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NCAA Football: 5 Dark Horse 2016 Heisman Trophy Candidates

By Evan Massey
Published on: 02:16 PST, Sep 22, 2016

The 2016 NCAA football season is entering Week 4, and it will be interesting to see what ends up happening. Over the first three weeks, there have been major upsets, heart-pounding finishes, and players who have jumped out into the Heisman Trophy watch lead.

Looking deeper at the early Heisman race, there are quite a few players who are already labeled as favorites in the race despite it being so early in the season.

Lamar Jackson is, without question, the leader, and he is currently ranked No. 1 on the ESPN Heisman Watch list. Behind Jackson are Christian McCaffery from Stanford, J.T. Barrett from Ohio State, Donnel Pumphrey from San Diego State, and Greg Ward Jr. from Houston. All five of those players have been impressive to start the season, but there is plenty of time for other players to come out and pass them up.

Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how the list changes as the weeks continue going by. There are a lot of players who aren’t even in the top five right now that should be considered serious contenders.

All of that being said, which five players should be considered dark horse Heisman candidates at this point in the season?

Jabrill Peppers, Linebacker, Michigan Wolverines

As we previously mentioned on the Inquisitr, Jabrill Peppers is a serious Heisman contender this season. Even though he is listed as a linebacker, there are very few players in the nation who have made the kind of impact that Peppers has made. Peppers is an all-around threat on both sides of the football and has a decent chance to rise up the Heisman rankings in the coming weeks.

Davis Webb, Quarterback, California Golden Bears

One name that hasn’t come up in Heisman conversations so far this season is California quarterback Davis Webb. He has completed 63.9 percent of his passes this season for 1,359 yards, 13 touchdowns, and three interceptions. California was able to knock off the Texas Longhorns last week, and there will be much more attention given to Webb throughout the remainder of the regular season.

Mark Walton, Running Back, Miami Hurricanes

Mark Richt took over the head coaching job in Miami and immediately realized the weapon that he had in sophomore running back Mark Walton. Throughout his first three games, Walton has carried the football 48 times for 401 yards and seven touchdowns. He hasn’t received a ton of hype yet, but if he keeps putting up the numbers that he has so far for the remainder of the season, the hype will come.

Nick Chubb, Running Back, Georgia Bulldogs

While Nick Chubb may not be considered a true dark horse, there is no question that he belongs on this list. He isn’t receiving the attention that he deserves, but with 365 yards and three touchdowns on 71 carries, there is a reason for that. Chubb has gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season, but he will turn things around and be a serious Heisman contender late in the season.

Patrick Mahomes II, Quarterback, Texas Tech Red Raiders

Adding one more quarterback to the list, Patrick Mahomes II is a player to keep an eye on in the Heisman race. He has completed a sizzling 71.2 percent of his pass attempts for 1,493 yards, 14 touchdowns, and two interceptions. Mahomes has an electric offense at Texas Tech, and his numbers will continue to rise in a big way.

Expect to see all five of these players make noise in the Heisman rankings as the season moves forward. They may not all be viewed as serious contenders, but they deserve the respect of being labeled as dark horse contenders.

Do you think these five players will make noise in the Heisman race this season? Who are your top dark horse Heisman contenders? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[Featured Image by Wilfredo Lee/AP Images]

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