Heisman Rankings 2018: Top 20 Heisman Trophy candidates

The Wisconsin Badgers got a good one in Jonathan Taylor, who burst onto the scene as a freshman last season to become one of the best running backs in all of college football. Of course, this was not the plan, as he entered the school as the No. 4 running back on the depth chart, and had to work his way into playing time.

When all was said and done, the 19-year old native of Salem, New Jersey was running all over Big Ten defenses and establishing himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate as a true freshman. That hype train will roll on into 2018, where he may be the one holding up the hardware if he can put together another season like he did last Fall.

Taylor not only produced at a high level for the Badgers last season, but he produced at a level that nobody had ever seen from a freshman. He set the FBS record for rushing yards by a freshman with 1,977, and in the process, became a second-team All-American in his first season on campus.

An explosive back, Taylor earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors and was twice named the conference Player of the Week. In total, he rushed the ball 299 times for the Badgers in year one, finding the end zone 13 times, and averaging 6.6 yards a carry against some of the best defenses in college football.

A front-runner for the Heisman Trophy in 2018, Taylor is all over the watch lists and has an opportunity to have a special season if he can stay healthy. He carried the ball a lot as an 18-year old last season, but with a guy his size, and with his ability to make people miss, breaking that 2,000-yard mark is not out of the question this season.