For those that aren't just waiting for the NCAA Tournament to tip off, I thought I'd share these excerpts...

From "2021 Early Heisman Favorites" on ACCFootballRx:

Quote:3 ACC Players in the Top 10 Heisman Trophy Contenders for 2021

6. D'Eriq King, QB, Miami

Speaking of torn ACLs, King suffered the unfortunate injury against Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl just days after he announced he planned to return to the Hurricanes for his extra season of eligibility. King has a difficult recovery period ahead of him but is expected to be healthy enough to return to the field for Miami's season opener against Alabama. After that game with the defending national champions, the Hurricanes should be one of the top challengers to Clemson in the ACC. King threw for 2,686 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first season at Miami and added 538 yards and four scores on the ground.

4. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

The fact that Howell is so far up on this list even though his top four weapons from this season have moved on speaks volumes about his talent and his potential leading the Tar Heels' offense. Wide receivers Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome as well as running backs Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, who combined for 4,189 yards from scrimmage and 48 total touchdowns this past season, are all off to the NFL, yet Howell is still expected to put up gaudy numbers. As a sophomore, Howell finished fourth nationally with 3,586 passing yards, which also is the most among players returning in 2021. He threw 30 touchdown passes with seven interceptions, completing 68.1 percent of his attempts while averaging 10.3 yards per pass. He also ran for 146 yards and five touchdowns.

2. D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson

We caught an early glimpse of the Clemson offense with Uiagalelei behind center when Trevor Lawrence was sidelined by COVID-19 for regular-season games against Boston College and Notre Dame. Uiagalelei showed the athleticism and natural ability that made him a highly sought-after 5-star recruit, putting up 781 passing yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions along with a pair of rushing scores in his two starts as a true freshman. He won't have Travis Etienne in the backfield or Amari Rodgers or Cornell Powell at receiver, but the hopeful return of Justyn Ross could provide him with a big-play weapon as Uiagalelei looks to do his part to keep the Tigers atop not just the ACC, but also among the ranks of legitimate national title contenders.

So, who's the favorite?

1. Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma

Anyone else worth tracking at this point?

Another from ACCFootballRx: The Exclusive "Heisman Club"

Quote:...To be honest, I didn't realize the "Heisman Club" was so exclusive! (Only 40 members, total). The ACC currently has 7 (well, 6.5) members of this club:

Boston College (1)
1984 - Doug Flutie

Florida State (3)
1993 - Charlie Ward
2000 - Chris Weinke
2013 - Jameis Winston

Louisville (1)
2016 - Lamar Jackson

Miami (2)
1986 - Vinny Testaverde
1992 - Gino Torretta

Notre Dame (7)
1943 - Angelo Bertelli
1947 - John Lujack
1949 - Leon Hart
1953 - Johnny Lattner
1956 - Paul Hornung
1964 - John Huarte
1987 - Tim Brown

Pitt (1)
1976 - Tony Dorsett

Syracuse (1)
1961 - Ernie Davis

Total: 16 alumni of current ACC member schools have won the Heisman Trophy, all-time.

Do you notice anything else about that list? Not a single original ACC member is in the group! In fact, other than Florida State, they all came from the Big East.

Thoughts?

From "Best ACC Players who NEVER won a Heisman" on ACCFootballRx:

Quote:Obviously, this is going to be my opinion - feel free to state yours in a comment. I am going to limit it to QBs, RBs and WRs from each school because I want the list to be as realistic as possible...

Boston College
Matt Ryan

Clemson
DeShaun Watson
Travis Etienne

Duke
Sonny Jurgensen

Florida State
Warrick Dunn
Peter Warrick

Georgia Tech
Calvin Johnson ("Megatron")

Louisville
Johnny Unitas

Miami
Edgerrin James

North Carolina
Charlie "Choo-choo" Justice*

NC State
Roman Gabriel

Notre Dame
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail

Pitt
Larry Fitzgerald

Syracuse
Jim Brown
Don McPherson

Virginia
Herman Moore

Virginia Tech
Michael Vick

Wake Forest
Ricky Proehl

* Several of these teams have made their name on the defensive side of the ball which, sadly, the Heisman voters almost never recognize. This is particularly true in the case of UNC, where their all-time best player - Lawrence Taylor - is a football legend but never had a real shot at this trophy...

