15 off-the-radar Heisman Trophy candidates for 2016
By Brad Rowland
Ranking the top 15 under-the-radar Heisman Trophy candidates for the 2016 college football season.
Most of the time, the winner of the Heisman Trophy doesn’t emerge from nowhere. Last season’s winner, Alabama running back Derrick Henry, may not have been the “favorite” to take home the hardware before the campaign began, but he was a known commodity. Prior to that, Marcus Mariota fit the same bill as an established veteran who simply made a leap in his trophy-winning season.
However, there have certainly been times when no one could have foreseen the breakout that was about to happen for the Heisman winner. Robert Griffin III exploding out of Baylor to win the 2011 award comes to mind, and even the likes of Johnny Manziel and Cam Newton could fall into this particular category. In the end, it is far too early to make real predictions about the winner of the 2016 Heisman Trophy based on this information, but that will not stop us from trying.
The 2016 season is rapidly approaching, and the front-runners have already been established. Returnees like LSU running back Leonard Fournette, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey are among the favorites, and there is another group of likely candidates behind them, headlined by Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett and Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.
In this space, we won’t be concerning ourselves with the favorites. In fact, any player with listed odds less than 25-to-1 (according to our pals in the off-shore wagering market) is disqualified from this list, as we attempt to unearth players that are legitimately under-the-radar. Everything else is fair game, though, and we will at least be mindful that offensive players and, particularly, quarterbacks and running backs always hold the inside track toward glory.
Now, let’s unveil the list, counting down from 15 to 1. Flame away.
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