Florida QB Tim Tebow, as a sophomore, beat out Arkansas RB Darren McFadden, Hawaii QB Colt Brennan and Missouri QB Chase Daniel to win the 2007 Heisman Trophy. Now it's time to look ahead at the 2008 Heisman Trophy candidates. This very early list will definitely change as we move forward, but here is a look at some of my front runners.
1. QB Tim Tebow, Florida (JR) Tebow won the 2007 Heisman so he has to be the front runner for 2008. Tebow was the only sophomore to ever win the prestigious award. Florida should be very good in 2008 and, well, Tebow will still be Tebow, the most dangerous passing and running threat in college football. In 2007 Tebow ranked #2 in the country in pass efficiency with a QB rating of 177.9. He accumulated 3,132 passing yards with 29 TDs. He also rushed for another 22 TDs giving him an amazing NCAA record of 51 total touchdowns.
2. QB Chase Daniel, Missouri If he could have found a way to beat Oklahoma at least once in 2007 his Tigers would have been playing for a national championship. Last season Daniel finished strong, destroying Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl 38-7 and finishing ranked 6th in the nation with an 11-2 record. He finished the season with an impressive 4,306 yards and 33 touchdowns and finished 4th in the Heisman voting. The good news is the Tigers will be loaded again in 2008.
3. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (Soph) What he did in 2007 as a freshman was nothing short of spectacular. He was one concussion away from seeing Oklahoma play for a national title. Bradford finished 2007 ranked number 1 in college football in pass efficiency with a QB rating of 176.5. He threw for an amazing 3,121 yards with 36 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. The Sooners will be loaded in 2008 and should be in the top 5 in the college football rankings entering 2008. If he wins the Heisman it will be two sophomores in a row. Yes he had a bad game against West Virginia in the Holiday Bowl, but he was just a freshman and will bounce back in 2008.
4. QB Pat White West Virginia (SR) Pat White almost single handedly kept West Virginia in the national championship spotlight throughout almost all of 2007. White threw for 1,724 yards and 14 touchdowns, but what really makes him special is the way he can take off and run the ball. Unlike Tebow, who relies more on power, White relies on speed, is blazing fast and can score from anywhere on the field. He rushed for 1,335 yards with an additional 14 touchdowns. White led West Virginia to a big win against Oklahoma in the Holiday Bowl and the Mountaineers finished ranked 3rd in the nation.
5. WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech (Soph) Crabtree was only a redshirt freshman in 2007, but has already established himself as one of the best receiver in college football. Yes his numbers wouldn't be as lofty if he didn't play in Texas Tech's pass happy system, but none the less, Crabtree would still be an elite talent under any system. He is ranked number one in the country in every single receiving category by a large margin. He has accumulated 1,861 yards and 21 TDs. He has caught 10 more TDs than any other receiver. He carved up a real good Oklahoma secondary for 154 receiving yards and he now has 10 games with 100 or more receiving yards for the season. Crabtree was the 2007 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner.
