Column: Time to start the Heisman race

While the Most Valuable Player award in the four major professional sports leagues is celebrated by fans, no other individual award encapsulates as much fascination as the Heisman Trophy.

Awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football, the Heisman has developed an intense following oftentimes referred to as the “Heisman race.”

Last season’s winner, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny “Football” Manziel, took the college football world by storm, becoming the first freshman — Manziel redshirted his first season on campus — to win the award in its 78-year history.

Winning the prestigious award transformed Manziel into an overnight celebrity, perhaps shoving the 20-year-old into a limelight he wasn’t prepared for, as he revealed his desire to leave College Station, Tex., via his Twitter account.

Such is the life for a Heisman Trophy winner, and a player out there will experience the same rapid path to stardom this season.

With Manziel returning for another season at Texas A&M, he should be the frontrunner for this season’s crowning.

Here’s a list of my front runners for the award before the season starts.

Johnny Manziel, quarterback, Texas A&M: Manziel began the 2012 season with a bang, completing 23-of-30 passing attempts for 173 yards, while rushing for another 60 and a touchdown in a 20-17 loss to then-No. 24 Florida. The performance was the catalyst for his Heisman-worthy season that ended with 3,706 passing yards, 1,410 rushing yards and 47 total touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore has two contests against Rice and Sam Houston State to begin the season, before a showdown with Alabama, a contest that could make or break his Heisman hopes.

Braxton Miller, quarterback, Ohio State: Owning the right to call Urban Meyer his head coach was the ultimate blessing for Miller. A dual-threat quarterback, Miller is an ideal fit in Meyer’s zone-read offense. The Huber Heights, Ohio, native passed for 2,039 yards last season, and was the team’s leading rusher with 1,271 yards on the ground. His 28 total touchdowns were also a team high. The success of his Buckeyes in a down Big Ten Conference will likely be a major influence in his Heisman campaign.

Marqise Lee, receiver, USC: The argument can be made that Lee was the nation’s most explosive playmaker last season. Lee amassed 1,721 receiving yards, second nationally to Baylor’s Terrance Williams. However, Lee had an excellent quarterback in Matt Barkley, who has since been drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. The ability of Barkley’s successor will play a major factor in Lee’s race for the coveted award.

Teddy Bridgewater, quarterback, Louisville: After an up-and-down freshman campaign in 2011, Bridgewater broke onto the scene last season, passing for 3,718 yards and 27 touchdowns. His season was validated after passing for 266 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-23 victory against Florida in the Sugar Bowl. The Miami native has skyrocketed up NFL mock draft boards, and an even more impressive junior season could solidify Bridgewater as a consensus top-five selection in the 2014 NFL Draft.

T.J. Yeldon, running back, Alabama: Yeldon has become the latest running back to take the torch in an illustrious line of players in his position at Alabama. From Mark Ingram to Trent Richardson to Eddie Lacy, the time is now for Yeldon. After a freshman campaign in which he split reps with Lacy, the Daphne, Ala., native is looking to improve on his 2012 campaign in which he rushed for 1,108 yards on 175 carries with 12 touchdowns.

­— ckillore@indiana.edu