OK... Every college football show on TV keeps giving their Heisman updates, and they're all the same names everyone expects to hear.

Keeping in mind that I'm a bit of an iconoclast, here are the guys I'm inviting to NY for the ceremony.

1. Freddie Barnes, WR, Bowling Green - Already has 117 receptions in only 10 games. Second in FBS with 12 TD catches.

2. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford - averages about 140 rush yards a game, and nearly 2 rush TDs a game. He's often referred to as a "fullback," but he averages more than 5 yards a carry, and he does it against quality competition.

3. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State (soph) - Has Boise St. undefeated and in the BCS picture. Thrown for more than 2500 yards and has a 32/3 TD-to-INT ratio. Offensive leader of an excellent young team.

4. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska - Most dominant defensive player in country. Has more than 50 tackles from the DT position, including 11 TFL. Amazingly also has an INT, 8 passes defended, and 3 blocked kicks.


And the Heisman goes to...

Ndamukong Suh!

I will dance in the streets if a defensive player wins the Heisman.

Or, even better... how about an offensive lineman? Only one in the history of the Heisman, and it's been 60 years since that happened.

Oh man...that would be like...nirvana.

Hey, can you email Bill Chackes ASAP?

Thanks man...

S

Sadly, Suh's only chance is if he is used as a short-yardage, Single-Wing tailback in the 'Wild Husker' or Redzone TE, the defensive guys have to be 2-way to get many votes. The other 9 who in my opinion would be deserving votes if the award went to outstanding player regardless of team record, level or position played:

Case Keenum, Junior QB, Houston while at 6'1.7 209 his size and raw arm strength will scare some away he possess a 69.65 completion% 31 TDs, 6 picks and 4194 yards, IMHO he's as good as any QB in the nation.

Joique Bell, Senior RB, Wayne State 5'11" 224 and expected to run in the 4.47-4.54 range he is clearly a talent, but his heart, toughness and production set him apart. At this point in his career he has 544 carries for 3236 yards, 41 TDs 43 receptions, 519 yards and 4 TDs, and has even 5 completions in 11 passes for 139 yards and 2 TDs. The level of comptition argument fails to address that if he was in the Big 10, Big 12,PAC 10 or SEC he'd also have better teammates.

Ryan Mathews- I first became aware of him when he was a running HS QB, his 2006 Nike combine numbers: Height: 5-foot-11 Weight: 198 pounds 40-yard dash: 4.79 seconds
Shuttle speed: 4.12, Bench press: 20 reps, Vertical leap: 32.2" he was a smart, tough kid and I thought one day when he was a scrappy SS at Cal-Poly I'd look like genius by having a thread on my 'find' While a few years latter he's up to 218, has his 40 reportedly in the 4.51-4.57 range and is the best back in the FBS IMHO, he is average in size and speed and has struggled with injuries: 2 names- Curtis Martin and Terrell Davis, he is very much like those two only a bit more powerful, dependable in blitz pick up and as an outlet receiver. Despite missing a game and a half he has 213 carries for 1491 yards and 14 TDs. I love Best and Spiller but he edges them out in my mind.


Travis Bradshaw- 6'0.5" 201 4.59 SS Rice a former walk-on who leads the FBS in solo stops with 74, as well as: 4.5 TFL, 1 sack, 4 PBUs, 2 FF and 1 Fumble recovered for an impressive TD return.

Only a Sophomore Carmen Messina LB UNM 6'0.3" 222 4.74 leads the nation in tackles by far with 134, averaging 13.4 per game. No one is averaging more than 11.6, and only 16 players are averaging double-digit stops. He has had to be in on everything with a porous line in front of him, and he has come through with a huge year making 19 tackles against Air Force, 19 against Utah, and with ten stops or more in every game but two.

Greg Salas, RS Junior WR Hawaii with 85, snags for 1360 yards and 8 scores it may not be news Hawaii wide receiver is putting up huge numbers, but what Salas is doing hasn’t been typical. While a bit beneath the radar, at least compared to the well-publicized Freddie Barnes of Bowling Green, Salas has been more dangerous averaging 16 yards per catch. Only six players are averaging more than 100 yards per game, and only two, Barnes and Missouri’s Danario Alexander, are over 120. Salas averages 136 yards per GAME! Showing leadership, he raised his game ever since starting QB Greg Alexander was lost for the year, catching 26 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns over the last two games including 16 catches against New Mexico State.

Damaris Johnson, Sophomore Tulsa WR, only 5'8" 173 with 4.47 speed his elusiveness, vision and balance have allowed him to rack up 1881 total yards in 9 games a garish 209 per game, he is a great receiver and deadly as a returner and has 150 carries from scrimmage for 711 yards, think Troy Brown meets Percy Harvin.

Brandon West RB Western Michigan TB/KR 5'9.7" 186 4.48 A true scatback, West in his last game had two kick returns for 43 yards and totaled 183 all-purpose yards to set the NCAA Division I FBS record for career all-purpose yards in a 35-14 win at Eastern Michigan. West now has 7,626 yards, surpassing DeAngelo Williams of Memphis.

Dominic Randolph, RS Senior Holy Cross QB 6'2.4 223 4.78 A few years back Randolph didn't start at quarterback for his high school team, St. Xavier in Cincinnati, because they already had a 6'5" 240-pound, QB Ohio State-bound Rob Schoenhoft, [following two seasons as a backup at Ohio State, Schoenhoft transferred to Delaware before last season. After throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (six) and enduring a frustrating 4-8 finish with the Fightin' Blue Hens, Schoenhoft quit football.] While Randolph has passed 3158 yards on 250 completions 386 attempts, a 64.8%, 30 TD 15 INTs and has run for 436 yards on 98 carries even with sacks subtracted. His mobility is above average his arm is average, but his leadership and football IQ are top notch.

So I'd have Suh winning, but these players would round out my top ten. Let me know what you think.

Joique Bell has just been announced as one of 9 finalists for the Harlon Hill (the D-2 Heisman Award)

The 9 finalists:

SR1: Junior quarterback Zach Amedro of West Liberty (W.V.) University and senior quarterback Trevor Harris of Edinboro (Pa.) University. Their teams meet Saturday in West Liberty, W.V. in the second round of the playoffs.

SR2: Senior quarterbacks Harrison Beck of the University of North Alabama and Nick Graziano of Arkansas Tech University. The Lions and Wonder Boys also face each other Saturday at noon in Florence.

SR3 (a tie resulted in 3 nominees): Wayne State (Mich.) University senior running back Joique Bell, Grand Valley State (Mich.) University senior quarterback Brad Iciek (his third straight year as a finalist) and University of Minnesota-Duluth junior running back Isaac Odim. Grand Valley State and Minnesota-Duluth both host second round playoff games Saturday and could possibly meet in the NCAA quarterfinals.

SR4: Northwest Missouri State senior running back LaRon Council and Midwestern (Texas) State University junior quarterback Zack Eskridge. Northwest Missouri State is hosting a second round playoff game Saturday, while Midwestern State lost to ACU last week.

Wow...those are some really great choices. Some years there are some real head scratchers, but (outside of Amedro and Eskridge who I haven't seen) I could be happy if anyone of those guys got the nod.

Other than Joique Bell, are any of those other guys I should try to get for the next Small School Specimens radio show?