What do YOU guys think? Are my picks reasonable? Are there any egregious omissions?

Clint Castlebury would have been on that list but he died in WWII.

Joe Hamilton should have been on that list but the modern Heisman Trophy vote isn't very data driven or rigorous.

The 1990 season for UVA was special. Shawn Moore (QB) was outstanding that season. I believe that he had more Heisman buzz than Herman Moore...but QBs always get the publicity.


BTW - Trevor Lawrence should be on the list.

(03-16-2021 08:59 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  For those that aren't just waiting for the NCAA Tournament to tip off, I thought I'd share these excerpts...

Really? Come on, Virginia Tech made the NCAA Tournament! Can't you at least wait until they lose first? Talking about football during the NCAA Tournament? What is this, the SEC board?

We can multitask here lol

One you left off was Wilmeth Sidat-Singh played for Cuse in the late 30s. Would have been a serious Heisman Contender. Maryland screwed us over...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmeth_Sidat-Singh

(03-16-2021 03:01 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  We can multitask here lol

One you left off was Wilmeth Sidat-Singh played for Cuse in the late 30s. Would have been a serious Heisman Contender. Maryland screwed us over...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmeth_Sidat-Singh

He was a great player. Such a sad ending to his life. His life was every bit as inspiring as Ernie Davis. Ryan Nassib and Eric Dungey, his senior year was heisman like. Donovan McNabb also should be considered. He garnered s lot of heisman hype and votes.

What do you guys think of Brian Piccolo for Wake Forest?

(03-16-2021 09:33 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  What do you guys think of Brian Piccolo for Wake Forest?

Brians Song. Great story. Didnt know he played at Wake. Must have been pretty good in college since he played in the NFL.

(03-16-2021 09:11 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  From "Best ACC Players who NEVER won a Heisman" on ACCFootballRx:

Quote:Obviously, this is going to be my opinion - feel free to state yours in a comment. I am going to limit it to QBs, RBs and WRs from each school because I want the list to be as realistic as possible...

Boston College
Matt Ryan

Clemson
DeShaun Watson
Travis Etienne

Duke
Sonny Jurgensen

Florida State
Warrick Dunn
Peter Warrick

Georgia Tech
Calvin Johnson ("Megatron")

Louisville
Johnny Unitas

Miami
Edgerrin James

North Carolina
Charlie "Choo-choo" Justice*

NC State
Roman Gabriel

Notre Dame
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail

Pitt
Larry Fitzgerald

Syracuse
Jim Brown
Don McPherson

Virginia
Herman Moore

Virginia Tech
Michael Vick

Wake Forest
Ricky Proehl

* Several of these teams have made their name on the defensive side of the ball which, sadly, the Heisman voters almost never recognize. This is particularly true in the case of UNC, where their all-time best player - Lawrence Taylor - is a football legend but never had a real shot at this trophy...

What do YOU guys think? Are my picks reasonable? Are there any egregious omissions?

Pitt's Hugh Green, the UPI POY, and ranked among the top 15 in multiple lists as one of the greatest college players ever, was arguably the best player in college football when he finished as runner up in 1980. No defensive player had ever finished that high previously.

Larry Fitz losing to Jason White in, at the time, the closest vote in history...just a travesty. That may have been the highest finish ever for a sophomore at the time.

Marshall Goldberg, a Pitt running back in a loaded backfield on a multi-national championship and Rose Bowl winning team, finished third in the voting in 1937 and as runner-up in 1938. Number is retired by the Cardinals. Probably missed out on Canton because he served in WWII.

