2014 College Football Picks: Heisman Trophy Dark Horses and Sleepers

2014 College Football Picks: Heisman Trophy Dark Horses and Sleepers: There are always a short list of preseason Heisman Trophy favorites heading into every college football season, and while these players have a bit of natural edge simply because voters are already paying attention to them, that doesn’t mean a player can’t create Heisman buzz for themselves once the season begins. In fact, underdogs have been making a habit of capturing the top individual honor in college football in recent years. Freshman quarterback Jameis Winston was the latest to take home the Heisman, leading Florida State to an undefeated season and a national title. Winston followed Johnny Manziel, who was also a freshman when he took home the Heisman. Other recent winners include Cam Newton, who was a transfer, and Mark Ingram, who wasn’t even the full-time starter until the year he won the Heisman. With that in mind, here is a closer look at a few players that could emerge during the season and ultimately capture the Heisman Trophy in 2014.

The Dark Horses

He is already on the radar of NFL scouts as the potential No. 1 pick, but in the meantime, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley will try to impress the Heisman voters. The dual-threat QB threw for 24 touchdowns and more than 3,000 yards last year and ran for more than 700 yards and 11 more scores. More importantly, he has carried UCLA back into the national spotlight, and the Bruins have a shot at a Pac-12 title and a national title in 2014. Hundley is the driving force of his team’s offense, and he has the arm and the legs to make the big plays that will get the attention of voters. If Hundley performs well against the likes of Oregon, Stanford and USC, he will be in the thick of the Heisman conversation.

Last season, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon ran for 1,609 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging a ridiculous 7.8 yards per carry. By the way, he amassed those impressive totals while splitting carries. Gordon will be the unquestioned workhorse in the Badgers’ backfield this season, and behind an always-massive offensive line, a 2,000-yard season is well within reach. Gordon has a great chance to lead the country in rushing, and if he indeed cracks the 2,000-yard barrier, the Heisman voters will take notice. A big performance in the team’s opener against LSU will also help the cause.

With quarterback A.J. McCarron off to the NFL, the Alabama Crimson Tide will rely more than ever on its power running game, and the man leading that ground attack is T.J. Yeldon. He ran for 1,235 yards and 14 scores a year ago, and his totals should only increase in 2014 as Alabama breaks in a new QB and takes advantage of arguably the best offensive line class ever recruited. It wasn’t all that long ago that Mark Ingram ran his way to the Heisman by being the workhorse in the Crimson Tide backfield, and Yeldon could follow a similar path.

The Sleeper

Injuries and indecision on the part of the coaching staff prevented Trevor Knight from becoming the consistent starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners last year, but when the team handed him the reins to the offense prior to its Sugar Bowl showdown with Alabama, the results were unforgettable. Knight torched the Crimson Tide defense for 348 yards and four scores, completing 32 of his 44 pass attempts. Now, Knight is set to open the season as the full-time starter for an Oklahoma team expected to contend for a national title. If he picks up where he left off last January, Knight could force his way into the Heisman conversation.