Underrated Free Agent Moves

Going into this abbreviated free agency period we all heard about the big names like Nnamdi Asomugha, Sidney Rice, Logan Mankins, and Santonio Holmes but there are plenty of other free agents that have signed with new teams that are going to pay immediate dividends this upcoming season. Here is a look a ten moves that weren't talked about much, but will be crucial to that teams success.

1. Jonathan Joseph CB to the Houston Texans
It surprises me how little attention Jonathan Joseph got during this time period. Now he isn't on the same level as Nnamdi Asomugha but he is just a notch below. ESPN.com did a great job breaking down the numbers between Joseph and Asomugha and Joseph was actually on level with him. The problem was that Jospeh was targeted more frequently than Asomugh. The Texans with this signing solved a big issue they had last season. Glover Quinn and Kareem Jackson were torched last season and there was nobody else behind them. Jackson is going into his second season and should improve, while Quinn will likely move to FS which better suites his skills. A great pick up for the Texans which should allow them to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.


2. Steve Breaston WR to the Kansas City Chiefs
When you have Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin on your team you often times get overlooked. Now Breaston isn't a #1 type receiver but he does a great job stretching the field and making it easier for the #1 guy. Breaston is reuniting with Todd Haley who was the offensive coordinator a couple years back in Arizona and it won't take long for him to get adjusted. Breaston will fit in well with Dwayne Bowe and Jonathan Baldwin and give Matt Cassell three very good options. Lets just say touchdowns will be aplenty this season in Kansas City.


3. Robert Gallary G to the Seattle Seahawks
A lot of people think that Robert Gallary is a colossal bust. After being drafted #2 overall, Gallary struggled at left tackle. But being moved inside to guard Gallary has really come into his own and has performed at a Pro Bowl level. You still don't think of a guard as being #2 overall worthy, but he is a starter in the league and you can't say that about every top 10 pick. Gallary here follows former Raider head coach Tom Cable to Seattle (now the O-line coach) and will fill in at the left guard spot that hasn't been filled since Steve Hutchinson left years ago. Gallary fits great into the zone blocking scheme that the Seahawks run and help improve the group that Seattle has really tried to make a strength.


4. Darren Sproles RB to the New Orleans Saints
This signing really surprised me. With the Saints drafting Mark Ingram it looked like that move would force Reggie Bush out. The last thing I thought they would do would bring in another running back. This must mean that either Chris Ivroy or Pierre Thomas might be out as well. Sproles comes in and takes over Bush's role as the back that will catch passes out of the backfield and return kicks and punts. Sproles has regress the past two seasons but is still an upgrade over Bush.


5. Willis McGahee RB to the Denver Broncos
Now McGahee isn't the every down workhorse that he use to be. But John Fox really loves to run the ball and after DeAngelo Williams decided to return to Carolina, there wasn't many options left. Denver doesn't have many options at the position and somebody had to be brought in. Knowshon Moreno has the talent to be the feature back, but hasn't shown that he can stay healthy. McGahee gives the Broncos a tough runner who will go between the tackles and hopefully allow Moreno to fill a complementary role before eventually taking over the position.


6. Justin Durant LB to the Detroit Lions
One of the biggest weaknesses the Lions had this past season was their linebacking core. DeAndre Levy has emerged as a starter at either MLB or SLB. Other than Levy there wasn't much talent there. Durant has a lot of talent, but is often injured. If he can stay healthy he'll do a lot to improve the linebackers and help out what looks to be one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.


7. Stewart Bradley LB to the Arizona Cardinals
When healthy Stewart Bradley was a Pro Bowl Caliber middle linebacker a perfect fit for the Eagles attacking defense. However Bradley hasn't been healthy the past two years and the Eagles weren't willing to take the risk anymore. Now Bradley goes out to Arizona and should fit very well in the Cardinals 3-4 defense. Bradley is an excellent blitzer and does well in coverage too. If healthy he could help fill the shoes of Karlos Danby who left before last year. This is a nice low risk high reward possibility.


