for one touchdown and 55 yards. Manziel has a huge test on Saturday, September 14, against number one ranked Alabama. If he can lead A&M to a victory or perform well, then you’ll see Manziel’s stock skyrocket.
Another standout quarterback is Clemson’s Tajh Boyd, who has won ACC Player of the Year the past two seasons. Unlike Manziel, Boyd was rarely in the news during the offseason, but has already received high praise for lighting up the scoreboard against SEC team Georgia. On the season, Boyd has thrown for 439 yards and three touchdowns on 60 percent passing, while only playing five quarters of football. He has also rushed for another 52 yards and three touchdowns. Boyd also has a very talented receiving core that should contribute to his passing stats during the season. Boyd will remain in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy as long as Clemson can stay in national championship contention.
Louisville quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, has had the best start to the season of all the Heisman candidates, throwing for 752 yards and nine touchdowns, while having a 76 percent completion percentage and only one interception, but is still the most underrated candidate. It may have something to do with the fact that he plays in a weaker conference than the rest, and if his Louisville team doesn't go undefeated, it could hurt his Heisman chances. Despite this, he has seen a lot of attention in the preseason predictions and if Louisville can stay on track it is likely Bridgewater will find his way to New York in December.
The only running back in the top four is Georgia’s Todd Gurley. Gurley has rushed for 288 yards and three touchdowns, while picking up an average of 6.9 yards per carry. He has also caught two passes for a total of nine yards and one touchdown. He was a big reason why Georgia beat number six ranked South Carolina in week two. He will have a tough road to New York, facing SEC defense’s every week and taking more hits than the quarterbacks in the race for the Heisman Trophy. He could lose some votes due to his quarterback, Aaron Murray, also being in contention for the Heisman Trophy. If his physical running style doesn't cause him to wear down as the season progresses, and his quarterback doesn't take his spotlight away, he should have the numbers to end up a contender.
Dark Horse Contenders:
Last year, no one in the country could have predicted that a freshman at Texas A&M would have won the Heisman, or that two years ago Robert Griffin III would have a great season for Baylor and win the award, so there is always a chance for an unexpected player to win. One of those players in Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota has thrown for 433 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 53 percent of his passes. Mariota is also a threat running, having rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns while averaging an astounding 26.1 yards per carry. He will have the opportunity to run more plays than the others due to Oregon’s typically fastest offense in football, giving him more chances to rack up stats. He could find himself in the top four if he is able to get Oregon to the national championship and put up the numbers his system provides.
The only other player not on people’s radar is Miami (Florida) running back Duke Johnson. Johnson will have many opportunities to pound out yards and get close to 200 yards in games against the weaker defenses in the ACC. He currently has rushed for 245 yards and two touchdowns, while picking up an average of 6.1 yards. Johnson played very well in Miami’s upset of number 12 ranked Florida. He could find his way into the top four if someone currently in it has a disappointing season, or if his offensive line can keep him safe in the process.
Heisman Rank on 9/12/13:
1. Johnny Manziel
2. Teddy Bridgewater
3. Tajh Boyd
4. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
5. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama
6. Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia
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