From 1935 to 2006, all but 15 of the winners were seniors with the rest of them from the junior class. However, Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2007 as the first of three straight winners from that class to win the award and in 2012-13 we saw our first freshman winners. That has opened the door to the entire college football nation to garner Heisman Trophy consideration to the point where it would no longer be a surprise if an underclassmen won the award. Here is a look at the four underclassmen with the best chance to win the Heisman Trophy this season.
QB: Josh Rosen, UCLA
Rosen went through his share of highs and lows as a freshman at UCLA last season and the expectation is that he is set to take a major step forward as the star quarterback for the Bruins this season. Rosen has the talent to make all of the throws and he gained some valuable experience starting in the Pac-12 last season. Now he has the potential to put up even better numbers with some considerable talent around him at UCLA this season, but he has to find a level of consistency. He definitely struggled against the tough opponents last season.
The sportsbooks agree with Rosen listed as the favorite among underclassmen with the potential to win the Heisman Trophy at +1600 odds. The Bruins have the weapons to put together one of the most dangerous offenses in the Pac-12 this season and Rosen is at the center of their immense potential.
RB: Ronald Jones II, USC
The Trojans are among the Pac-12 favorites thanks in big part to an underclassmen with legitimate potential to win the Heisman Trophy in his own right in Jones. The star running back wasn’t the primary starter for USC a year ago but he still led the team with 987 rushing yards to set a freshman record for the program. Now he will look to build on that strong start to his college career as the No. 1 back for the Trojans and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he played at a high enough level to garner Heisman Trophy consideration this season.
QB: Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Jackson is coming off a disappointing freshman campaign in which he completed just 54.7-percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns with eight interceptions last season. However, there are plenty of reasons to think that experience and his development over the last year has him poised to put up big numbers this season. Jackson was forced to learn on the fly a year ago but he showed marked improvement and he enters this year as a legitimate star dual-threat quarterback with the potential to make big plays with both his arm and legs. Jackson delivered an outstanding performance in the spring game and his considerable talent led to ESPN naming him as the ACC’s best “sleeper” Heisman candidate. We’ll find out if Bobby Petrino has another gem on his hands.
QB: Jacob Eason, Georgia
Eason has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football in a very long time and it looks like h’s going to get the opportunity to shine. As of now, there is every indication he will start from day one at Georgia this season. The Bulldogs have some considerable talent at the skill positions so the combination of a strong supporting cast and a relatively easy schedule should help Eason’s adaption to the college football game. It will also help that he has two talented running backs that he can turn and hand the ball off two to take some pressure off.
Eason will have a shot at putting up some big numbers in the Georgia offense and if he plays to his potential, he could be in the mix as a strong sleeper candidate to win the Heisman in his freshman season. Georgia would have to win the SEC and likely go to the College Football Playoff for him to get there, but it’s a possibility.
