Bruce Feldman: Kaaya top Heisman dark horse candidate

[ben]

Mailbag: How will Georgia do under new coach Kirby Smart? | FOX Sports

I defined “dark horse candidates” as any player listed as more than a 20/1 pick this season. Seven guys come to mind: Texas Tech QB Patrick
Mahomes (30/1); Miami QB Brad Kaaya (40/1); Wazzu QB Luke Falk (45/1); Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd (50/1); Houston QB Greg Ward (50/1); Penn State RB Sequon Barkley (80/1) and Louisville QB Lamar Jackson (100/1).

Of this group, I’d arrange this way: Kaaya, Ward, Hurd, Jackson, Falk, Mahomes, Barkley.

Kaaya’s accurate and smart. He also plays for a glamour program at which he will get a lot of attention if he and new Miami head coach Mark Richt can get on a roll. Problem for him is there are already two bigger Heisman names in the ACC in Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Florida State's Dalvin Cook. If the Canes can beat FSU this year and move to 5-0, Kaaya could be in the mix.

Ward’s a dual-threat guy on a team that is primed to make a run at a Playoff spot. He can move up on the radar right away with a huge game against OU in the opener.

Hurd could be this year’s Derrick Henry. He is a big physical back with freaky speed on an SEC title contender. But even if the Vols do live up to the hype this year, QB Josh Dobbs would likely get plenty of the spotlight. Hurd’s back-up Alvin Kamara is also very talented and probably will keep Hurd from getting too many touches.

Jackson was fantastic against the Texas A&M defense in their bowl game. Folks inside the Louisville program rave about his potential. Like Kaaya, he’s overshadowed now by Watson and Cook, but Jackson will have plenty of chances to change that. He’ll also have a late-season Thursday game against Houston and Ward that will be very interesting.

Falk may lead the nation in passing. He’s also got a lot of weapons back to rely on and WSU could be a legit contender in the Pac-12 race. Given how dismal this program was before he took over, that’d be a nice point for his candidacy.

Mahomes has eye-catching talent in his ability to extend plays and make accurate — and strong — throws from all sorts of arm angles. He’s also in a system where he should put up huge numbers. The down side: Tech has to replace most of its O-line, and I doubt they’ll win more than eight games.

Barkley ran all over a loaded Ohio State D last year. I still think Penn State’s probably another year away from being a top-20 team, but if they mature earlier than expected, he’ll be the cover guy.

 

[cflacane2]

I thought ryan williams was gonna start?

 

[Waffle Honcho]

I thought ryan williams was gonna start?

Now that he's a junior and he's 40-1 odds to win the Heisman it justifies him starting as a true freshman and leading a talent rich team to 6-7?

 

[cflacane2]

I thought ryan williams was gonna start?

Now that he's a junior and he's 40-1 odds to win the Heisman it justifies him starting as a true freshman and leading a talent rich team to 6-7?

Would maybe winning 1-2 more games with williams justify kaaya losing 1 year exp. Does a 9 win al golden year mean that much?. If kaaya is being considered top 5 pick and heisman candidate his third year what mkes u think hes not better than a memphis qb who was passed up by another 1st rnd qb in lynch?

 

[jkaz1]

I don't see anything "darkhorse" about Kaaya...

He's one of the top QBs in the country - that sounds like a "contender" to me....

Mailbag: How will Georgia do under new coach Kirby Smart? | FOX Sports

I defined “dark horse candidates” as any player listed as more than a 20/1 pick this season. Seven guys come to mind: Texas Tech QB Patrick
Mahomes (30/1); Miami QB Brad Kaaya (40/1); Wazzu QB Luke Falk (45/1); Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd (50/1); Houston QB Greg Ward (50/1); Penn State RB Sequon Barkley (80/1) and Louisville QB Lamar Jackson (100/1).

Of this group, I’d arrange this way: Kaaya, Ward, Hurd, Jackson, Falk, Mahomes, Barkley.

Kaaya’s accurate and smart. He also plays for a glamour program at which he will get a lot of attention if he and new Miami head coach Mark Richt can get on a roll. Problem for him is there are already two bigger Heisman names in the ACC in Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Florida State's Dalvin Cook. If the Canes can beat FSU this year and move to 5-0, Kaaya could be in the mix.

