This is where all juniors and seniors will stare dumbfounded at the page, scratch their heads and sigh, maybe muttering something under their breath about being too old.
A freshman — yes, an 18-year-old true freshman not much different from those rookies seen wandering around the Oregon campus — is a legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
This is no ordinary freshman, to be sure. Maurice Clarett averages 143 yards per game rushing for one of the nation’s best teams, No. 5 Ohio State. If the Buckeyes can run the table of a schedule that includes No. 14 Michigan, No. 19 Wisconsin and No. 20 Penn State, Clarett will certainly be included in any Heisman discussions.
But no freshman or sophomore has ever won college football’s top award, so don’t expect Clarett to make the trip to New York in December. But keep an eye on him.
Here are five other players to keep an eye on as the season progresses and the Heisman Trophy becomes a reality.
1. Michigan State wide receiver Charles Rogers. The only bright spot of the Spartans’ losses to Notre Dame and California earlier this season was the play of Rogers, the most exciting receiver in the country. Rogers set an NCAA record with his 13th-straight game with a touchdown against Northwestern last week. He averages 21.5 yards per reception and has seven touchdowns this season. He’s a big-play guy in a big play offense, and if he keeps it up he could become the first wide receiver since Desmond Howard in 1991 to win the Heisman.
Maurice Clarett is turning heads this season and could become the first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
2. Iowa State quarterback Seneca Wallace. In a battle of top teams, Wallace passed his first test since a season-opening loss to Florida State by beating up on Nebraska, 36-14 Saturday. Wallace passed for 220 yards and one touchdown in the game, and rushed for two more touchdowns in the victory. In what seems to be a flavor-of-the-week quarterback rotation atop the Heisman lists, Wallace is the best quarterback until he loses again.
3. Miami running back Willis McGahee. Miami wins so much it’s boring, and McGahee is the one lulling folks to sleep. The junior running back has 7.8 yards-per-rush average and has ran for seven touchdowns already this season. Don’t say all those yards have come against easy opponents, either; McGahee ran for 204 yards against Florida, Miami’s toughest opponent and his highest rushing total. The only thing that could hurt him is his 133 yard per game average.
4. Florida quarterback Rex Grossman. A preseason Heisman favorite and runner-up last season, Grossman fell out of favor with Heisman voters after a dismal performance against Miami. But he jumped back in over the past two weeks by leading the Gators to impressive victories over Tennessee and Kentucky. He threw five touchdowns in the two games, and has eight scoring strikes on the season.
5. Oregon running back Onterrio Smith. The Duck will get more than 20 carries per game for the rest of the season, and that should keep his rushing average above 100 yards per game. If he can do that, and maybe break out once or twice like he did at Washington State last season, he could be headed for a trip to New York. All that should happen when he recovers from the minor dings and scrapes he’s suffered this season, and Oregon’s bye week helped there. Look for Smith to have a big week against Arizona.
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