Perhaps the biggest slight of all of these...Aaron Donald, unanimous All-American and ACC defensive POY, won the Outland, Lombardi, Bednarik, and Nagurski...yet was not even invited to Manhattan.

(03-17-2021 01:03 AM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(03-16-2021 09:11 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  From "Best ACC Players who NEVER won a Heisman" on ACCFootballRx:

Quote:Obviously, this is going to be my opinion - feel free to state yours in a comment. I am going to limit it to QBs, RBs and WRs from each school because I want the list to be as realistic as possible...

Boston College
Matt Ryan

Clemson
DeShaun Watson
Travis Etienne

Duke
Sonny Jurgensen

Florida State
Warrick Dunn
Peter Warrick

Georgia Tech
Calvin Johnson ("Megatron")

Louisville
Johnny Unitas

Miami
Edgerrin James

North Carolina
Charlie "Choo-choo" Justice*

NC State
Roman Gabriel

Notre Dame
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail

Pitt
Larry Fitzgerald

Syracuse
Jim Brown
Don McPherson

Virginia
Herman Moore

Virginia Tech
Michael Vick

Wake Forest
Ricky Proehl

* Several of these teams have made their name on the defensive side of the ball which, sadly, the Heisman voters almost never recognize. This is particularly true in the case of UNC, where their all-time best player - Lawrence Taylor - is a football legend but never had a real shot at this trophy...

What do YOU guys think? Are my picks reasonable? Are there any egregious omissions?

Pitt's Hugh Green, the UPI POY, and ranked among the top 15 in multiple lists as one of the greatest college players ever, was arguably the best player in college football when he finished as runner up in 1980. No defensive player had ever finished that high previously.

Larry Fitz losing to Jason White in, at the time, the closest vote in history...just a travesty. That may have been the highest finish ever for a sophomore at the time.

Marshall Goldberg, a Pitt running back in a loaded backfield on a multi-national championship and Rose Bowl winning team, finished third in the voting in 1937 and as runner-up in 1938. Number is retired by the Cardinals. Probably missed out on Canton because he served in WWII.

Perhaps the biggest slight of all of these...Aaron Donald, unanimous All-American and ACC defensive POY, won the Outland, Lombardi, Bednarik, and Nagurski...yet was not even invited to Manhattan.

Charlie "Choo-choo" Justice was a two time runner up for the Heisman Award.
He finished behind Doak Walker of SMU in 1948 and second to Leon Hart in 1949.

If defensive players were given a fair shake by the Heisman voters, the following players would've been in contention (if not won outright):

BC: Luke Kuechley
Duke: ?
Clemson: Jeff Davis, Donnell Woolford, Brian Dawkins, Gains Adams, ...
FSU: Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Terrell Buckley, ...
GT: Pat Swilling
Miami: Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp, ...
UNC: Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers
NC State: Mario Williams
Pitt: Hugh Green, Aaron Donald, Darrelle Revis
Syracuse: Dwight Freeney
UVA: Chris Slade, Chris Long
VT: Bruce Smith, DeAngelo Hall, Kam Chancellor, Kendall Fuller
Wake: Aaron Curry

Those are just the defensive players I can think of...

(03-17-2021 01:03 AM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(03-16-2021 09:11 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  From "Best ACC Players who NEVER won a Heisman" on ACCFootballRx:

Quote:Obviously, this is going to be my opinion - feel free to state yours in a comment. I am going to limit it to QBs, RBs and WRs from each school because I want the list to be as realistic as possible...