Ward’s a dual-threat guy on a team that is primed to make a run at a Playoff spot. He can move up on the radar right away with a huge game against OU in the opener.

Hurd could be this year’s Derrick Henry. He is a big physical back with freaky speed on an SEC title contender. But even if the Vols do live up to the hype this year, QB Josh Dobbs would likely get plenty of the spotlight. Hurd’s back-up Alvin Kamara is also very talented and probably will keep Hurd from getting too many touches.

Jackson was fantastic against the Texas A&M defense in their bowl game. Folks inside the Louisville program rave about his potential. Like Kaaya, he’s overshadowed now by Watson and Cook, but Jackson will have plenty of chances to change that. He’ll also have a late-season Thursday game against Houston and Ward that will be very interesting.

Falk may lead the nation in passing. He’s also got a lot of weapons back to rely on and WSU could be a legit contender in the Pac-12 race. Given how dismal this program was before he took over, that’d be a nice point for his candidacy.

Mahomes has eye-catching talent in his ability to extend plays and make accurate — and strong — throws from all sorts of arm angles. He’s also in a system where he should put up huge numbers. The down side: Tech has to replace most of its O-line, and I doubt they’ll win more than eight games.

Barkley ran all over a loaded Ohio State D last year. I still think Penn State’s probably another year away from being a top-20 team, but if they mature earlier than expected, he’ll be the cover guy.

 

[ben]

I don't see anything "darkhorse" about Kaaya...

He's one of the top QBs in the country - that sounds like a "contender" to me....

Mailbag: How will Georgia do under new coach Kirby Smart? | FOX Sports

I defined “dark horse candidates” as any player listed as more than a 20/1 pick this season. Seven guys come to mind: Texas Tech QB Patrick
Mahomes (30/1); Miami QB Brad Kaaya (40/1); Wazzu QB Luke Falk (45/1); Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd (50/1); Houston QB Greg Ward (50/1); Penn State RB Sequon Barkley (80/1) and Louisville QB Lamar Jackson (100/1).

Of this group, I’d arrange this way: Kaaya, Ward, Hurd, Jackson, Falk, Mahomes, Barkley.

Kaaya’s accurate and smart. He also plays for a glamour program at which he will get a lot of attention if he and new Miami head coach Mark Richt can get on a roll. Problem for him is there are already two bigger Heisman names in the ACC in Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Florida State's Dalvin Cook. If the Canes can beat FSU this year and move to 5-0, Kaaya could be in the mix.

Ward’s a dual-threat guy on a team that is primed to make a run at a Playoff spot. He can move up on the radar right away with a huge game against OU in the opener.

Hurd could be this year’s Derrick Henry. He is a big physical back with freaky speed on an SEC title contender. But even if the Vols do live up to the hype this year, QB Josh Dobbs would likely get plenty of the spotlight. Hurd’s back-up Alvin Kamara is also very talented and probably will keep Hurd from getting too many touches.

Jackson was fantastic against the Texas A&M defense in their bowl game. Folks inside the Louisville program rave about his potential. Like Kaaya, he’s overshadowed now by Watson and Cook, but Jackson will have plenty of chances to change that. He’ll also have a late-season Thursday game against Houston and Ward that will be very interesting.

Falk may lead the nation in passing. He’s also got a lot of weapons back to rely on and WSU could be a legit contender in the Pac-12 race. Given how dismal this program was before he took over, that’d be a nice point for his candidacy.

Mahomes has eye-catching talent in his ability to extend plays and make accurate — and strong — throws from all sorts of arm angles. He’s also in a system where he should put up huge numbers. The down side: Tech has to replace most of its O-line, and I doubt they’ll win more than eight games.

Barkley ran all over a loaded Ohio State D last year. I still think Penn State’s probably another year away from being a top-20 team, but if they mature earlier than expected, he’ll be the cover guy.

[video=youtube;xNzBgR0UoYo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNzBgR0UoYo[/video]

 

[D_G87]

He's a darkhorse because the heisman has a lot to do with how the team does and we really are a mystery team this year. Like he said if we start 5-0 beating FSU, he will be a serious contender.

 

[Tad Footeball]

A kid from California playing at Miami? I'm surprised there aren't photos of Feldman wearing a Kaaya jersey in public. I lost some respect for ol' Bruce for being a national proponent of Luigi to be our next HC but at least Feldman is still on the national stage and fair to/if not a proponent of Miami football.

