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Thursday, Jun 25, 2015 12:01 PM

Who could be surprise Heisman contenders this season?

TCU QB Trevone Boykin, Georgia RB Nick Chubb and whoever is the starting quarterback for Ohio State are expected to be among the preseason favorites for the 2015 Heisman Trophy. But, is there a darkhorse contender out there who could rise up with a stellar season this fall?

CFB 24/7 experts reveal the players they think could be surprise Heisman Trophy contenders this season.

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  • Gil Brandt NFL.com

  • Keep close tabs on Utah's Booker

It's hard for a player from the West Coast -- and Utah is now "West Coast" given it is in the Pac-12 conference -- to make a quick rise into the Heisman conversation (last year, Marcus Mariota was the first West Coast-based Heisman winner in nearly a decade, but entered the season among the favorites).

Utah running back Devontae Booker is a junior-college transfer who played his first season for the Utes in 2014 and finished the season as a first-team All-Pac-12 selection. Booker was tremendous, rushing for 1,512 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had a 229-yard rushing game, with three touchdowns, against Oregon State. Booker also put up 100-plus rushing yards against Pac-12 notables such as UCLA, USC, Arizona State and Arizona. In Utah's Las Vegas Bowl win over Colorado State, Booker rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown.

Booker will be the featured back -- working under the tutelage of Dennis Erickson -- in a running offense. Booker will also be a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield (43 receptions for 306 yards and 2 TDs last season).

This is a player who is not a household name at the moment who has a chance to be a Heisman Trophy candidate.

I'm going with Adoree Jackson of USC. He played CB/WR/KR as a true freshman, and made a number of impact plays. Jackson seems to have settled in at CB, but if USC mixes him into the offense, and he continues to return kicks, he could follow the Charles Woodson formula and contend for the Heisman Trophy ... this year.

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  • Daniel Jeremiah NFL.com

  • UCLA could lean heavily on Perkins

UCLA RB Paul Perkins doesn't get mentioned very often, despite posting big-time numbers last fall. The Bruins will likely be breaking in a freshman quarterback and that could lead to even more touches and production from Perkins. If the Bruins have a successful season, I think Perkins could find his way to New York.

BYU quarterback Taysom Hill was forgotten last year after a broken ankle ended what was on its way to being a remarkable season after just five games. He scored at least one rushing touchdown in all five of those games while completing 67 percent of his passes, and led the Cougars to a 4-0 mark in the games he finished. He is reportedly ahead of schedule to recover, and if Hill opens the 2015 season in full health, don't be surprised if he's in the Heisman conversation. He'll have a chance to score high-profile wins over Nebraska, Boise State, UCLA and Michigan in September alone.

Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon rolled up 4,084 yards of total offense as a redshirt freshman last season and helped the Wildcats win 10 games, including a regular-season win at Oregon. Expect bigger numbers from him this fall in his second season in coach Rich Rodriguez's quarterback-friendly version of the spread. Arizona is a threat to win 10 games again, so his numbers and Arizona's victory total could lead to Solomon being a surprise Heisman contender.

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  • Bucky Brooks NFL.com

  • Transfer QB is perfect fit for Oregon's offense

Oregon QB Vernon Adams is my choice as a surprise Heisman Trophy winner. The ex-Eastern Washington standout is a spectacular playmaker with exceptional skills; he is a perfect fit in the Ducks' offense. Adams is not an explosive runner like Marcus Mariota, but he is a more accomplished pocket passer with enough elusiveness to make plays with his legs when the opportunity arises.

Although Adams will need to take a crash course over the summer to master the nuances of the offense, he is a quick study with a high football IQ and a knack for diagnosing defenses on the fly. Given Oregon's rapid pace, extraordinary skill players and creative plays, Adams could blow up the stat sheet as the director of college football's most explosive offense.

Vernon Adams twice finished as runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, the FCS version of the Heisman. Assuming he takes over for Marcus Mariota at Oregon, Adams would be my pick to be a surprise contender.

Sure the jump up in competition is nothing to laugh at, but he's proven in the past that he can play with Pac-12 teams while at Eastern Washington and he has the potential to put up video game numbers in the Ducks' offense. Could he make it two straight Heismans for the team in green/yellow/neon/etc? Assuming Adams stays healthy and operates efficiently with his new team, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him in New York at the end of the season just like his predecessor was.

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  • Lance Zierlein NFL.com

  • Another Oregon standout will step into Heisman race

Royce Freeman is definitely one to watch in this category. While quarterbacks are the headliners nowadays, it is the departure of Oregon's quarterback, Marcus Mariota, that should open the door for more than 300 carries for the big sophomore who finished with 1,365 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns last season. Freeman has some breakaway ability and the Ducks' offense will give him the space he needs. When you combine the name value of Oregon along with his talent and expected touches, it is easy to see Freeman making a push for the Heisman.

Not so long ago an Auburn quarterback came out of nowhere to win a Heisman Trophy. (Cam Newton in 2010.) Could lightning strike twice on the plains? Analysts nationwide are predicting a big year for the Tigers, and quarterback Jeremy Johnson's big arm and robust frame (6-foot-5, 240 pounds) are part of that equation. He has a slew of talented receivers to take advantage of that arm that will be led by D'haquille "Duke" Williams -- so expect big things.

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