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2009 Heisman Trophy Candidates
Published by MoonDog on June 8, 2009
Serious Contenders
1. Tim Tebow – Quarterback – Florida Gators
Tim Tebow will have every advantage in seeking to become only the second player in college football history to win the Heisman twice. The Gators wealth of talent, particularly at the skill positions, bodes well for Tebow’s chances of winning the Heisman.
Unlike Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Texas’ Colt McCoy, Tebow gets more opportunities to showcase his running ability. Thus, while the passing numbers may not be as glitzy as his Big 12 counterparts, the combination of his rushing numbers will more than provide a solid argument.
Tebow and his Gator teammates are primed for another run at the BCS national championship, returning 19 starters, including all 11 on defense. If Florida makes an appearance in the BCS title game, look for Tebow to hoist the Heisman for a second time.
2. Sam Bradford – Quarterback – Oklahoma Sooners
Sam Bradford, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, has something to prove in 2009. Despite his gaudy numbers from a season ago, Bradford and his Oklahoma teammates lost to Florida in the BCS national championship game.
The 6-4 junior passed for 4720 yards with 60 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions last season. While there is plenty of talent on the Sooners’ roster, the offensive line and receiving corps will have to be rebuilt.
Oklahoma will again be in the mix of teams with a chance to win the BCS title and for that reason, Bradford will be among those players seeking to win the Heisman.
3. Colt McCoy – Quarterback – Texas Longhorns
Colt McCoy has to be wondering what he has to do in order to get some respect. Last season, McCoy led Texas past Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout but because of the Big 12 tiebreaker system, the Longhorns were left out of the BCS national championship game.
McCoy had a tremendous season in 2008, throwing for 3859 yards and 34 touchdowns. The 6-3 senior also rushed for 561 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 2009 campaign will give McCoy his last chance to win the Heisman and a BCS title.
Texas has nine starters returning on offense and the defense returns seven starters. The Longhorns will be in the mix of teams vying for a BCS national championship and McCoy should be among those players invited to the Heisman ceremony.
Darkhorse Candidates
4. Zac Robinson – Quarterback – Oklahoma State Cowboys
While Tebow, Bradford and McCoy are listed ahead of him, Zac Robinson may actually be the best dual-threat quarterback among the group. Robinson has produced terrific numbers since his arrival in Stillwater and last season was his best.
Robinson has Tebow-like numbers with 6223 career passing yards and 1553 career rushing yards. With nine starters returning on offense, including all-everything wide receiver Dez Bryant, the Cowboys will again light up the scoreboard.
The drawback, however, is whether the ‘Pokes can stop the other team from scoring. Oklahoma State gave up 27 points a game last season and the only way Robinson will be among the Heisman hopefuls is if the Cowboys win games.
5. Dez Bryant – Wide Receiver – Oklahoma State Cowboys
With the departure of wide receivers Michael Crabtree, Quan Cosby and Jeremy Maclin, Dez Bryant will have the Big 12 spotlight all to himself this season.
The 6-2 junior caught 87 passes for 1480 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2008. Bryant finished ranked among the top three nationally in four major statistical categories, and he is also a return specialist.
Receivers have rarely won the Heisman, and those that did win it generally produced numbers over and above catching the football. If Bryant can continue generating solid all-purpose yards every week, he has a chance to be invited to the Downtown Athletic Club.
6. DeMarco Murray – Running Back – Oklahoma Sooners
While he doesn’t get the attention Sam Bradford receives, DeMarco Murray is an important reason why Oklahoma will once again contend for the BCS national championship.
Murray rushed for 1002 yards and scored 14 touchdowns last season. He also caught 31 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns, set a single season Sooners’ record for all-purpose yards and was the team’s leading kick returner with 774 yards.
Fellow running Chris Brown will again get more carries than Murray, but the 6-1 junior will have a greater impact on the Sooners’ success in 2009. Don’t be surprised if Murray is among those invited to the Heisman ceremony in December.
7. Jonathan Dwyer – Running Back – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Jonathan Dwyer hasn’t gotten a lot of recognition nationally, but all he’s done is average 6.49 yards per carry during his two seasons at Georgia Tech.
The reigning ACC Player of the Year has become a huge benefactor in head coach Paul Johnson’s triple option attack, rushing for 1821 yards and 21 touchdowns for his career.