8. Dwan Landry S to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Dwan Landry is a very solid safety who was often overshadowed by the likes of Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs. However Landry is a very good strong safety that help out the run and not be a liability in coverage. He helps out the Jaguars whose secondary is awful. Landry should step in immediately and help to improve a group that is void of a lot of talent.


9. Barry Coefield DT to the Washington Redskins
The plan was for Albert Haynesworth to be a force in the middle of the Redskins 3-4 defense. However Haynesworth wasn't too keen on being a NT in the 3-4 and his effort showed. Now that he is gone the Redskins needed a new person in the middle and went out on got Coefield who had been with the Giants. Coefield hasn't played in the 3-4 so it will be interested to see how he does. But the Redskins are getting a solid run stuffer to add that they haven't had the past two years.


10. Harvey Dahl G to the St. Louis Rams
Now that the Rams have their franchise quarterback its important to build around him. They have drafted their two bookend tackles and now they get some help on the interior. Dahl is a nasty guard who plays on edge. He'll be a huge help in the run game and give the rest of the offensive line some toughness that they could really use.

Free Agent Fits

Here is a look at where certain free agents would be a perfect fit.

1. Matt Hasselbeck QB to San Francisco 49ers

Hasselbeck would give John Harbaugh a veteran quarterback that has experience in the West Coast Offense and could help mentor rookie QB Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers aren't too far off from being a playoff team and he could give them one or two good years before Kaepernick is ready.

2. Marion Barber RB to Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are a team that loves to run the football, but it looks like both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will both be gone. Barber would work great with rookie Daniel Thomas and give the Dolphins a 1, 2 punch.

3. Roy Williams WR to Chicago Bears

It doesn't look like the Bears are going to be able to get Santana Moss, Santonio Holmes, or Mike Sims-Walker. So the player that might be the next best fit is Roy Williams. Now if the Bears can get Williams for the right price they'll get their big receiver they have lacked for years. Also add in that Williams played very well for Martz while in Detroit and you have a good combination.

4. Nnamdi Asomugha CB to Houston Texans

Now I don't think that Asomugha will go to Houston, but he'd be perfect for them. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips loves to play his corners in man to man coverage and Asomugha thrives in that coverage. Add in that Houston needs a cornerback badly and have money to spend and its a match made in heaven.

5. Jonathan Joseph CB to Detroit Lions

I was surprised when the Lions passed on Prince Amukamara on draft day because they were so thin at cornerback and Chris Houston their top corner was going to test free agency. But the Lions are in a good spot to go after Joseph and could get the underrated corner.

6. Leonard Davis OG to Chicago Bears

Its no secret that the Bears need to improve their offense line. Davis was ok at RT in Arizona but played much better when he moved inside to guard. The Bears love massive lineman and Davis would give them a veteran guard to put along the right side next to young tackles Gabe Carimi or J'Marcus Webb.

7. DeAngelo Williams RB to Denver Broncos

When Josh McDaniels was in charge in Denver he brought in about every available running back he could, but none of them were considered to be full time backs that you could rely on. Jim Fox will look to former Panther Williams to come and bring some stability to the Broncos.

8. Tully Banta-Cain LB to Kansas City Chiefs

Banta-Cain isn't very well known, but lead the Patriots in sacks last year. He could find a familiar place in Kansas City where Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel run a very similar system to the Patriots. Kansas City needs pass rushers and is going to be willing to spend money to get to the salary floor.

9. Ray Edwards DE to Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons really wanted to get Charles Johnson but when he resigned with Carolina the Falcons have to go to plan B. Edwards fits the Falcons scheme where they like smaller quick guys at end to get into opponents backfields.

10. Nick Barnett LB to San Diego Chargers

It was pretty clear that Barnett wasn't going to be back in Green Bay. They played very well without him and he is owed a big salary. But this should be good news to teams needing inside linebackers. The Chargers have been looking for inside linebackers for a while and could find there guy this year.

