5 reasons Jalen Hurd can win the 2016 Heisman

5. Consistent improvement

As players get older and more playing time, they are expected to get better and produce more. Hurd’s first two years in Tennessee saw him get better and produce more statistically.

As a freshman, he rushed for 899 yards on 190 carries with five touchdowns. He split most of his carries with quarterback Josh Dobbs, but he was the feature back. And soon Tennessee would turn over all the rushing duties to him.

Last year, he topped his mark, rushing for 1,285 yards on 277 carries, scoring 12 touchdowns. Dobbs and short-range back Alvin Kamara vultured some of his touchdowns.

Still Hurd saw his role in the offense expand and he still kept up his same production. As a freshman, he rushed for 4.7 yards per carry. As a sophomore with a bigger load to carry, he rushed for 4.6 yards per carry.

He may not hit the same mark as far as carries next year with Kamara also a viable option. But that should only see his opportunities to get bigger gains and carries increase as he shoulders less of the load.

Hurd also got better as the season went on. His three biggest games individually came in the final three games. He rushed for 151 yards against Missouri, 120 against Vanderbilt and finished it off with the big game against Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.

His consistency is also a strong sign that he could be due for big games. He is not going to have a “dud” or one of those low-yardage performances that plague running back campaigns for the Heisman. His lowest production last year was 61 yards against Kentucky. Otherwise, he had only two other games with fewer than 80 yards rushing.

With some questions at wide receiver thanks to offseason injuries, Hurd will have to carry a big load on the ground to help set them and Dobbs up for a successful season.

Next: When he runs, they win