RG3 a Legit Heisman Candidate

After a very impressive performance Friday night vs #14 TCU Robert Griffin III has made a case for becoming a legitimate Heisman Candidate. It may be only one game but by playing on ESPN against a Top 15 team the Baylor quarterback has become a top tier player in the minds of many College Football fans.

Back in 2008 Griffin was named Big 12 freshman/newcomer of the year and was one of the most promising up and coming stars in the College Football world. This was a surprise considering the 6-2 quarterback was lightly recruited and expected to be a track star. RG3 surprised many with his blow by speed but needed a lot of work on his mechanics in the pocket if he wanted to be a star.

In 2009 during a game vs Northwestern St in Week 3 of the season  the star quarterback fell off the radar. Griffin suffered an ACL tear and was forced to sit out the rest of the year. The Bears ended the season with another disappointing 4-8 season after a lot of promise in the preseason. Many wondered if he could comeback to be as good as he was in '08. He did more then prove those doubters wrong.

In 2010, as a redshirt sophomore, Griffin burst back on the national scene. Sporting a new knee brace RG3 accumulated over 3,500 yards through the air and 600 yards on the ground while carrying the Bears to a 7-6 season and their first bowl game since 1994. There was no doubt that he was back but he was just starting.

Now with this impressive opener vs the nation's best defense for the last four seasons RG3 looks like a possible threat to the likes of Andrew Luck and LaMichael James. RG3 looked almost unstoppable while throwing for 359 yards to go along with 5 touchdowns passes. He not only threw but also ran for 38 yards and even caught a 15 yard pass.

If RG3 keeps this up then you could be looking at the best player in Texas making a case for winning the Heisman not only this year but also next year.

Preseason Heisman Favorites

Preseason Top 5 Heisman Candidates: 

1. Andrew Luck- The 6'4, 235 pound quarterback enters this season as the face of College Football after a very impressive 2010 campaign and a 2nd place finish in Heisman voting. If Luck repeats the year he had last season and leads Stanford to another great season then he should be a shoe in for the Heisman Trophy.

Richardson will have to face some of the

toughest defenses in the nation

2. Kellen Moore- Boise St's starting quarterback for the last three seasons is entering his Senior year and looks to lead the Broncos to their first National Title game. Moore lead the nation in passer rating last season along with throwing for 3,845 yards and 35 touchdowns. Moore's Heisman hopes rely on how far he carries the Broncos. 

3. LaMichael James- The speedy Oregon running back finished third in the Heisman voting last year despite missing the first game due to a suspension. The 5'9 back eventually rebounded by leading the nation in rushing with 1,731 yards. James also reached the end zone an NCAA best 24 times. Look for James to be the leader of arguably the best running back core in College Football.

4. Trent Richardson- Richardson is the best player on the nation's best team and looks to thrive with uncertainty at the quarterback position. Richardson had an unimpressive 700 yards on the ground last season but was the back up to 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Look for the Bama back to get at least 250 touches, twice as much as he had in 2010. If he gets anywhere near his amazing 6.2 yards a carry from last season he should be in the hunt.

5. Stephen Garcia- Despite not being the most talented player on the South Carolina roster I think Garcia has the best shot at winning the Heisman out of anyone playing for the Gamecocks. Most of that is due to All American Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery along with Marcus Lattimore in the backfield keeping defenses on edge. Garcia has a chip on his shoulder after being suspended the entire offseason and looks to improve on his 3,000 yard 20 touchdown season in 2010. 

Oregon's LaMichael James

The small but  shifty Oregon running back has had trouble off the field but when he puts on those Nike cleats and steps on the turf the little guy is a great one. The star running back for an Oregon team that scored almost 50 points a game last year is going to be a player that the whole nation will be watching in this upcoming season.

James finished third in the Heisman voting last year but is still coming off of a bittersweet season after a devastating loss to Cam Newton and Auburn in the National Title game. James was one of the stars on an undefeated Oregon Ducks team that lit up the scoreboard . They ran and ran till teams started to fake injuries to stop the play and get some air.

James missed the first game of the season because of some off the field problems and when his backup ran for over 200 yards and five touchdowns in a 72-0 win some thought that James may not be the starting when he came back. He proved all of those doubters wrong in the next game when he scampered 72 yards while breaking tackles left and right for a touchdown in one of the best college football plays of the season. He backed that run up with another 10 unbelievable games and ended the season with a rushing total of over 1700 yards and got into the end zone 24 times.

James will return to the Oregon backfield this season focusing on one goal: A National Title. The 5'9 running back will be joined in the backfield once again with dual threat quarterback Darren Thomas and fellow running back Kenjon Barner while Chip Kelly will once again conduct a fast paced offense. These three will try and carry the Ducks to another National Title game run, and this time resulting in a Championship trophy that they can bring back to Eugene, Oregon for the Duck faithful.

Its hard to improve on the outstanding numbers that LaMichael James put up last season, but James stayed out of trouble this off season so he will get one more game in...could be a 200 yarder. This kid can run with the combination of speed, agility and strength. This skill set put him at the top of the College Football world and these skills will keep him up their for this season and hopefully the next season as well. You better not let him get a step on you or next time you'll see him he'll be in the end zone.

Andrew Luck Article

LaMichael James Highlights