Heisman watch 2018: 10 dark horse Heisman Trophy candidates
It’s easy to name the top Heisman Trophy candidates for 2018, but here are 10 dark horses you’re probably not quite as well aware of.
From the relative exclusivity of the winners’ club to the iconic status and image of the trophy itself, to the wide range of pro football futures past winners have had, there’s an argument to be made for the Heisman Trophy as the most unique individual award in sports.
As we get closer to the 2018 college football season, lists of the top Heisman candidates are prevalent as well as worthy of consideration and speculation. But a lot of years someone comes from off the preseason radar and emerges as a candidate, and sometimes said guy even lands in New York City as a finalist. That’s the direction this list will take. No Bryce Love, Jonathan Taylor and the like among the top Heisman candidates for 2018 will be found here.
Without further ado, here are 10 dark horse candidates to win the Heisman Trophy this year.
10. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
Oliver is a top NFL prospect, all but certainly entering his final collegiate season, and after winning the Outland Trophy last year he suggested he has his eye on the Heisman Trophy.
Oliver has two significant things working against him. The last Heisman winner from a non-Power 5 school was BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990, and Charles Woodson (1997) is the only primarily defensive player to win the award. Woodson showed versatility by playing some wide receiver though, and Houston head coach Major Applewhite hinted at Oliver getting some touches on offense.
On Ed Oliver and his Heisman hopes, Houston HC Major Applewhite said that he will definitely be part of the offense: will run the ball, might catch, pass, and kick the ball. Applewhite says that you "want to get the ball in your best player's hands."
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) July 24, 2018
It takes a very special defensive talent, especially as a lineman, to even be casually mentioned in the Heisman Trophy conversation. But Oliver, with 138 total tackles, 38.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks over his first two college seasons, looks like one of the guys (along with Nick Bosa) to do so this year.