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Heisman Trophy 2010 Hopefuls

Frank Coyle has been a Heisman Trophy voter for the past 15 years

Photo - Mark Ingram - Alabama

The upcoming college season presents an interesting group of premier players rated as the top Heisman Trophy candidates. There is a former Heisman Trophy winner in Mark Ingram who is hoping to become only the 2nd player in college history to win two of the games’ most coveted awards. Only Archie Griffin of Ohio St. has won two Heisman Trophy Awards during the glory days of Woody Hayes power teams of the 1970s.
This year the top getter Ingram returns with emerging QBs Terrelle Pryor, Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum and Kellen Moore, all primed for strong campaigns..Each are back at the helm with highly ranked teams that should make the both the Heisman Trophy award and highly competitive clubs for their conference titles. Runners Dion Lewis and Jacquizz Rodgers had huge 2009 performances that ranks them the highest rated running backs from the East and West regions. .

Heisman Trophy Preseason Candidates

QB Terrelle Pryor - 6’5” 230 lbs. - Ohio St,
Athletic junior QB looks to lead the Buckeyes spread offense to another Big Ten title. He is an incredible runner with tailback type talent including natural running skills and breakaway speed. He came on strong over his first two seasons gaining valuable experience vs top competition. He is exceptionally quick in the pocket and capable of making big plays with his feet and pressures a defense in a unique way. He has made further development in his throwing mechanics to be ready for the NFL game along with further work on reading defenses. He faces Miami in September which could propel him to the top of the Heisman race early. His fine athleticism makes him one of the premier athletes at the position and capable of carrying the Buckeyes to the national title.

RB Mark Ingram - 5’9" 220 lbs. - Alabama
Talented powerful running back was the premier runner in the nation last season when he won the Heisman and Player of the Year honors. He is primed for another big season and is set to be the workhorse runner in this run oriented offense. He has flashed great power and tackle breaking talent that has allowed him to be an unstoppable force in his short playing career. He has fine overall athleticism and shows good natural running especially between the tackles and in short yardage situations. He has shown he can be the man on a game to game basis vs top competition. He has a powerful compact frame with very good body lean and quickness to punish a defense and be his own blocker. He will couple with Trent Richardson to form one of the most potent tandem of runners in recent college history. He will miss the season opener with a minor knee injury.

QB Jake Locker - 6’4” 235 lbs - Washington
Athletic senior QB has had an incredible early career with the Huskies that includes leading the Pac 10 in total offense last season. He is a big tough passer who has a quick compact delivery with good touch and fine accuracy. He has progressed quickly in all aspects of play and has gained valuable experience after starting the past three seasons in this improving program. He is also an excellent runner with over 1500 yards scrambling, In addition to being a very good passer with the ability to throw very effectively on the move as well as move quickly within the pocket. He needs to refine his game in key areas like reading coverage and going through his progressions faster, though he is a highly developed passer with the talent and intangibles to carry a club to a higher level.

QB Ryan Mallett - 6’6” 245 lbs. - Arkansas
Strong armed junior passer has developed quickly in the big play pro style Razorback offense. He has a very good arm with a nice touch and the quick release to get the ball down the field. He has shown excellent arm strength with nice development especially in his overall accuracy. He looks to impress early with a September home game vs national champion Alabama that could propel him to the top of the rankings with a strong performance. Last season, he struggled vs the Crimson Tide and he has this rematch circled for a year to redeem himself. He shows the ability to make the difficult throw and enough quickness in the pocket to avoid a rush. His decision making needs some improvement to minimize his mistakes, many of which were due to attempting to do too much to carry his club.

QB Case Keenum - 6’2” 210 lbs. - Houston
Savvy senior QB is coming off back to back 5000 yard+ passing seasons, directing this incredibly potent offense. He leads a veteran group that includes three receivers who each totaled 1000 yards receiving. He directs this offense flawlessly, displaying a good arm with a very quick release and accuracy. He makes big plays consistently and puts up exceptional numbers weekly that will demand much publicity. He faces a critical late September schedule that puts him facing Pac 10 and SEC clubs that could command even further national publicity. He is coming off a strong performance as a junior and is capable of another huge effort after throwing for an amazing 44 TDs and 5671 yards.

QB Kellen Moore - 6’4” 215 lbs. - Boise St
Slick throwing lefty senior QB looks to continue his impressive play in this wide open passing attack. He hopes to make a strong impression in head to head battles with Virginia Tech and Oregon St. in September that could propel him near the top of this list. He came on strong over his sophomore and junior campaigns when he threw for 64 TD passes and only 13 interceptions, just three coming last fall. He has the talent to lead this explosive offense to national prominence again working with talented veteran weapons on offense.

RB Dion Lewis - 5’9” 190 lbs. - Pittsburgh
Fast compact playmaker looks to return to his ‘09 season form after an impressive 1800 yard rushing and 17 TD performance last fall. He is a strong compact runner who carried an incredible 325 times last fall and has the ability to hit the home run consistently. He has top speed and natural running skills that also allow him to make big plays despite lacking great size and power to run inside. He will be a marked man after last fall and has shown the talent and toughness to answer the call to every challenge over his short career.

RB Jacquizz Rodgers - 5’10” 185 lbs. - Oregon St.
Quick senior tailback has developed into one of the nation’s best backs. He is coming off an impressive ’09 performance when he totaled over 1400 yards and 78 receptions while scoring 22 total TDs. He has very good speed and quickness to get the corner consistently and break a play in the openfield. He slips through the hole quickly with the ability to change directions easily and maintain top speed. He is a good pass catcher who gets into his routes easily and can make things happen after the catch. He will probably get special attention this season and must prove he can be a consistent big game feature back with key early games vs Texas Christian and Boise St.

Frank Coyle’s Heisman vote 2009
1. QB Colt McCoy - Texas
2. RB Mark Ingram - Alabama
3. QB Tim Tebow - Florida