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5 dark horse Heisman candidates for 2015

By Andrew Garda

Dec 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the 1968 Heisman Trophy of Southern California Trojans tailback O.J. Simpson (not pictured) at Heritage Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the 1968 Heisman Trophy of Southern California Trojans tailback O.J. Simpson (not pictured) at Heritage Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 29, 2014; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Storm Woods (24) runs the ball against the Oregon Ducks at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2014; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Storm Woods (24) runs the ball against the Oregon Ducks at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /

Storm Woods, RB, Oregon State

Our runner-up in the ‘best named Heisman dark horse’ column, Woods was overshadowed in 2014 by some of the other backs in the conference (like our friend Devontae Booker) but he should bust out of the shadows this season.

2013 was not a great season for Woods, but 2014 absolutely was as he saw his yards per carry jump from 3.8 to 6.7 and if he fell short of the 940 yards he had in his freshman season of 2012, he looked better gaining his 766 yards last season.

If he’s going to buck the odds and make a run at a Heisman Trophy, he’ll need a few things to happen.

First of all, the team has to make better use of him. Maybe 192 carries is a little much for him (his 2012 carry total), but 121 is too little. That should change this year with former Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen arriving. You only need to look at Melvin Gordon’s eye-popping 2,587 yards (and his second-place finish in Heisman voting) to know that even if Andersen isn’t a run-first, run-second type of guy, he will feed his best players.

Woods is definitely one of them, so he should see a ton of work.

With the departure of quarterback Sean Mannion from the backfield, the Beavers have a few options to fill the void, but they will have to lean on Woods. Also in Woods’ favor is that all five of the offensive linemen who started by the end of the year return this season.

Woods will have opportunity and the team around him is such to where he should also be able to use his abilities to the fullest.

Next: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

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