NCAA Top 25 (Preseason)

Once the season starts I will be doing a weekly top 25. But until the season starts here is an early look at my Preseason Top 25.

1. Oklahoma Sooners

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

3. LSU Tigers
4. Oregon Ducks
5. Stanford Cardinal
6. Boise State Broncos
7. Florida State Seminoles
8. Arkansas Razorbacks
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
10. Oklahoma State Cowboys
11. Wisconsin Badgers
12. South Carolina Gamecocks
13. Texas A&M Aggies
14. Virginia Tech Hokies
15. TCU Horned Frogs
16. Michigan State Spartans
17. Missouri Tigers
18. Mississippi State Bulldogs
19. West Virginia Mountaineers
20. Central Florida Golden Knights
21. Texas Longhorns
22. Florida Gators
23. Ohio State Buckeyes
24. Arizona State Sun Devils
25. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Comments: Oklahoma brings home the top ranking due to all the talent they have returning. They return Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles who are their top two players on offense and the defense returns all their playmakers too. LSU and Alabama should be strong contenders too, but question marks at quarterback for both teams allowed Oklahoma to get the early nod. But I feel that Oregon could return to the National Title game with due to having everybody back on offense. If their defense can rebound from losing valuable players at linebacker and defensive line they should win the Pac 12 for a second straight year.

Player Rankings: Top 5s (Defense)

Defensive End
1. Quinton Coples, North Carolina
2. Devin Taylor, South Carolina
3. Andre Branch, Clemson
4. Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh
5. Vince Brown, Northwestern

Sleeper: Cam Johnson, Virginia

Comments: Defensive end has become one of the most important positions on defense. But don't look for this class to break any records for players taken. Coples should be a top 5 pick but Taylor and Branch might not go till the late 1st round.


Defensive Tackle
1. Jerel Worthy, Michigan State
2. Marcus Forston, Miami
3. Tydreke Powell, North Carolina
4. Brandon Thompson, Clemson
5. Kawann Short, Purdue

Sleeper: Mike Martin, Michigan

Comments: The past two years have seen a large number of tackles go early, but this year won't be the same. Worthy and Forston are the top two players at the position but neither of them will be confused for Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Nick Fairley, or Marcel Dareus. Mike Martin is a sleeper to watch. He is a smaller compact player that might be the strongest player at the positon.


3-4 Defensive End
1. Jared Crick, Nebraska
2. Kheston Randall, Texas
3. Billy Winn, Boise State
4. Baker Steinkuhler, Nebraska
5. Kendall Reyes, UConn

Sleeper: Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

Comments: With so few teams running the 3-4 in college this is the hardest position to project from college to the NFL. Trying to decided if that defensive tackle can move out or that bigger defensive end can slide inside can be a crap shoot. Here Jared Crick is clearly the top player. He plays tackle at Nebraska and is very quick, but he has expereince playing a two gap sytem and taking on blocks so that makes him an ideal fit.


Nose Tackle
1. Alameda Ta'amu, Washington
2. Josh Chapman, Alabama
3. Kerry Murphy, Alabama

Sleeper: DeAngleo McCray, Memphis

Comments: This year doesn't have a large (pun intended) amount of players that profile to be the big 3-4 space eater that we have had in previous years. Ta'amu and Chapman are clearly the only elite players. Ta'amu could become a late 1st rounder, but previous history suggests that he'll probably be a early 2nd rounder.


Rush Linebacker
1. Brandon Jenkins, Florida State
2. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
3. Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina
4. Vinny Curry, Marshall
5. Shayne Skov, Stanford

Sleeper: Nick Perry, USC

Comments: Jenkins, Upshaw, and Paige-Moss are all top notch rush linebackers who will be coveted for their passing rushing abilities. But watch out ofr Vinny Curry and Shayne Skov who are very talented also but not as well know yet. If Nick Perry can stay healthy he could find himself shooting up draft boards.


