Heisman Hopefuls

Here's some college football stuff while NFL teams wrap up OTAs and get ready for Mandatory Mini Camps.

This is plucked from NFL.com's Chase Goodbread's fun series 18 for '18. It and so much more can be found on the College Football 24/7 section of the NFL's website.

Goodbread's 18 for '18: Top Heisman Trophy Candidates for 2018.

18. Cam Akers, RB, Florida State
17. Nick Fitzgerald, QB, Mississippi State
16. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
15. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
14. Khalil Tate, QB, Arizona
13. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
12. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
11. Justin Hebert, QB, Oregon
10. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
  9. Trace McSorley, QB, Penn State
  8. Jarrett Sidham, QB, Auburn
  7. J.K. Dobbs, RB, Ohio State
  6. Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
  5. Kelly Bryant, QB, Clemson
  4. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
  3. Shea Patterson, QB, Michigan
  2. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
  1. Will Grier, QB, West Virginia

I'll be the first to say that Goodbread forget a player. Cal receiver Demetris Robertson.

It's way to early to be casting votes but if I had a vote, and I should, mine would go to Ed Oliver. It would be great to see a defensive player, especially one that does his work in the trenches, finally take home the Heisman. Charles Woodson won it but he did so as much for his performance on special teams and offense as for what he did on defense. It's always been wrong to anoint the winner of the Heisman the best player when it really goes to the best offensive player. Oliver is an absolute beast. He's already declared for the 2018 NFL Draft. Hopefully that doesn't allow some complacency to creep into his play.

As a Cal fan I had a horrifying introduction to Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate. I sure hope that Justin Wilcox and Tim DeRuyter have figured out a way to get their players to keep Tate in check.

It's no surprise that 2/3 of the 18 are quarterbacks. 17/18 are quarterbacks or running backs.

Go Oliver!