Dwyer’s lack of national recognition may be a thing of the past as well. The Yellow Jackets return 16 starters from last year’s squad as they look to win the very competitive ACC Coastal Division. If Georgia Tech earns a BCS bowl berth, Dwyer will have been a big reason why.
8. Jahvid Best – Running Back – California Bears
In terms of all-purpose performers, no one on this list is better than Jahvid Best. The 5-10 junior ran for 1580 yards on 194 carries last season and scored 15 rushing touchdowns. Best also caught 27 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown.
In addition to his running ability, Best finished first in the Pac-10 in both all-purpose yards and kickoff returns. The Golden Bears return seven offensive starters, including their starting quarterback, four offensive linemen and two wideouts.
Opposing defenses aren’t going to be able to focus entirely on Best, thus his chances of getting some Heisman hype are better than some on this list.
9. Todd Reesing – Quarterback – Kansas Jayhawks
After a great 2007 season vaulted Todd Reesing into the Heisman discussion, he fell out of the mix last season, primarily because Kansas finished 8-5.
Despite producing more passing yards and a better completion percentage in 2008, Reesing was never seriously considered to be a Heisman candidate. But 2009 could be an opportunity for Reesing to once again be among the list of potential Heisman winners.
With a wealth of receivers returning, Reesing should produce another solid season throwing the football. However, the only way he’ll get any mention is if the Jayhawks can improve well beyond their 8-5 record of a season ago.
10. Evan Royster – Running Back – Penn State Nittany Lions
Evan Royster could have easily been among the top five Heisman candidates on this list. His career numbers are as impressive as any running back in the nation, amassing 1749 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in his two seasons at Penn State.
But the 6-1 junior will find the running game a tad more difficult in 2009, as the Nittany Lions rebuild their offensive line. To make matters worse, Penn State returns only one experienced wide receiver and opposing defenses are sure to stack the line to stop Royster.
11. Max Hall – Quarterback – Brigham Young Cougars
Max Hall carried on the tradition of outstanding quarterback play for BYU last season, passing for 3957 yards and 35 touchdowns. Hall was receiving some outside consideration for the Heisman last season after the Cougars got off to a 6-0 start.
But losses to TCU and Utah all but killed his chances for an invitation to the Heisman ceremony. Nevertheless, Hall remains a possible candidate although his chances look less likely in 2009. The Cougars will have to rebuild their offensive line and they face a tough schedule, including games against Oklahoma, Florida State, TCU and Utah.
Maybe Next Year
12. Jacquizz Rodgers – Running Back – Oregon State Beavers
Jacquizz Rodgers was the most talented freshman in the nation in 2008, setting a Pac-10 record for freshman running backs with 1253 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Rodgers also caught 29 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown to help him win the Pac-10’s Offensive Player of the Year, the first time a freshman has won the award.
The Beavers are in transition this season and Rodgers may suffer as a result. His Heisman chances are almost non-existent this season but he can easily be among those pushing for college football’s top honor in 2010.
13. Terrelle Pryor – Quarterback – Ohio State Buckeyes
Terrelle Pryor was the most heralded freshman in the 2008 recruiting class, taking what seemed like an eternity before he finally announced his decision to attend Ohio State.
Pryor’s 2008 statistics were respectable given his initial part-time role, passing for 1311 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 631 yards and six touchdowns. As he enters the 2009 season, Pryor will be without all of the Buckeyes’ key offensive performers from last season.
Pryor’s Heisman hopes are virtually nil this year, but look for him to be among the list of top candidates in 2010.
Similar Posts:
- 2009 Heisman Trophy Watch – Week 1
- Alabama’s Mark Ingram Deserves Heisman Trophy
- Texas, Penn State Show Who’s Boss
- 2009 Heisman Trophy Watch – Week 7
- Which SEC Team Will Win The BCS Title?
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Good Morning Tar Heels 06/08/09 | The 5th Corner on Mon, 8th Jun 2009 09:46
[...] Dog has the “2009 Heisman Trophy Candidates“, giving us the contenders, the dark horse and the ones that need to wait for 2010 to have a [...]
Lisa Horne on Mon, 8th Jun 2009 13:09
I like USC safety Taylor Mays or QB Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) as dark horses. Sp Moon dog….did you have a man crush on the Big 12? Wow….the six of the top ten are all Big 12 guys.
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