Winning the Heisman Trophy is the highest individual achievement in College Football. On the cusp of a fresh season, there are a handful of young men who stand above the rest as heavy favorites to take the prize.
Every year brings with it one or two surprising athletes who surpass everyone’s wildest expectations to emerge as a true contender for the prestigious trophy. We’ve included one such player in this list, though he’s certainly a long shot to win.
These upcoming players, on paper, appear to have the best chance of taking home the Heisman Trophy as the top player in the nation for the 2015 College Football season.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Elliott has been a heavy favorite to win the Heisman since the end of last season. Of course, it helps that he finished the 2014 season on such an amazing hot streak, rushing for over 200 yards in each of the three postseason games (696 total rushing yards), thanks to runs like this one.
He’s the featured back in Urban Meyer’s offense and will receive a ton of opportunities to showcase his amazing repertoire on the ground. Blessed with strength and power to gain the tough yards in a pinch and with the speed and agility to hit home runs like the one featured above, Elliott should set College Football on fire this upcoming season.
There is one thing to track, however, that could be a detriment to his chances at winning the Heisman: Whomever lands the starting quarterback gig at Ohio State could steal some of Elliott’s thunder at the end of the year.
Cody Kessler, QB, USC
Nobody’s sleeping on Kessler, but it does seem like he’s not getting as much hype as he deserves.
Since taking over as the full-time starter for Matt Barkley in 2013—his sophomore year—Kessler has improved by leaps and bounds. He finished last year having completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,826 yards with 39 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
While many associate accuracy with someone who doesn’t take chances, this isn’t the case with Kessler, who excels when throwing it past 15 yards.
Cody Kessler’s 53.5 comp pct on passes of 15+ yards last season was 3rd-highest among Power 5 QBs (min. 50 passes). pic.twitter.com/pfARdAkbmB
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 18, 2015
One of the most accurate passers in College Football, he will be the point man for a dangerous passing attack. JuJu Smith and Stephen Mitchell will likely be his main targets, with Darreus Rogers as the third option. This group of playmakers will help Kessler make a strong push for the Heisman Trophy this season—and potentially a playoff berth as well.
Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
Talk about an explosive runner, Chubb averaged 7.1 yards per carry last season as a freshman. Taking over for Todd Gurley, who was injured and suspended, the first-year phenom rushed for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns, finishing off the season with a huge game (266 rushing yards and two touchdowns) against Louisville in the Belk Bowl.
As the featured back this season, with Gurley playing in the NFL, Chubb’s production should soar.
Pro Football Focus notes that Chubb was the most elusive running back in the nation last year.
“No matter where he gets the ball, Chubb is the most difficult running back to tackle in college football. His 108.5 elusive rating was tops among FBS running backs, and he pairs it with impressive breakaway ability that saw him pick up 52.1 percent of his yards on runs of 15 or more yards, fourth-most in the nation.”
In addition to his skills running the ball, Chubb is also an accomplished receiver and will be the focal point of Georgia’s offense for the 2015 season.
Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
Boykin was a guy who came out of nowhere last year, but everybody sees him coming in 2015. He led the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record, won the Chik-fil-A Bowl last season as a junior and figures to be the top senior quarterback in the nation.
The thing about Boykin that sets him apart from the other quarterbacks seen as Heisman favorites is his dual-threat abilities. The versatile athlete ran for 707 yards and eight touchdowns last season in addition to 3,901 passing yards and 33 touchdowns through the air.
TCU’s offense is nuclear-level explosive with Boykin as the catalyst. The Horned Frogs averaged 47 points per game in 2014 and could do even better this year—as should Boykin top his 2014 campaign.
Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State
With Braxton Miller moving into a receiving role to join freshman Torrance Gibson, Junior Michael Thomas and sophomore Jalen Marshall, Ohio State enters the season with an outstanding receiving corps that can stretch the field.
ESPN has J.T. Barrett ahead of Jones—by a wide margin—in its 2015 Heisman Watch. However, Jones is the more talented quarterback and has a knack for coming up big when the game is on the line. Head coach Urban Meyer will quickly learn to trust the most dangerous pure passer in the nation.
“The bigger kid threw the ball down the field a little more,” a Big Ten defensive coordinator said this offseason of Jones (h/t ESPN). “That’s the interesting thing there, though it’s not that J.T. couldn’t throw it, because he can.
“But [Jones] can sure throw it, and he throws a hell of a catchable ball.”
In limited action last season, Jones showed the ability to make big-time throws to every part of the field. He completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 860 yards with seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. He was also outstanding during the three postseason games for the Buckeyes.
LONG SHOT: Mike Bercovici, QB, Arizona State
There may not be a more fearless gunslinger in the nation than Bercovici, who has a cannon to match his desire to push the ball down the field.
“I love the way he throws the ball,” former ASU star quarterback Jake Plummer said (h/t AZcentral.com). “He’s not afraid to throw it into that tight spot. That’s why I hope they don’t coach that out of him.”
Bercovici leads a high-powered offense on a team that should hang around in top-25 lists all year long, which helps his cause as a relevant Heisman finalist. He’s joined this year by uber-talented, multi-dimensional receiver D.J. Foster, who will line up all over the field, and sophomore Ellis Jefferson (prototypical No. 1 size and skill set), among others.
The Sun Devils needed him last year when Taylor Kelly broke his foot, and he delivered. Completing 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,445 yards with 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions, he showed himself capable of playing well on the big stage.