Outside Linebacker
1. Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
2. Zach Brown, North Carolina
3. Lavonte David, Nebraska
4. Nico Johnson, Alabama
5. Ronnell Johnson, Oklahoma

Sleeper: Demario Davis, Arkansas State

Comments: With the emergence of the 3-4 defense players who once were 1st or 2nd rounders are finding themselves drop because don't only fit with half of the defenses. But those teams should be happy becuase there are four elite outside linebackers. Travis Lewis is a playmaker thats is always around the ball. Zach Brown is much like Bruce Carter in that he is a great athlete, and Lavonte David is a tackling machine with great instincts.


Inside Linebacker
1. Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State
2. Manti Te'o, North Carolina
3. Luke Keachly, Boston College
4. Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
5. Chris Marve, Vanderbilt

Sleeper: Chris Galippo, USC

Comments: Middle linebackers like Vontaze Burfict don't come around too often. Manti Te'o has can play any linebacker spot in any scheme so that will make him attractive. Keachly is a tackling machine, and Hightower should be a great fit in a 3-4 defense. Galippo is my sleeper because he has a ton of talent, but also comes in with a ton of experience playing in the Tampa 2 under one of the best defensive minds in Monte Kiffen.


Cornerback
1. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
2. Alphonzo Dennard, Nebraska
3. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama
4. Jayron Hosey, Virginia Tech
5. Chase Minnifeild, Virginia

Sleeper: Shaun Prater, Iowa

Comments: The cornerback position is clearly the deepest position of any of the other defensive spots. All five of these players should go in the first round and we could see a couple more too. The NFL is a passing league and lock down corners are in demand. Kirkpatrick is the cream of the crop with size, speed, and the ability to change directions. Dennard out peformed teammate Prince Amukamara last year at times, but his lack of size hurts his chances of being a top 10 pick. I'm a little higher on Janoris Jenkins that most, but he would have been the 2nd or 3rd corner last year if he came out. He does have some baggage but some team will take a chance on him.


Safety
1. Robert Lester, Alabama
2. Kenny Tate, Maryland
3. Mark Barron, Alabama
4. Ray Ray Armstrong, Miami
5. TJ McDonald, USC

Sleeper: Blake Gideon, Texas

Comments: A quality group of safeties in this draft class where all five have shots to be taken in the first round. Lester is the only true free safety in the group while Tate, Barron, Armstrong, and McDonald are all in the box type of safeties. Kenny Tate is getting a lot of hype but he has been moved to weakside linebacker at Maryland and he might be a better fit there for a Cover 2 team. My sleeper is Blake Gideon from Texas. He isn't a flashy player, but he always seems to be around the ball. He could play both safety spots and maybe some nickle corner. Add in special teams play and he could be a steal in the 3rd or 4th rounds.

Rankings: Top 5s (Offense)

Quarterback
1. Andrew Luck, Stanford
2. Matt Barkley, USC
3. Landry Jones, Oklahoma
4. Nick Foles, Arizona
5. Ryan Lindley, San Diego State

Sleeper: John Brantley, Florida

Comments: Last year saw four quarterbacks go in the first round, but only Blaine Gabbert would break into this top 5. Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, and Landry Jones all project to be franchise quarterbacks and it wouldn't be a shock if all three went in the top 10. Nick Foles and Ryan Lindley are both bigger quarterbacks with strong arms. Foles has to show people that he isn't a system quarterback while Lindley comes from a West Coast Offense. A guy to watch out for is John Brantley from Florida. A highly touted throwing quarterback was not a great fit for Urban Meyer's spread offense. Now that Charlie Weis is in Gainsville Brantley will have an opprotunity to show what he can do in an NFL offense.


Running Back
1. Trent Richardson, Alabama
2. LeMichael James, Oregon
3. Chris Polk, Washington
4. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M
5. Edwin Baker, Michigan State

Sleeper: Jeff Demps, Florida

Comments: Five years ago Trent Richardson would be a lock to be a top 5 pick, but with the running back position becoming devalued he probably won't go till the mid to late 1st. The 2nd round seems to be the place that most top running backs come off the board. After James its a crap shoot. James is your speedy game breaker while Polk, Gray, and Baker are more traditional between the tackle runners. A guy to keep an eye on is Jeff Demps. Demps is a speedster that should wow everybody at the combine. He is short, but is stocky. He make a team as a return man but could find himself in a Darren Sproles type of role.



