Is Scooby Wright really an under the radar Heisman Trophy candidate?
The 6-foot-1, 246-pound linebacker did finish in the top ten in the voting for the 2014 award. But, yes, as a defensive player, Wright will always be a long shot. Plus, he appeared on only 21 ballots last year when Marcus Mariota ran away with the bronze statue.
A unanimous All-American (the first for the Wildcats since Chris McAlister in 1998), Wright had 163 total tackles (99 of them solo), an eye-popping 29 tackles for a loss (which led the nation), 14 sacks and six forced fumbles. Unsurprisingly, he led the team in each category.
The performance earned Wright the Chuck Badnarik and Bronko Nagurski Awards (each given annually to the nation’s best defensive player), and the Rotary Lombardi Award (awarded to the top lineman or linebacker in the country). He was also the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year.
If Wright can repeat his 2014 performance, he’ll have a shot to become the first primary defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy since Charles Woodson in 1998. Only Manti Te’o (2nd, 2013), Tyrann Mathieu (5th, 2011) and Ndamukong Suh (4th, 2009) have finished in the top five since.
Aside from the odds behind against him as a defensive player, Wright will compete with a couple of teammates for votes. The Wildcats have two other players – quarterback Anu Solomon and running back Nick Wilson – that could be in the mix for the Heisman trophy next season.
Next: Justin Thomas