Boston College
Matt Ryan

Clemson
DeShaun Watson
Travis Etienne

Duke
Sonny Jurgensen

Florida State
Warrick Dunn
Peter Warrick

Georgia Tech
Calvin Johnson ("Megatron")

Louisville
Johnny Unitas

Miami
Edgerrin James

North Carolina
Charlie "Choo-choo" Justice*

NC State
Roman Gabriel

Notre Dame
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail

Pitt
Larry Fitzgerald

Syracuse
Jim Brown
Don McPherson

Virginia
Herman Moore

Virginia Tech
Michael Vick

Wake Forest
Ricky Proehl

* Several of these teams have made their name on the defensive side of the ball which, sadly, the Heisman voters almost never recognize. This is particularly true in the case of UNC, where their all-time best player - Lawrence Taylor - is a football legend but never had a real shot at this trophy...

What do YOU guys think? Are my picks reasonable? Are there any egregious omissions?

Pitt's Hugh Green, the UPI POY, and ranked among the top 15 in multiple lists as one of the greatest college players ever, was arguably the best player in college football when he finished as runner up in 1980. No defensive player had ever finished that high previously.

Larry Fitz losing to Jason White in, at the time, the closest vote in history...just a travesty. That may have been the highest finish ever for a sophomore at the time.

Marshall Goldberg, a Pitt running back in a loaded backfield on a multi-national championship and Rose Bowl winning team, finished third in the voting in 1937 and as runner-up in 1938. Number is retired by the Cardinals. Probably missed out on Canton because he served in WWII.

Perhaps the biggest slight of all of these...Aaron Donald, unanimous All-American and ACC defensive POY, won the Outland, Lombardi, Bednarik, and Nagurski...yet was not even invited to Manhattan.

In the text of my blog post about players who didn't win it, I mentioned "...also hurt by the lack of serious consideration for defensive players... do you think Pitt's Aaron Donald or Hugh Green deserved a Heisman?

(03-17-2021 07:46 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 01:03 AM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(03-16-2021 09:11 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  From "Best ACC Players who NEVER won a Heisman" on ACCFootballRx:

Quote:Obviously, this is going to be my opinion - feel free to state yours in a comment. I am going to limit it to QBs, RBs and WRs from each school because I want the list to be as realistic as possible...

Boston College
Matt Ryan

Clemson
DeShaun Watson
Travis Etienne

Duke
Sonny Jurgensen

Florida State
Warrick Dunn
Peter Warrick

Georgia Tech
Calvin Johnson ("Megatron")

Louisville
Johnny Unitas

Miami
Edgerrin James

North Carolina
Charlie "Choo-choo" Justice*

NC State
Roman Gabriel

Notre Dame
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail

Pitt
Larry Fitzgerald

Syracuse
Jim Brown
Don McPherson

Virginia
Herman Moore

Virginia Tech
Michael Vick

Wake Forest
Ricky Proehl

* Several of these teams have made their name on the defensive side of the ball which, sadly, the Heisman voters almost never recognize. This is particularly true in the case of UNC, where their all-time best player - Lawrence Taylor - is a football legend but never had a real shot at this trophy...

What do YOU guys think? Are my picks reasonable? Are there any egregious omissions?

Pitt's Hugh Green, the UPI POY, and ranked among the top 15 in multiple lists as one of the greatest college players ever, was arguably the best player in college football when he finished as runner up in 1980. No defensive player had ever finished that high previously.

Larry Fitz losing to Jason White in, at the time, the closest vote in history...just a travesty. That may have been the highest finish ever for a sophomore at the time.

Marshall Goldberg, a Pitt running back in a loaded backfield on a multi-national championship and Rose Bowl winning team, finished third in the voting in 1937 and as runner-up in 1938. Number is retired by the Cardinals. Probably missed out on Canton because he served in WWII.

Perhaps the biggest slight of all of these...Aaron Donald, unanimous All-American and ACC defensive POY, won the Outland, Lombardi, Bednarik, and Nagurski...yet was not even invited to Manhattan.

In the text of my blog post about players who didn't win it, I mentioned "...also hurt by the lack of serious consideration for defensive players... do you think Pitt's Aaron Donald or Hugh Green deserved a Heisman?