Wide Receiver
1. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
2. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
3. Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
4. Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M
5. Greg Childs, Arkansas

Sleeper: Jermaine Kearse, Washington

Comments: Everybody seems to be anoiting Jeffery the top receiver, but I like Justin Blackmon a lot better. I look at Blackmon and see Terrel Owens but better hands. He can take it to the house at any point and has the big body to sheild of defenders. Jeffery is good, but he could have trouble seperating from cornerbacks. Ryan Broyles is another receiver that I really like. He is a very similar player to Santonio Holmes in that he is a good route runner and has the speed and quickness to get open. Jermaine Kearse is my sleeper to watch. When I saw Washington play this past season he really impressed me. He runs good routes and has good hands. He reminds me of a faster Vincent Brown that came out of San Diego State last year.


Tight End/Fullback
1. Michael Egnew TE, Missouri
2. Dwayne Allen TE, Clemson
3. Joe Halahuni TE/FB, Oregon State
4. David Paulson TE, Oregon
5. Cody Johnson FB, Texas

Sleeper: Coby Fleener TE, Stanford

Comments: Fullbacks are starting to become an endangered species. With offenses becoming pass oriented the fullback and tight end positions are starting to merge. Last year Kyle Rudolph was the top rated tight end and didn't go till the the middle of the second round. This year we have Michael Egnew and Dwayne Allen as the top two tight ends but I would highly doubt either of them come close to the first round. Joe Halahuni and Cody Johnson are the top two fullbacks by many people but both don't play the position in college.



Tackle
1. Matt Kalil, USC
2. Jonathan Martin, Stanford
3. Reilly Reiff, Iowa
4. Nate Potter, Boise State
5. DJ Fulker, Alabama

Sleeper: David Pickard, Southern Illinois

Comments: Tyron Smith was the first tackle taken in the 2010 NFL Draft, but he didn't even play left tackle in college. Thats because Matt Kalil was manning the position. Kalil and Jonathan Martin are two top flight tackles that should go in the top 10 and Kalil has the opprotunity to go top 3. Reilly Rieff carries on the tradition of good Iowa offensive lineman. Nate Potter is a guy to watch out for. He isn't going to be confused for a road grader, but he is very athletic, has good technic, and good length. He'd be a great fit in a zone blocking scheme and could protect a quarterback's blind side for many years.


Guard
1. Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
2. David DeCastro, Stanford
3. Cordy Glenn, Georgia
4. Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin
5. Ryan Miller, Colorado

Sleeper: Mike Remmers, Oregon State

Comments: With the importance of protecting the quarterback at an all time high your starting to see more and more teams looking at guards at the end of the first round. This year has a strong group of gaurds that might be the best in a couple years. Osemele plays left tackle at Iowa State but profiles to be a mauling guard. David DeCastro has be a constant at Stanford and open hole for Toby Gerhart and protected Andrew Luck. Ryan Miller is a huge guard standing at 6'8 but he is a very good athlete and could play guard or right tackle.

Center
1. Mike Brewster, Ohio State
2. William Vlachos, Alabama
3. Ben Jones, Georgia
4. David Molk, Michigan
5. Moe Petrus, UConn

Sleeper: Kai Maiava, UCLA

Comments: The 2010 center class was probably one of the weekest position groups I've seen in a while. Mike Pouncey, Stefen Wisneiwski, and Brandon Fusco where the all centers taken. This year is a little better but not by much. Brewster is a stud and will carry on the tradition of 1st round centers. Vlachos has been a consistent starter but will probably be a 2nd rounder at best.

