25 best college football players not in the College Football Hall of Fame (yet)

NEW YORK - DECEMBER 14: Carson Palmer of the University of Southern California speaks with the press after winning the 68th annual Heisman Trophy Award at The Yale Club December 14, 2002 in New York City. The USC quarterback became the first west coast player win the trophy since 1981. Palmer received 242 first-place votes winning by 233 over second place Iowa quarterback Brad Banks. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) /

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Quarterback Josh Heupel #14 of the Oklahoma Sooners: (Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT) /

15. Josh Heupel, Oklahoma, QB

Josh Heupel’s college career was absolutely wild. He went from someone who was fighting for starting time at Snow College in Utah to being the Heisman Trophy runner-up at Oklahoma. He literally met with Bob Stoops, and out of nowhere, he was a scholarship quarterback. Now, he’s up for the College Football Hall of Fame.

The wild ride started at Weber State, but he hurt his knee during spring practice and he eventually left. He went to Snow, took the starting job, and threw for 28 touchdowns in his first season there. He then went to Oklahoma, and that’s where the real fun began.

Heupel led the Big 12 in passing yards in both seasons in Oklahoma. During his 2000 season, he threw for 3,606 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also ran for seven touchdowns that season. Chris Weinke beat him out for the Heisman Trophy by a mere 100 points. However, it all depends on the voter. Heupel won the AP Player of the Year Award and was a consensus All American. He also won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Heupel started a trend of really good quarterback play that is still going on today. The season before Heupel took the starting job, Oklahoma played five different quarterbacks. After Heupel, four different quarterbacks won the Heisman Trophy for the Sooners. Obviously, Heupel should not go in for what people do after he left, but the legacy he left behind means something. He dominated on the field, and he led Oklahoma to a National Championship win over Weinke.

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