The amount of elite college football talent set to take center stage in 2016 is staggering, and there are plenty of top players who could potentially claim the Heisman Trophy. But which Heisman hopefuls for 2016 have the best shot to win?
That’s what we’ll be examining here.
Underclassmen, quarterbacks and running backs rule the day, which isn’t surprising given how things have shaken out in recent years.
There are some obvious choices and a few surprises that we’ll feature. These are the top Heisman hopefuls for 2016, ranked in descending order.
10. Greg Ward Jr., quarterback, Houston
Is Ward Jr. a dark horse here? Absolutely. But given his outstanding junior campaign under Tom Herman, capping it off with a win over Florida State in the Peach Bowl, nobody should count him out in 2016.
Statistically, Ward Jr. has the ingredients to become a player who picks up steam as the season wears along. He passed for 2,828 yards and rushed for 1,108 more last year, combining to score 38 touchdowns.
If Houston gets off to a hot start and Ward is the catalyst, he’ll start to surge in the Heisman rankings.
9. Nick Chubb, running back, Georgia
It seems like there is a Georgia running back in the hunt for a Heisman every year.
Chubb was phenomenal as a freshman and was off to a smashing start last year before a knee injury against Tennessee knocked him out for the rest of the season.
Among his highlights was a record-tying performance against Alabama and 13 consecutive 100-plus yard games. Unfortunatelym he was injured the next game and was unable to move past Herschel Walker for the all-time record.
With a career average of 7.4 yards per carry and over one touchdown per game playing against the brutal defenses of the SEC, Chubb should be in the national Heisman conversation all year long.
8. Josh Rosen, quarterback, UCLA
As a true freshman last year, Rosen came out of the gates as hot as any quarterback in the nation. While he did cool off and level out somewhat, he finished the season having completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,669 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Head coach Jim Mora is understandably excited about the young man’s future, though his idea about how NFL teams view Rosen at this early stage might be a bit overly enthusiastic.
Still, arm talent is certainly not a problem for Rosen. He can place the ball on a dime anywhere on the field. The biggest issue with Rosen’s game right now is his ability to stay cool under pressure.
Once he gains a bit of seasoning and starts to see things before they happen, he’ll be deadly.
He’s also not afraid to make a statement, which gives scouts and fans some insight into what type of personality he brings to the table.
7. Royce Freeman, running back, Oregon
It wouldn’t be a preseason Heisman hopefuls list without a running back from Oregon. In truth, this is more than just a platitude as it concerns Freeman — a legitimate contender who should have gotten more attention for what he did the past two years (3,203 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns).
Oregon’s offense will be centered around this dynamic back in 2016, especially now that Vernon Adams and Marcus Mariota are out of the picture.
It’s looking like Dakota Prukop, a Montana State transfer, will be starting at quarterback, and you can count on him handing off to Freeman on a regular basis.
One area of Freeman’s game that should be further developed this year, if history is any indication, is his ability to catch the ball. As a sophomore in 2015, he reeled in 26 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns.
6. J.T. Barrett, quarterback, Ohio State
Now that Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller have moved on to the NFL, Barrett enters the 2016 season as the unquestioned starter at Ohio State.
A guy head coach Urban Meyer has relied upon to take over for both of them the past two years, he’s a proven performer who has a knack for putting up big points without a lot of turnovers. In two years of backup duty, which has culminated in a lot of playing time, Barrett has racked up 5,446 total yards and 67 touchdowns.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how he performs as the focal point of the offense. Nobody should be surprised if Barrett is near or at the top of this list when the season ends, especially if the Buckeyes get back to the national championship game after missing out last year.
5. Baker Mayfield, quarterback, Oklahoma
It was a shame Mayfield missed out on a trip to New York this past winter for last year’s Heisman presentation.
His 2015 campaign was fantastic, and the Sooners had a big year with him at the helm. Outside of a ridiculous loss to Texas early in the year and their unfortunate run-in with buzz-saw Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Oklahoma was nearly unstoppable in 2015. Meanwhile, Mayfield combined for 4,105 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Now entering his senior season, we should only expect more from the quarterback in his final campaign, and the Sooners should be considered favorites to win the Big 12.
4. Dalvin Cook, running back, Florida State
All. Purpose. Back.
Whether you’re talking about hitting a hole with authority and breaking off a 75-yard touchdown run. Whether you’re talking about catching a swing pass and making moves in the open field. Whether you’re talking about picking up a blitzing defenders on third down. There isn’t anything Cook cannot do offensively.
This is why Cook is projected by many to be the best NFL prospect of the bunch coming out for 2017.
The one thing that sort of derailed his season last year was a couple nagging injuries. Even still, he racked up 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns rushing the ball.
If Cook can stay healthy in 2016, he’ll be right there at the end in line for a trip up the east coast to the Big Apple.
3. Christian McCaffrey, running back, Stanford
The only running back who can do more than Cook is Stanford’s McCaffrey, who set an NCAA record for all-purpose yards last year.
This guy returns kicks, he returns punts, he runs for touchdowns, throws for touchdowns and catches passes for touchdowns. He finished with 3,903 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns and figures to be even more of a focal point this year (if that’s even conceivable) now that quarterback Kevin Hogan has moved on.
Oh, and he’s pretty fly for a white guy.
What an unbelievable way to start the #RoseBowl #ChristianMcCaffrey was magnificent today https://t.co/xdtsQrwxSB
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) January 2, 2016
The one area in which McCaffrey didn’t particularly show up strong on the stat sheet compared to his peers was his touchdown total. Getting into the end zone more frequently in 2016 will ensure he’s a top-three Heisman finalist once again after finishing second in voting last year behind Derrick Henry.
2. Leonard Fournette, running back, LSU
For most of last season, it looked like the Heisman belonged to Fournette, who made opposing defenses look silly.
There just wasn’t anyone else in college football doing what he was doing from week to week, averaging 193 yards and just over two touchdowns per game in his first seven games. During this remarkable stretch, LSU alumnus Shaquille O’Neal all but handed him the Heisman, and most of us agreed with him.
Then he ran into Alabama’s defensive front seven. Truly, while Fournette did eventually recover, his 31-yard performance in that game ruined his Heisman bid for the 2015 season.
Fournette will have a chance to exact revenge in November when the Crimson Tide come to town. Should the big back power through their defense for a big game, he’ll almost certainly be in the running for the 2016 Heisman Trophy.
1. Deshaun Watson, quarterback, Clemson
When Watson finished third in the Heisman vote last year, it seemed like a stunning injustice. Looking back at his numbers from 2015, that sentiment remains strong.
As a sophomore, he combined for an astounding 5,214 yards and 47 touchdowns, and what many people don’t seem to understand is this guy rushed for 74 yards per game. The Tigers aren’t afraid to feature Watson as a runner, and he often breaks off huge gains on third downs all by himself.
The scary part?
Watson is just starting to come into his own as a pure passer, and the Tigers weren’t exactly hot converting in the red zone last year. Needless to say, they are making that a point of emphasis for the upcoming season, which should boost his scoring capabilities all the more.