Hot Topic: Paying College Athletes

Every summer when nothing else is going on the topic of paying college athletes comes up. Whether people actually believe that it should be done or people just want to talk about something its an annual summer affair. This year was a little different. We've had Big 10 commish Jim Delaney and SEC commish Mike Slive plus NCAA President Mark Emmert all came out in favor of paying athletes. Their idea is for athletes to get a full cost of attendance. Basically meaning that the athletes would get a certain amount of money per semester that would take care of spending money, groceries, or anything else they might need. Now does this mean that it will take place? Probably not, but lets dive into the subject.

No matter what your stance is on the subject we all realize that the NCAA and the top Universities make a boat load of money because of the athletes. And according to some, the athletes don't get anything. However that is a load of crap. Athletes who are on scholarship do get a lot. Here is a list of things a scholarship athlete receives.

• Free Gear. Most Universities have licensing deals with either Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour. Each of the athletes receive a ton of gear. Shoes, sweat shirts, sweat pants, wind suits, coats, and even book bags. Do regular students gets that, nope. Unless they want to buy them at the book store.


• Meals. Regular college students that live on campus can purchase a meal plan where they either get to eat a certain number of times a day or week. But athletes get access to all meals for free. And most of the time they get access to special cafeterias or training tables that regular students don't get or have to pay extra for. Even athletes that don't live on campus get these for free too.


• Tutoring and Help. So your struggling with your grades. Maybe you need a tutor. Sure some colleges or classes offer free tutoring but most of the time you might have to pay for it. Athletes, get it for free. They have access to top notch tutors and much more. Another thing that students get is in the form of "Life Skills." A lot more Universities are providing extra help to their athletes to help them succeed in life. Maybe its resume writing, bringing in experts to show them how to network, and just helping them for life after college. Now do regular students get these perks.....nope.


• Room and Board. One part of college life is living on campus in the dorms. It can be a lot of fun, but its also pretty expensive. However part of the athlete's scholarship is paying for where they live. So they get to stay in the dorms for free. But what about those players who live off campus. Yup they get that payed for too. The students all get the same amount of money. So if an athlete lives off campus he still gets the money that another athlete would get if they lived in the dorms. And if their rent is less than that of the dorms, they get to keep it.


• Tuition and Books. This is the biggest things the athletes get and it often times is the one thing that everybody tends to forget. Lets remember that these athletes are getting their education payed for. What we payed thousands of dollars for they get for free. What some of us are still paying off, they didn't have to worry about. These athletes (some who never would be able to go to college without playing a sport) get to set themselves up for life for free. They get their books for free too. I remember having to spend hundreds of dollars for books and then sell them back for a fraction of the cost. They don't have to.

Still think that Universities should pay athletes?

Here's a solution. Treat it like financial aide. We all can agree that not every athlete needs extra money. One player might come from a family that has money to buy them a car or give them money for rent. But there are many others that come from very poor families where they are struggling to get buy. So instead of giving money out to everybody, let players apply for this money. If a student fits into the criteria they could receive a certain amount of money (maybe around $3,000 a year at $250 a month). This would allow those players some extra money for stuff they actually need. This is the best way and only fair way that students could be helped out.

Tell me what you think on the topic.

Heisman Watch (Season Preview)

Its that time again. Now that the college football season is fast approaching its time to look at the players that are going to make a run at the most prestigious award in all of college football. Last year we saw Cam Newton come out of nowhere to have one of the most impressive seasons in college football history. Who will win it this year? Don't know yet, but here are some of the players that have the best chance.

Andrew Luck QB Stanford

Clearly the top quarterback in all of college football, Andrew Luck is in a good spot to take home some hardware this season. Last year Luck threw for 3,338 yards and 32 touchdowns while leading the Cardinal to their first BCS Bowl game in school history. This year Luck goes into the season without head coach Jim Harbaugh who is now the with the San Francisco 49ers. Stanford along with Oregon is favored to win the Pac 12 and if Luck can replicate last year's numbers and put Stanford in the hunt for a National Title he'll find himself back in New York for a second straight year. Something to think about is that the Heisman voters might want to give the award to somebody that they know for sure is not going to have to give the trophy back a couple years down the road. It's unlikely, but something to think about.

