5 dark horse Heisman candidates for 2015

Jerrod Heard, QB, Texas

In order to compete for a Heisman Trophy, Texas Longhorn quarterback Jerrod Heard has to overcome a hurdle well before the beginning of the season—he needs to win the starting job.

Tyrone Swoopes was the starter last season, but he was less-than-inspiring and could be primed for an upset. Wescott Eberts of SBNation site Burnt Orange Nation reported that coach Charlie Strong thinks Heard has ‘closed the gap’ with Swoopes in spring practices.

Heard brings athleticism to the position, but has needed to prove he can hang in the pocket as well. According to Eberts, Strong feels as though he has done much better in that arena, which has helped improve his game across the board.

Eberts also reported that Strong is hesitant to start a redshirt freshman in the season opener against what should be a tough Notre Dame team, so the jury is probably still out on the Heard/Swoopes battle. Strong isn’t on the hot seat, but a loss to the Irish would rattle the cages a little. On the other hand, fans were clamoring for Heard last season when Swoopes was shaky, so it could be that if Swoopes falls flat in the opener, we’ll see Heard by the second week.

Ultimately, Heard has an exciting blend of athleticism and quarterback ability, the sort of thing which has caught the attention of Heisman voters before, most recently with then-redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel.

If Heard can wrestle the job from Swoopes, learn to read his progressions a bit better and stop locking on his first target, he could be in the hunt come the end of the 2015 college football season.

Next: Storm Woods, RB, Oregon State