97. RB Javon Ringer, Michigan State – The shifty Ringer will once again complement the Spartan passing attack one year after leading the team in rushing as a true freshman and averaging nearly seven yards a carry.
48. WR Jeff Samardzija, Notre Dame – Samardzija enters the 2006 season as one of the premier wide receivers in the country after he exploded for 77 catches and 15 touchdown receptions last fall. He’s got tremendous hands and size, and as Brady Quinn’s main target, will put up huge numbers for a second straight year.
34. WR Steve Breaston, Michigan – Braylon Edwards and Jason Avant have graduated. It’s time for Breaston to become Chad Henne’s go-to receiver. He’s already one of the game’s most dynamic return men, but must also become a 60-catch guy to have a chance to contend in this deep field.
17. QB Chad Henne, Michigan – Henne’s got a chance to become the Wolverines’ all-time leading passer after just three seasons in Ann Arbor. And now as the undisputed leader of a Michigan team looking to rebound from its worst season since 1984, he’s going to get more media attention than ever before.
15. RB Michael Hart, Michigan – Hart’s value to the Wolverines was never more evident than last year, when he missed substantial parts of the season and the offense sputtered in his absence. Chad Henne may have more pro potential, but Hart is the sparkplug, and with 12 games to prove it, he’s capable of becoming the first Michigan back in 66 years to win the award.
12. QB Drew Stanton, Michigan State – Winning the Heisman is a two-part recipe that requires the right combination of big numbers and big wins. And therein lies the rub for Stanton. He’s got a proven, two-year track record of gaudy stats, but unless he can engineer a career-first upset Michigan or Ohio State and get the Spartans back to the post-season, the Top 10 is off limits.
1. QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – Quinn is by far the top returning Heisman vote-getter, but that alone doesn’t make him this year’s pre-season favorite. He flourished beyond anyone’s expectations in his first season under Charlie Weis, throwing 32 touchdowns and setting all kinds of Irish passing records. With a year in the vault and WR Jeff Samardzija back, he might be even better in 2006. And unlike Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson, whose quest rests on the development of others, Quinn is firmly at the controls of his destination.
My early pick? Well, it's early enough that I can bask in the glow unbridled optimism, so I'm going Drew "Banzai!" Stanton all the way.
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