Heisman Race 2015: Christian McCaffrey Refuses to be Ignored
By Kyle Koster
Eyes are on college football’s biggest individual prize. Who will hoist it? Here are the five top candidates.
Leonard Fournette
Did nothing to hurt himself in win over Western Kentucky by rushing for 150 yards and a touchdown. Still totes a 7.7 yards per carry average and has shown no signs of weakening. LSU’s bye week will give others a chance to gain ground on the frontrunner. Any voter worth his or her salt won’t suddenly forget about Fournette. When he does see the field again, it will be against a stout Alabama defense in a marquee game. If the Tigers back shreds through that unit, the engravers may as well get an early start putting his name on the trophy.
Ezekiel Elliott
Ohio State finally looks like the Ohio State destined to win another national title. Elliott notched his 13th consecutive 100-plus yard game in a blowout victory over Rutgers. Taking care of business against Minnesota and Illinois will put him in a spot to make his final push against Michigan State and Michigan. Looking at other Heisman projections, it appears I’m higher on the Buckeyes back than others. Part of that is because I believe team cache and success plays a bigger part in the process than some would like to admit. At this point I think Elliott is the only player with an outside shot to surpass Fournette.
Trevone Boykin
Seth Russell’s season-ending injury buoys his chances, both to beat Baylor and at the Heisman. Gets Thursday night stage against West Virginia. Has amassed 2,979 yards and 30 total touchdowns. The Horned Frogs still have tough trips to Stillwater and Norman on the schedule in addition to their date with the Bears. The good news for Boykin is the four high-profile chances to prove himself. The bad news is four high-profile chances to stumble.
Corey Coleman
He’ll be catching passes from a new quarterback. That blistering 2.57 touchdown per game average could dip. At this point, though, he’s done more than enough to garner Heisman attention. A wide receiver who finds the end zone on 38 percent of his catches cannot be ignored. If there’s a silver lining for Coleman it’s that teammate Russell’s campaign is over. Anyone drinking the Baylor Kool-Aid will now be doing it with the big-play enthusiast’s face on the label.
Christian McCaffrey
Has drawn comparisons to Reggie Bush. There’s perhaps no greater praise for a college player. He’s the nation’s leader in all purpose yards per game (259.1). Stanford has leapt back into the College Football Playoff discussion. The son of Ed is capatalizing on David Shaw’s retreat from staunch offensive conservatism.
Image via USA Today Sports