All eyes on college football’s top prize
THREE OF the nation’s top NFL prospects — Marcus Mariota, Amari Cooper and Melvin Gordon — will take a tour of New York this week as the Heisman Trophy will be handed out on Saturday night. Giants and Jets fans will have an opportunity to give them an eye test if spotted on the sidewalks in midtown, but the votes for the Heisman are in, calculated by the Deloitte accounting firm. Here is a look at the best of each finalist:
MARCUS MARIOTA, QB, OREGON: 3,783 PASSING YARDS, 38 TDS, 2 INTS
Mariota, the favorite, hails from Honolulu, and would become the first Hawaiian to claim the trophy. He is the nation’s best quarterback, having thrown 38 touchdown passes and two interceptions as the Ducks marched to a 12-1 record and a slot in the Rose Bowl against Florida State.
His pass efficiency is 186.33, the third best in FBS history as he excelled in a system that affords him large windows to find his wideouts. His prospects as the quarterback atop NFL draft boards are only tempered by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s caution that Mariota may need a few years to fully develop in the NFL game. His off-field notes include that his lone known demerit was a speeding ticket (80 mph in a 55 mph zone).
AMARI COOPER, WR, ALABAMA: 115 RECEPTIONS, 1,656 YARDS, 14 TDS
With 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-44 victory over Auburn, Cooper secured his legacy as an Iron Bowl legend. Now, he is looking for hardware. K iper considers him the best wideout prospect for the NFL, likening him to a Marvin Harrison with his ability to gain separation and gallop past defensive backs, as in the 80-yard touchdown score he tallied in beating Tennessee. He has also proven to be a workhorse, topping 200 yards or more on three occasions this season.
If the Tide is going to take out Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, it will be Cooper’s legs and hands that Alabama depends on. The lone knock on the Miami native is his height. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, he does not measure up with a Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green in terms of tall targets, but he brings the athleticism that few players can offer.
MELVIN GORDON, RB, WISCONSIN: 309 CARRIES, 2,336 YARDS, 26 TDS
The Badger blasted his way into the Heisman discussion with 408 yards on the ground against Nebraska on Nov. 15, claiming the NCAA’s singlegame record (for a week). It was also an exclamation point en route to Wisconsin’s Big Ten championship game appearance versus Ohio State.
All momentum was lost in that matchup, though, as the Buckeyes limited Gordon to 76 yards and defeated the Badgers, 59-0. Still, Gordon accumulated enough votes to be a finalist, and rightfully so. He rushed for 200 yards or more in five contests. Should he pick up Wisconsin’s third Heisman, it would be a bright spot for a team now looking for a coach as Gary Andersen (unexpectedly) left for Oregon State and Gordon announced that he will depart for the NFL (expected).