2017 College Football Picks & Predictions: Heisman Trophy Sleepers to Bet On

2017 College Football Picks & Predictions – Heisman Trophy Sleepers to Bet On: The Heisman Memorial Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards in sports and the top individual honor in college football. Heading into the 2017 season, there are already several players being tabbed as Heisman frontrunners, and while the notoriety definitely helps, it doesn’t mean everything.

Recently, there have been several unexpected winners of the award, including last year’s winner, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won the first Heisman in program history. Cam Newton winning as a junior college transfer and Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston winning in their freshmen seasons are a couple of other recent examples of a player making a surprise run.

Historically, the award has been dominated by offensive players, especially quarterbacks. With that in mind, you should still limit most of your Heisman bets to that position, even if when looking for longshots. If not a quarterback, running back is the smartest position to target. Any other position is a complete shot-in-the-dark bet.

To help you get ready for the 2017 college football season, here is a closer look at some of my top Heisman Trophy sleepers. You can get more college football picks for the 2017 season from NSAwins.com’s top college football handicappers.

2017 College Football Picks & Predictions: Heisman Trophy Sleepers to Bet On

The Sleepers

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are dark horse contenders for a spot in the College Football Playoff, and quarterback Mason Rudolph will be the player leading the charge. He threw for more than 4,000 yards last year to go along with 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Surrounded by plenty of playmakers in a quarterback-friendly offense, Rudolph has a chance to put up even better numbers this season. Another 4,000-yard season seems likely, and if Rudolph can boost his touchdown total, he could find himself in the thick of the Heisman hunt.

Despite splitting time with star running back Leonard Fournette, LSU’s Derrius Guice managed to run for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging an incredible 7.6 yards per carry. With Fournette off to the NFL, Guice should have the backfield to himself in 2017. It is a little unrealistic to expect his efficiency to continue as the lead back, but if Guice approaches 300 carries, you can imagine what his numbers will look like. A 2,000-yard season and a run at the Heisman Trophy aren’t out of the question.

I mentioned in the introduction that quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman Trophy, but the last two running backs to break through and win the award have had one thing in common – playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. This year, Nick Saban’s workhorse back is expected to be Bo Scarbrough, and like Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry, he is big, punishing back who can wear down defenses and run out the clock when Alabama is leading in the second half of games. Needless to say, Scarbrough is in prime position to be a player in the Heisman race.

He was thrown to the fire and took a beating as a freshman, but Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois took a beating and managed to keep the Seminoles afloat. A year of experience should only make him a better player, and FSU still has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. If the Seminoles can protect Francois better than they did last season, his numbers could take a big leap. Meanwhile, being the quarterback on one of the country’s best teams has always been a recipe for Heisman buzz.

He battled a myriad of injuries last season, but Auburn running back Kamryn Pettway still ran for 1,224 yards on 5.9 yards per carry. In fact, he topped 100 yards in seven of the nine games he played last season, topping 150 yards five times. Auburn’s rushing attack is always one of the most potent in the country, and if Pettway can stay healthy, he can be one of the most prolific in the country.

Get updated 2017 college football betting odds all season long on NSAwins.com.