Hugh Green definitely deserved to win it. The only reason he didn't get it was because it was too precedent setting at the time. A defensive player had never finished anywhere near that high in voting. He dominated like no other player. If he had played ten years later, he would have won it.

Fitz should have won it. He didn't win it for two reasons: 1) no sophomore had ever won it, similar to Green it was precedent setting; and 2) Pitt was too mediocre of a team. Still, it was a razor thin vote margin. Clearly the respective pro careers of Fitz and Jason White are telling about the talent there, but I've never seen a college receiver dominate every game like he did. Truly a special, generational talent. He did get the Walter Camp and the cover of EA Sports.

I'm not saying Donald should have won because Jameis Winston was a strong candidate and a QB (a position which will always get more votes), but Donald should have at least been invited to the Downtown Club...I don't understand how he wasn't in the top 7 candidates. But he's laughing all the way to the bank, and Pitt has the Aaron Donald Football Performance Center because of it.

Phillip Rivers and Ted Brown were both "better" than Roman.

(03-17-2021 08:11 PM)Statefan Wrote:  Phillip Rivers and Ted Brown were both "better" than Roman.

Agreed, but were they better relative to the other players in college football that year?
I almost listed both of them, to be honest.

I read up on Roman Gabriel...the guy sounds like he had some issues. Multiple divorces, estranged children and living alone now in Wilmington, NC.

(03-16-2021 09:04 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Another from ACCFootballRx: The Exclusive "Heisman Club"

Quote:...To be honest, I didn't realize the "Heisman Club" was so exclusive! (Only 40 members, total). The ACC currently has 7 (well, 6.5) members of this club:

Boston College (1)
1984 - Doug Flutie

Florida State (3)
1993 - Charlie Ward
2000 - Chris Weinke
2013 - Jameis Winston

Louisville (1)
2016 - Lamar Jackson

Miami (2)
1986 - Vinny Testaverde
1992 - Gino Torretta

Notre Dame (7)
1943 - Angelo Bertelli
1947 - John Lujack
1949 - Leon Hart
1953 - Johnny Lattner
1956 - Paul Hornung
1964 - John Huarte
1987 - Tim Brown

Pitt (1)
1976 - Tony Dorsett

Syracuse (1)
1961 - Ernie Davis

Total: 16 alumni of current ACC member schools have won the Heisman Trophy, all-time.

Do you notice anything else about that list? Not a single original ACC member is in the group! In fact, other than Florida State, they all came from the Big East.

Thoughts?

Only 4 of the 16 played in the ACC when they won their Heisman - 3 from FSU and Lamar Jackson.

(03-19-2021 09:13 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(03-16-2021 09:04 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Another from ACCFootballRx: The Exclusive "Heisman Club"

Quote:...To be honest, I didn't realize the "Heisman Club" was so exclusive! (Only 40 members, total). The ACC currently has 7 (well, 6.5) members of this club:

Boston College (1)
1984 - Doug Flutie

Florida State (3)
1993 - Charlie Ward
2000 - Chris Weinke
2013 - Jameis Winston

Louisville (1)
2016 - Lamar Jackson

Miami (2)
1986 - Vinny Testaverde
1992 - Gino Torretta

Notre Dame (7)
1943 - Angelo Bertelli
1947 - John Lujack
1949 - Leon Hart
1953 - Johnny Lattner
1956 - Paul Hornung
1964 - John Huarte
1987 - Tim Brown

Pitt (1)
1976 - Tony Dorsett

Syracuse (1)
1961 - Ernie Davis

Total: 16 alumni of current ACC member schools have won the Heisman Trophy, all-time.

Do you notice anything else about that list? Not a single original ACC member is in the group! In fact, other than Florida State, they all came from the Big East.

Thoughts?

Only 4 of the 16 played in the ACC when they won their Heisman - 3 from FSU and Lamar Jackson.

Yep. And ZERO played for original ACC member schools.