2020 Heisman Trophy rankings: Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence lead top 10 candidates

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 07: Justin Fields #01 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after a touchdown in the Big Ten Championship game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

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DALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 05: Shane Buechele #7 of the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

10. Shane Buechele, QB, SMU

For a time, it looked like we might be witnessing a storybook season for the 2019 SMU Mustangs with Shane Buechele, the transfer from Texas, at the helm of the offense. The Mustangs started off the year at 8-0 and were one of the most exciting teams in college football. Unfortunately, the story did not have the happiest ending as SMU fell in close ones against Memphis and Navy.

While SMU didn’t finish with the perfect season, it’s clear that head coach Sonny Dykes has the Mustangs back on the map as an explosive offense that’s capable of putting up points on anyone. That starts with Buechele for right now and will again start with him as he returns for his final year of NCAA eligibility in the 2020 season. And we could see big things from the quarterback in his second run in Dallas.

In his first year with the Mustangs, Buechele had a monster year as he finished eighth in FBS in yards with 3,626, tied for sixth in FBS in touchdowns with 33 and threw only nine interceptions on the year. For good measure, he also added two rushing scores to his credit as well. He clearly showed that he can thrive in Dykes’ system and put up some big numbers.

If Buechele is able to take another step forward as he’s even more comfortable at SMU in his second season and, perhaps more importantly, if he’s able to take the Mustangs to even higher heights in his encore effort, we could see some serious Heisman Trophy buzz for him. Leading the team all the way back to the limelight some 35 years after the death penalty is a narrative that writes itself.

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