Btw, his podcast with Stewart Mandel is a good listen if anyone is looking for non eSECpn based content.

 

[Waffle Honcho]

I thought ryan williams was gonna start?

Now that he's a junior and he's 40-1 odds to win the Heisman it justifies him starting as a true freshman and leading a talent rich team to 6-7?

Would maybe winning 1-2 more games with williams justify kaaya losing 1 year exp. Does a 9 win al golden year mean that much?. If kaaya is being considered top 5 pick and heisman candidate his third year what mkes u think hes not better than a memphis qb who was passed up by another 1st rnd qb in lynch?

These arguments are comical. We return a 9 win team with 7 NFL ready guys in the ACC and start a freshman QB and the win total drops to 6 and everyone says it's not the QB's fault. Meanwhile he has a horrendous 3rd down completion rate and blows every close 4th quarter game as one would expect a true freshman to do and we're all here scratching our heads. Duke Johnson was a dark horse Heisman candidate that year while we're on that topic.

 

[Dirty Sprite]

Kaaya is a darkhouse ill give him that... Has a lot to prove before he becomes an actual contender

 

[brock]

Kaaya is a darkhouse ill give him that... Has a lot to prove before he becomes an actual contender

Give him a chance then... Don't judge him off the shortcomings he had with a horrible Miami staff , play calling and defense for that reason. Let's see he does with the advantages he has this year

 

[The Franchise]

LOL at Hurd being a Heisman candidate. The Tennessee hype in the media is nuts.

Kaaya won't win the Heisman because it's become a "best player on the best team" award. In order to win it on a 3+ loss team you better put up absurd stats and have a couple huge national moments. I don't see Richt throwing it enough to run up those numbers.

 

[cflacane2]

I thought ryan williams was gonna start?

Now that he's a junior and he's 40-1 odds to win the Heisman it justifies him starting as a true freshman and leading a talent rich team to 6-7?

Would maybe winning 1-2 more games with williams justify kaaya losing 1 year exp. Does a 9 win al golden year mean that much?. If kaaya is being considered top 5 pick and heisman candidate his third year what mkes u think hes not better than a memphis qb who was passed up by another 1st rnd qb in lynch?

These arguments are comical. We return a 9 win team with 7 NFL ready guys in the ACC and start a freshman QB and the win total drops to 6 and everyone says it's not the QB's fault. Meanwhile he has a horrendous 3rd down completion rate and blows every close 4th quarter game as one would expect a true freshman to do and we're all here scratching our heads. Duke Johnson was a dark horse Heisman candidate that year while we're on that topic.

He was the ******* ACC rookie of the year and threw 26td's and 12tds for 3200yds, Ryan Williams threw for 2600yds in his whole career for 17TD's and 10 INT's against 90% Conference USA. Just stop already. Do you have a Ryan Williams poster over your bed that you jack off to his imaginary accomplishments to?

 

[Waffle Honcho]

I thought ryan williams was gonna start?

Now that he's a junior and he's 40-1 odds to win the Heisman it justifies him starting as a true freshman and leading a talent rich team to 6-7?

Would maybe winning 1-2 more games with williams justify kaaya losing 1 year exp. Does a 9 win al golden year mean that much?. If kaaya is being considered top 5 pick and heisman candidate his third year what mkes u think hes not better than a memphis qb who was passed up by another 1st rnd qb in lynch?

These arguments are comical. We return a 9 win team with 7 NFL ready guys in the ACC and start a freshman QB and the win total drops to 6 and everyone says it's not the QB's fault. Meanwhile he has a horrendous 3rd down completion rate and blows every close 4th quarter game as one would expect a true freshman to do and we're all here scratching our heads. Duke Johnson was a dark horse Heisman candidate that year while we're on that topic.

He was the ******* ACC rookie of the year and threw 26td's and 12tds for 3200yds, Ryan Williams threw for 2600yds in his whole career for 17TD's and 10 INT's against 90% Conference USA. Just stop already. Do you have a Ryan Williams poster over your bed that you jack off to his imaginary accomplishments to?