Landry Jones QB Oklahoma

Two years ago when Sam Bradford was injured in the first game of the season and many people where concerned how redshirt freshman Landry Jones was going to fill in for him. Jones played alright his first season, but really flourished last year throwing for 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns in leading the Sooners to a 12-2 record, a Big 12 Title, and a Fiesta Bowl victory. Now that Jones is in his third season as the starter the sky is the limit. Add in that he has all of his weapons back from a year ago and you can only assume that Jones will continue to put up video game type numbers. Add in that the Big 12 isn't as strong as it was a couple of years ago and the Sooners should be in the hunt for the National Title game and that will put Jones in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy.

LeMichael James RB Oregon

James had a breakout year last season helping the Ducks reach the National Title Game. Despite missing the first game of the season he rushed for 1,731 yards and 21 touchdowns. That impressive season landed James with an invite to the Heisman Trophy Presentation where he finished in third place. Coming into this season he has as good of a chance as anybody of bringing home the prestigious award. James is a threat every time he touches the ball and he'll get plenty of opportunities next year as the Ducks look to make a return visit to the title game. However James could he hurt by the improving Darron Thomas and the up and coming fellow running backs Kenjon Balmer and Lache Seastrunck who could all take touches away from him. But look for James to be the focal point for the Ducks and continue to rack up numbers and attention.

Darron Thomas QB Oregon

Speaking of Darron Thomas. Thomas wasn't the starter going into the 2010 season, but when Jeremiah Mosoli was kicked off the team they keys to the offense were handed over to the young Thomas who hadn't seen a lot of game action. All Thomas did was improve the already potent offense and take the Ducks to the National Title game. Thomas is at his best when the Ducks are n their high tempo speed offense that keeps keeps the defense off balance and not knowing what is going on. Thomas made most of his damage running the zone read and throwing short passes. However another year in the offense and we could see Thomas expanding on his responsibilities and taking more risks throwing the ball. This along with another impressive run by the Ducks and we could see Thomas being the Ducks representative in New York.

Trent Richardson RB Alabama

I've always thought that Richardson was the best running back for Alabama, even better that previous Heisman winner Mark Ingram. But now that Ingram is gone Richardson is going to get a chance to show what he can do when he is the feature back and not complementing Ingram. Alabama should once again be in the running for the National Championship and Richardson, much like Ingram did in 2008, has a good chance to win the Heisman Trophy by being the best player on the best team. Richardson has the chance to put up some big time numbers in some big time games in front of a lot of Heisman voters.

Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State

He didn't get an invitation to New York last year for the trophy presentation, but Blackmon's strong season earned him 5th place in the voting. Blackmon is one of the top wide receivers in college football and is a big time playmaker who can take it to the house whenever he gets the ball into his hands. What is even more impressive was that Blackmon scored a touchdown in every game he played last year. Bt the biggest threat to Blackmon winning the award is that the Heisman usually goes to a quarterback or runningback. However Blackmon is going to get the ball thrown to him even more this year and he'll look to improve his numbers and that would be very hard for voters to ignore him.

Taylor Martinez QB Nebraska

The redshirt freshman burst onto the scene last year running all over defenses. His early season success started to pick up some Heisman steam but was derailed 8 games into the season when he suffered a nasty high ankle sprain and turf toe in a win against Missouri. When healthy Martinez was a dangerous threat running the ball and then that lead to him being able to throw the ball more effectively too. But an increased focus on stopping him and injuries derailed an impressive start. Martinez rushed for 886 of his 965 yards in those first first eight games but Martinez still has a lot of room to grow as a quarterback but if he picks up where he left off with before the Missouri game and he could get the invitation to New York.

