2016 College Football Picks & Predictions: Top Heisman Trophy Sleepers

2016 College Football Picks & Predictions – Top Heisman Trophy Sleepers: While entering the year as a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy can certainly help a player’s chances of winning the award, the preseason frontrunners don’t always live up to the hype. Meanwhile, players often come out of nowhere to have big seasons and take home the top individual honor in college sports. From a junior college transfer like Cam Newton to freshmen like Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel, you can never rule out a surprise winner. With that in mind, here are some sleepers to consider for the 2016 Heisman Trophy.

2016 College Football Picks & Predictions: Top Heisman Trophy Sleepers

The Sleepers

After closing the year on a high note, there are big expectations for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2016. If they are going to live up to the hype, QB Joshua Dobbs is going to have to have a big year. He has emerged as a dual-threat weapon for a team that won its final six games last year, throwing for 15 scores, running for 11 and catching a touchdown. He should only improve in 2016, and if Dobbs scores around 40 times and has the Volunteers in the mix in the SEC, he will be in the mix for the Heisman Trophy.

His first year with Ole Miss was a good one, and QB Chad Kelly threw for more than 4,000 yards and ran for another 500 while combining for 41 touchdowns. Along the way, he torched the defenses of Alabama and LSU and leading the Rebels to 10 wins. If Kelly can keep Ole Miss relevant in the ultra-competitive SEC West with another big year, he will force himself into the conversation for the Heisman.

Dual-threat QB Greg Ward Jr. was the engine that drove the Houston Cougars to a 13-1 record last season. In fact, Ward was hurt in the only game the Cougars lost. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 17 scores, and he ran for 1,108 yards and 21 scores. Ward scored three times in an upset win over Florida State in the Peach Bowl to close the year, and if Ward can help Houston complete an undefeated season, he will be hard to overlook.

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He boasts a 6-2, 240-pound frame, and Alabama RB Bo Scarbrough is the next big, powerful back set to headline the Crimson Tide ground attack. Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry have already parlayed the role into a Heisman Trophy, and Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson put themselves in the conversation. Being the focal point of the offense for a team that perennial competes for national titles is a pretty good recipe to win the Heisman.

There were some bumps in the road, but for the most part, UCLA QB Josh Rosen had a successful freshman campaign. He threw for 3,670 yards and 23 scores, and he should only get better with another year of experience under his belt. Rosen is being touted as a potential No. 1 pick down the road, and a breakout season could happen as soon as 2016. Elite quarterback prospects are always going to have a shot at taking home the Heisman Trophy.

He has been the quiet workhorse of the Oregon offense, and there is no reason that RB Royce Freeman shouldn’t be among the most productive backs in the country in 2016. After running for more than 1,300 yards and 18 scores as a freshman, he topped 1,800 yards last year, scoring 17 times and improving his yards per carry and his receiving skills. If Freeman goes over 2,000 yards and scores 20-plus times, he will be among the finalists for the Heisman with a shot at taking home top honors.

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