4 stars who could leap into Heisman contention this weekend
The Heisman Trophy field isn't robust with names through eight weeks, but that could change following an intriguing slate of Saturday games.
The following four stars have flown under the radar up to this point of the season, but they appear poised to force the country to talk about them as Heisman contenders.
TCU QB Kenny Hill
Hill has finally found his groove as a senior at TCU, and his play is the biggest reason the Horned Frogs are undefeated. The artist formerly known as "Trill" is running less, passing more, and getting the ball out quicker this year, and it's led to 15 touchdowns against only three interceptions along with a career-high 70.2 completion percentage. He already has a marquee win at Oklahoma State; another big day against a ranked Iowa State team should get his Heisman snowball rolling.
Notre Dame RB Josh Adams
That Adams isn't already routinely mentioned in the Heisman race is a shame in and of itself, but that's destined to change if he manages to run wild on NC State's sixth-ranked rushing defense. Adams is averaging over 9 yards per carry - second only to Stanford's Bryce Love - and has gone over 150 yards in four of seven outings this season. Most recently, he put up 191 yards and a pair of scores on USC.
Arizona QB Khalil Tate
It would take an awful lot for a quarterback with two starts thus far to be mentioned in the Heisman conversation. Fortunately, Tate has done an awful lot since taking over for Brandon Dawkins on Oct. 7:
- Set the single-game FBS rushing record for a quarterback with 327 yards versus Colorado.
- Rushed for 694 yards and seven touchdowns over three games.
- Completed more than 75 percent of his passes over that span.
- Led Arizona to three straight wins.
His competition hasn't been great, so a date with Washington State and the No. 2 defense in the Pac-12 will go a long way in shaping his Heisman stock.
Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett
It seems unfathomable that a man who was fighting to keep his starting job a month ago is now teetering on the verge of Heisman contention, but that's the type of turnaround Barrett has enjoyed. After a couple of shaky outings to begin the year, Barrett has thrown 18 touchdowns and no interceptions over his last five contests, boasting a completion rate of 70 percent or better in three of them. The senior still needs a signature performance to get himself in the conversation, so a clash with the nation's No. 1 scoring defense at Penn State comes at the perfect time.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)