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5 Reasons Royce Freeman can win the 2016 Heisman Trophy

By Richard Cuthbertson

Nov 27, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman (21) runs the ball into the red zone in the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman (21) runs the ball into the red zone in the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 27, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman (21) runs the ball into the red zone in the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman (21) runs the ball into the red zone in the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /

Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman enters his Junior Year as one of the nation’s most exciting players.

With the start of the season upon us it is time to start to start thinking about the upcoming Heisman Trophy race. Quarterbacks are always the frontrunners to start the season, however this year there are several high profile skill position players in the running. LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and FSU’s Dalvin Cook are among the nation’s best running backs and Heisman hopefuls.

Here are five reasons to believe in Royce Freeman’s quest.

5. He plays in one of the best offenses in the country

Despite last year’s quarterback Vernon Adams not being with the team until just before the season began, Oregon was still the fifth-highest scoring offense in the country at 43 points per game.  Adams also missed three and a half games due to injury, which made it hard for the Ducks to get into a rhythm.  Last year, Freeman was the workhorse that everyone expected him to be. He carried the ball 283 times for 1,836 yards and 17 touchdowns for an astounding 6.5 yards per carry.

This season, starting quarterback Dakota Prukop, a transfer from Montana State, was on campus for all of the team’s spring practices and has gotten acclimated to the Oregon’s fast-tempo offense. Having a quarterback who has played in a similar offensive system will only help Freeman showcase his speed and strength. Last season he recorded nine runs of 30 yards or more, including his 64-yard touchdown at Arizona State.

Heading into his Junior season Freeman’s carries have gone from 252 as a Freshman to 283 as a sophmore and is expected to increase to over 300 as a junior this year. If that is the case and he stays within his 6.5 yards per carry average of last season, Freeman has a very good chance of becoming only the 27th player in the history of CFB to rush for 2,000 yards.

Being in such elite company would certainly give him a leg up to get to New York and become a finalist for the 2016 Heisman Trophy.

Next: Consistency

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