Denard Robinson QB Michigan

Denard Robinson was looking like he was going to literally run away with the Heisman Trophy. Through the first five games of the season the Wolverines were looking to be back. They were off to a 5-0 start and Robinson was running circles around opposing teams. However three straight losses and some nagging injuries to Robinson really sent Michigan into a tailspin. However it wasn't all Robinson's fault. Michigan's defense was flat out atrocious and the offense was simply not able to outscore every other team. This year the Wolverines have a new coaching staff and an increased focus on fixing the defense. If Michigan can actually stop somebody and Robinson can stay healthy they could really make the a jump and that could lead to Robinson sustaining his Heisman buzz.

Geno Smith QB West Virginia

It seems like Geno Smith is every body's dark horse candidate to win the Heisman Trophy. Smith is garnering so much attention because he has all the physical tools you would want out of a quarterback and the Mountaineers now have one of the best offensive minds in Dana Holgerson as his new head coach. Last year Smith threw for 2,763 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, with the spread offense that Holgerson brings to West Virginia Geno Smith's numbers will only improve. But it's going to take West Virginia contending for a BCS Bowl and Smith's numbers to improve to be considered for the trophy. Heisman voters like to go with players from the big schools or guys whose teams are challenging for the National Championship. To me Smith is a long shot, but somebody to definitely to watch.

EJ Manuel QB Florida State

Florida State is starting to become every body's darling this year and if they end up winning the ACC that could lead to them having a Heisman contender. The most logical person to consider is quarterback EJ Manuel. Manuel stepped up last year when Christian Ponder was injured and despite losing to Virginia late in the season he played very well. If he continues to develop he could help Florida State make it to their first BCS Bowl in a long time. However projecting success after only a couple of starts is never a great indicator of future success. But their game against Oklahoma at the beginning of the season will tell us a lot.

Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina

When somebody gets called the next Adrian Peterson before he even starts his college career, you have to take it with a grain of salt. However after an impressive true freshman season the comparison to Peterson isn't too far off. Last year Lattimore rushed for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns in helping the Gamecocks make it to the SEC championship game. However the Gamecocks offense should be much better and another year on campus will make Lattimore and even better player. The sky is the limit for Lattimore and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in New York City sometime in the next couple of years.

Kellen Moore QB Boise State

Kellen Moore was my pre-season favorite to win the Heisman last year because I felt that Boise State being ranked in the top 5 at the beginning of the season, having an easy schedule, and him always putting up huge numbers. All of that together added up to the most likely to win the award. However I only felt he would win the award if Boise State was undefeated and playing in the National Title game. But a late season loss to Nevada and Cam Newton having an unbelievable season ended any shot of Moore winning the Heisman Trophy. this year should be very similar. Moore will be a contender as long as Boise State is contending for a National Title but if they aren't, neither with Moore.

Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin

If Russell Wilson would have remained at North Carolina State I doubt he would have been a contender for the Heisman. Mainly because NC State isn't a favorite to win the ACC and they don't ahve a lot of weapons that would allow Wilson to put up Monster numbers. However Wilson isn't at NC State but at Wisconsin where they are expected to have a much better season. With all the drama that is going on at Ohio State, Wisconsin is now the favorite to win the Leaders Division and contend for the Big 10 title. With Wilson at quarterback the Badgers fill one of their few question marks with a dynamic playmaking quarterback that can take some pressure off the running game by not allowing defenses to load up the box to stop the run. Now Wisconsin isn't going to be a passing team now, but they could have found their leader to help take them to the next level. And that success could lead to hardware for Wisconsin and Wilson.

Taylor Wilson QB Arkansas

Ryan Mallett helped Arkansas reach the Sugar Bowl in 2010 but there are many people that believe that Wilson might end up being a better quarterback fro the Razorbacks. In limited action last year Wilson really shined, including putting up 332 yards and 4 touchdowns against National Champion Auburn. Wilson doesn't have as strong of an arm as Mallett, but he has better mechanics and doesn't force balls like Mallett was known to. Add in that Arkansas has improved as a team and should challenge LSU for the SEC West and they should remain in the National media attention. But the biggest thing to remember is that Bobby Petrino's offenses usually lead to big numbers for the quarterbacks. All of that should lead to some Heisman buzz for Wilson.