Party Crashers: 10 Heisman Trophy dark horse candidates you can’t count out

Heisman dark horse No. 6: Cameron Rising, QB, Utah

It’s crazy to think that Cam Rising didn’t begin last season as the starter at Utah — but once Kyle Whittingham handed him the keys, he didn’t look back. Obviously, Rising led the Utes to a Pac-12 title and a Rose Bowl berth. He also might’ve led them to that win over Ohio State if not for a late-game injury.

Even still, Rising amassed 26 total touchdowns last season and nearly 3,000 total yards while not spending the entire year as the starter. He’ll get that chance this season and will be part of a Utah team that could very well run it back and win the conference once again.

There’s no denying that Rising will need to up his production a bit for Heisman consideration, but the opportunity for him on this team is too great to ignore.

Heisman dark horse No. 5: Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M

Ricky Bobby’s favorite player, Devon Achane has world-class speed and knows how to go fast. He’s much in the vein of Deuce Vaughn in the fact that he’s a weapon in the Aggies offense that gets moved and utilized all over the field and in a variety of different roles. But that can be to his benefit.

In 12 games last season, Achane amassed 910 rushing yards on only 130 carries with nine scores while notching 261 yards on 24 receptions with another touchdown. That’s the type of game-breaking talent he has and what Jimbo Fisher could utilize more often in the 2022 season.

Utilization is the big key for Achane potentially crashing the party. If he gets a heavier workload, he’s already shown what he can do with the ball in his hand.