Heisman Rankings 2018: Top 20 Heisman Trophy candidates

The Auburn Tigers surprised a lot of people last season, as they really came out of nowhere to win the SEC West. Led by quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the Tigers nearly made it to the College Football Playoff but were beaten by the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.

Still, Stidham put his mark on college football last season and should be in for another monster campaign this Fall. In a recent article, ESPN ranked Stidham as the best player in the SEC, and those guys usually find their way onto the final Heisman ballot every single year.

The 21-year old native of Corbin, Kentucky began his college career at Baylor but left the school amidst all the incidents revolving around former head coach Art Briles. After a semester in community college, Stidham found his way to Auburn, where he was named the starter for the 2017 college football season.

While Stidham and his Tigers lost to Georgia in the SEC title game, he did beat them in the regular season, as well as Alabama. Those two teams met up in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, so Stidham definitely showed he could go out and beat the best college football has to offer.

With an experienced wide receiver group coming back, and the lack of Kerryon Johnson in the backfield, Stidham is going to be expected to be even more productive this season. He has the weapons in place, and if he improves off of his marks of 3,158 yards and 18 touchdowns from a year ago, he should be a Heisman candidate for sure.