There’s the usual suspects you’ve already heard as Heisman contenders this year. Alabama’s quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, as well as Clemson’s counterpart Trevor Lawrence lead the pack of course, but there’s also Oregon’s QB Justin Herbert, and Georgia’s Jake Fromm. Those are just some of the most evident Heisman hopefuls that everyone knows.
But who are some players just a cut below all the national hype that could jump up and make a run at the most storied individual trophy in American sports?
According to Sports Illustrated, Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins is one of those such slightly under-the-radar players that could do just that. And yeah, it makes a lot of sense.
Dobbins didn’t have the volume of carries he had his freshman season when he set the all-time freshman rushing record at Ohio State. Instead, the coaching staff used a hot-hand approach between he and Mike Weber.
Now Dobbins is the man — unquestionably. And to add fuel to the spark that’s catching fire in Columbus is the fact that dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields will keep defenses more honest when trying to defend the run. That should open up running room for Dobbins.
Here’s what SI has to say about the junior’s chances of winning the award:
His rushing numbers dipped after he shattered Ohio State’s freshman rushing record in 2017 — mostly because the Bucks leaned on Dwayne Haskins. This year, Dobbins will be the focus.
SI also lists Clemson’s Travis Etienne, Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, Rondale Moore of Purdue, and Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin as other guys that could come just away from the epicenter of the preseason Heisman buzz to steal the trophy.
I don’t know if I buy Dobbins being the main catalyst for the offense, especially when Fields will get his fair share of Q-runs and has a deep and talented wide-receiving corps to throw to. But he should get plenty of opportunities to put up some eye-popping stats for sure.
Look for Dobbins to have a season more like 2017 than what we saw last year when he still went over 1,000 yards. From there, who knows? Maybe he can elbow his way into a bronze statue.
