15 off-the-radar Heisman Trophy candidates for 2016
By Brad Rowland
No. 6 – Brad Kaaya, QB Miami
Brad Kaaya has been on the radar as an NFL Draft prospect since he arrived in Coral Gables. Now, he has a head coach that can maximize his talents, and having available skill position players to utilize has never been the issue during his time with the Hurricanes.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound rising junior from Los Angeles has surpassed 3,000 passing yards in each of his first two seasons at Miami, and he has done so under brutal circumstances. The offensive line has struggled mightily at times and, in general, this has been a rudderless program from an on-field standpoint. Now, Mark Richt has been installed as Kaaya’s quarterback guru, and he has sustained a great deal of success with talented signal-callers, highlighted by extended time with Matthew Stafford while at Georgia.
Kaaya will certainly need to clean some things up in order to maximize his potential, but he completed more than 60 percent of his passes while unleashing only five interceptions in 2015. Miami will need to foster an environment where Kaaya can up his numbers considerably in order to jump legitimately into the Heisman race, but if the Hurricanes can simply win some games, Kaaya’s name recognition will help to buoy his candidacy.
Next: Mason Rudolph