If you watched the games and had no problems with Kaaya's performance, then this is just a difference of opinion. The fact that you're getting so mad about it lets us all know who's jacking off to idealized football players. We went from a 9-3 team to a 6-7 team. Surely UDFA Stephen Morris isn't anywhere near Kaaya who is getting all of the media hype. Kaaya probably should've started as HS senior over Morris. I mean, he's a darkhorse candidate now, so case in point.

 

[Gatorhater]

If Mark gets us to the playoffs and Brad shows up big in wins over noles and domers, he has great shot at it.

 

[Waffle Honcho]

LOL at Hurd being a Heisman candidate. The Tennessee hype in the media is nuts.

Kaaya won't win the Heisman because it's become a "best player on the best team" award. In order to win it on a 3+ loss team you better put up absurd stats and have a couple huge national moments. I don't see Richt throwing it enough to run up those numbers.

Who knows with Tennessee. They could've easily won the 4 games they lost (2 of which against CFB playoff teams). They have a tougher early schedule, but if they get past Oct 15 with only 1 loss they're going to be in great shape. There are a ton of really strong candidates for Heisman this year. Kaaya needs to turn into the leader of this team. He has all of the tools to lead a national championship team, I just hope that his experience playing under too much pressure and a horrid OL hasn't rattled his confidence.

 

[Tad Footeball]

LOL at Hurd being a Heisman candidate. The Tennessee hype in the media is nuts.

Kaaya won't win the Heisman because it's become a "best player on the best team" award. In order to win it on a 3+ loss team you better put up absurd stats and have a couple huge national moments. I don't see Richt throwing it enough to run up those numbers.

This is where the $EC bias/lazy media group think is also most evident. A player non-deserving of hype from a school that's been junk for a long time located in a relatively minuscule media market with nothing special sizewise of an alumni base somehow manages to get unwarranted national attention. Even Feldman in LA is susceptible to it.

 

[The Franchise]

LOL at Hurd being a Heisman candidate. The Tennessee hype in the media is nuts.

Kaaya won't win the Heisman because it's become a "best player on the best team" award. In order to win it on a 3+ loss team you better put up absurd stats and have a couple huge national moments. I don't see Richt throwing it enough to run up those numbers.

Who knows with Tennessee. They could've easily won the 4 games they lost (2 of which against CFB playoff teams). They have a tougher early schedule, but if they get past Oct 15 with only 1 loss they're going to be in great shape. There are a ton of really strong candidates for Heisman this year. Kaaya needs to turn into the leader of this team. He has all of the tools to lead a national championship team, I just hope that his experience playing under too much pressure and a horrid OL hasn't rattled his confidence.

With regard to Tennessee, I don't play the "they could have won ___ games" huckabuck. They didn't. They are what their record is. I'm sure they won a couple games they "could have" lost too.

 

[Waffle Honcho]

LOL at Hurd being a Heisman candidate. The Tennessee hype in the media is nuts.

Kaaya won't win the Heisman because it's become a "best player on the best team" award. In order to win it on a 3+ loss team you better put up absurd stats and have a couple huge national moments. I don't see Richt throwing it enough to run up those numbers.

Who knows with Tennessee. They could've easily won the 4 games they lost (2 of which against CFB playoff teams). They have a tougher early schedule, but if they get past Oct 15 with only 1 loss they're going to be in great shape. There are a ton of really strong candidates for Heisman this year. Kaaya needs to turn into the leader of this team. He has all of the tools to lead a national championship team, I just hope that his experience playing under too much pressure and a horrid OL hasn't rattled his confidence.

With regard to Tennessee, I don't play the "they could have won ___ games" huckabuck. They didn't. They are what their record is. I'm sure they won a couple games they "could have" lost too.

Understood, and their rankings last year accounted for that. But in regard to the SEC east in 2016, it would be much easier for them to flip those 4 losses to wins than Florida's 4 losses or even Georgia's 3. The betting odds will account for that, and that's where you get your hype.

 

[Zbrod95]

LOL at Hurd being a Heisman candidate. The Tennessee hype in the media is nuts.

Kaaya won't win the Heisman because it's become a "best player on the best team" award. In order to win it on a 3+ loss team you better put up absurd stats and have a couple huge national moments. I don't see Richt throwing it enough to run up those numbers.

If the Vols become a contender, it's because of Dobbs...not Hurd. Very Comical