Let the Heisman watch begin. It is inevitable that some of these young men will punch their ticket to New York City in December. Just like it is inevitable that some of them won't live up to the hype. But all of them had the numbers in 2011, and the skills to warrant Heisman consideration as we head into the 2012 campaign. Here is a look at the stars that I expect to shine the brightest during the 2012 college football season.
1. Landry Jones QB/Oklahoma
2011 Stats: 4,463 passing yards, 29 TD, 15 INT
2012 Outlook: The Oklahoma Sooners are my pick to win the National Championship this season. We all know that a lot of QBs that play in the BCS National Championship Game get a ticket to NYC for the Heisman presentation. Jones will have the numbers to go along with the team success. He will be playing behind a veteran line with a stable of backs. He lost Ryan Broyles as his go-to receiver, but Kenny Stills and Jazz Reynolds will step up and become major contributors. Barring injury, Jones will surpass 4,000 yards passing again. That will not be a problem. He does need to cut back on his picks though. If he can keep his interceptions in single digits, Landry Jones will have no problem being invited to the Downtown Athletic Club. Landry Jones is my pick to become the 3rd Oklahoma QB to win the Heisman Trophy in the Bob Stoops era.
2. Matt Barkley QB/USC
2011 Stats: 3,528 passing yards, 39 TD, 7 INT
2012 Outlook: The USC Trojans are back and ready to return to the limelight. After 2 years of being stuck behind NCAA sanctions, USC is now eligible to win a National Championship. Which is what many prognosticators believe they will do. The Trojans will begin the season ranked 1st in the AP poll. They return 15 starters and will undoubtedly be in the mix. Barkley has the luxury of throwing to the nation's best WR tandem in Robert Woods and Marquise Lee, both of whom could be 1st Round draft picks in April. Matty Trojan will put up huge numbers this year and should USC get past in the Oregon in the Pac-12 he could walk away as the 3rd USC QB to win the Heisman Trophy since 2002. Right now, I have him as my runner up.
3. Montee Ball RB/Wisconsin
2011 Stats: 1,923 rushing yards, 33 rushing TD, 39 total TD
2012 Outlook: All Montee Ball does is score TDs. OK so that's not true. Ball can get tough yards in short yardage, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he can even block when need be. But what he does best is score TDs. Ball tied Barry Sanders' all-time record for TDs in a season with 39 last year. It will be difficult for him to have an encore season. Wisconsin will put up points again though. The Badgers have become a juggernaut offensively, and should have no problem getting back to the Big Ten Championship Game. This will give Ball an opportunity to play on the big stage again. In the past it has become evident that if you return to school following a year in which you were a Heisman finalist, you are virtually a lock to become a finalist again. This should stay true when considering Montee Ball's chances in 2012.
4. Tyler Wilson QB/Arkansas
2011 Stats: 3,638 passing yards, 24 TD, 6 INT
2012 Outlook: 2012 will be Tyler Wilson's opportunity to prove that he is more than just a product of Bobby Petrino's offensive mastermind. Petrino is out and John L Smith is in as Head Coach in Fayetteville. Wilson will need to show that he has the poise and moxy to lead the Razorbacks through adversity. Wilson has been very impressive in the eyes of NFL scouts, as some believe he could challenge Matt Barkley for the top spot in the NFL Draft. Wilson has a bevy of weapons at his disposal. 7 starters return to an offense that ranked 1st in the SEC for the 1st time since joining the league in 1991. Bigger things could be on the horizon for Arkansas. Alabama and LSU both come to their house this year, and could be a huge platform for Wilson to solidify his spot in NYC.
5. Denard Robinson QB/Michigan
2011 Stats: 2,173 passing yards, 20 TD, 15 INT, 1,176 rushing yards, 16 TD
2012 Outlook: "Shoelace" is the premier dual-threat back in the country. He has been a part of 2 different Heisman campaigns since arriving in Ann Arbor, only to what both of them fizzle out as the season ends. Michigan announced themselves back to a national audience last season, as they went 11-2 and won the Sugar Bowl. They should be even better in 2012. However, the schedule stiffens up quite a bit this year. Robinson can take the lead in the Heisman race right away as the Wolverines open the season against the defending national champion, Alabama. If he puts up another 2,000 yards passing, 1,000 yards rushing, and leads Michigan to a Big Ten title, he will be very difficult to beat.
The next 5:
6. Marcus Lattimore RB/South Carolina
2011 Stats: 818 rushing yards, 10 TD
2012 Outlook: Lattimore returns from a knee injury and looks to lead Spurrier's most talented team since arriving at South Carolina to their 1st SEC title.
7. Geno Smith QB/West Virginia
2011 Stats: 4,385 passing yards, 31 TD, 7 INT
2012 Outlook: The Mountaineers should continue lighting up scoreboards in their inaugural Big 12 season, but will their defense allow WVU to win enough games to get Geno Smith to New York?
8. Aaron Murray QB/Georgia
2011 Stats: 3,149 passing yards, 35 TD, 14 INT
2012 Outlook: Murray is entering his 3rd season as the starter in Athens and is beginning to break some of David Greene's records. If he cuts down on his INTs, Murray should be the best passer in the best conference in the country.
9. De'Anthony Thomas RB/Oregon
2011 Stats: 46 receptions, 605 receiving yards, 9 receiving TD, 18 Total TD
2012 Outlook: De'Anthony Thomas is the "Do it all" man on one of the most explosive offenses in the country. He will help the Ducks run the table during the regular season, but his teammate Kenjon Barner will steal enough of the attention to keep him out of NYC.
10. Sammy Watkins WR/Clemson
2011 Stats: 82 receptions, 1,219 receiving yards, 12 receiving TD
2012 Outlook: Watkins will be suspended for Clemson's first 2 games again Auburn and Ball State. But he will do enough in the 11 games to follow to make him relevant in this race.
Others to Watch:
Logan Thomas QB/Virginia Tech
Rex Burkhead RB/Nebraska
Kenjon Barner RB/Oregon
Tavon Austin WR/West Virginia
Robert Woods WR/USC
No comments:
Post a Comment