Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and LSU running back Leonard Fournette will lead an impressive cast of returning players that will lead the list of potential Heisman trophy candidates heading in to 2016. It’s still way too early to have in-depth conversations about which player in that group has the biggest edge but what we can do is identify a handful of potential candidates that have flown under the radar. Here is a look at five potential sleeper Heisman trophy candidates.
QB: Kenny Hill
TCU Horned Frogs
Hill was a Heisman trophy contender when he played for Texas A&M in 2014 and after things went south for him in a hurry with the Aggies he gets a shot at redemption at TCU. Hill is the frontrunner to replace Trevone Boykin and he has already shown the unique dual-threat ability to be a star at the position. The Big 12 is loaded with high-scoring offenses but Hill will also have the benefit of not having to deal with as many top-tier defenses as he faced in the SEC. The Horned Frogs’ offense is loaded with talent at the skill positions and if Hill can play to his potential he will put up big numbers at TCU this season.
QB: Dakota Prukop
Oregon Ducks
Oregon will look to push its way back in to Pac-12 title contention in 2016 and if they are going to have any shot they will need their starting quarterback Prukop to perform at a high level. Prukop is a talented graduate transfer from the FCS ranks who had 3,825 all-purpose yards at Montana State last season and he has all of the tools to thrive with the Ducks this year. Prukop still has to earn the No. 1 quarterback slot for Oregon but he is the favorite to land the job and he will be surrounded with plenty of talented weapons on the Ducks offense. Prukop flashes his considerable ability on a much smaller stage last season but a bigger platform will allow him to get a lot more attention on the national stage as a dark horse Heisman contender.
RB: Myles Gaskin
Washington Huskies
Washington’s sophomore running back finished last season on a high note with 100 rushing yards or more in seven of his final eight games. Now he has the opportunity to be the Huskies’ No. 1 back from the outset and he is an excellent sleeper pick to contend for the Heisman trophy. Washington is projected to contend for a Pac-12 title with Gaskin getting the chance to be one of the breakout stars in the conference next season. If he can match the type of production he had down the stretch with the Huskies last season there is no doubt he will at the very least be in the conversation.
WR: JuJu Smith-Shuster
USC Trojans
Shuster didn’t get a ton of attention with so many other storylines to follow at USC last season but he led the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game with 103.5 and he has the potential to build on that mark with more stability this season. Smith-Shuster is an explosive wide receiver that commands a ton of attention when he lines up at the line of scrimmage and the potential is there for him to solidify himself as one of the best wide receivers in college football with the Trojans setting their sights on a Pac-12 title and more.
QB: Greg Ward Jr.
Houston Cougars
The reality is that a Group of Five player could play at an elite level and still not win the Heisman trophy. However, if there is a case to be made for one player from a smaller school to have a shot at winning the award it would have to be Houston’s star quarterback. Ward thrived last season as a dual-threat quarterback whose potential was maximized in the Cougars’ “Smashmouth Spread” offense when he led Houston to a 13-1 record while garnering plenty of attention on the national stage. Ward has the potential to be even better in 2016 and it won’t take long to see how explosive the Cougars’ offense will be against a legitimate national title contender as they are scheduled to face Oklahoma in a Week 1 showdown.
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