QB Jameis Winston, Florida State

Johnny Manziel entered the 2013 season as the favorite to win the award and become just the second player to win the Heisman twice. But as good as Manziel was, he couldn’t overcome four losses in the regular season. Winston will step into 2014 as the favorite to win the award for a second time. The Seminoles should begin the season at or near the top of the polls. Can Winston overcome the pitfalls of every player to try for two Heismans since Archie Griffin did it in 1974 and 1975?

QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Mariota was being mentioned as a possible No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft. The dual-threat leader of one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses announced that he would return for his junior season. He’ll be in the mix (again) for the Heisman and his return immediately makes the Ducks a threat to win a national title. Mariota threw 30 TD passes and had just four picks. He also ran for 582 yards and nine scores. But a leg injury slowed him down the stretch and when healthy, Mariota is an absolute nightmare for defenses.

QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State*

Miller would have been in New York this season if a minor knee injury hadn’t sidetracked his season early. He missed a little time and fell behind in the Heisman race. Still, he ran for 1,033 yards and 10 TDs and completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 1,860 yards, 22 scores and five interceptions. If he continues to improve his passing — because he’ll find ways to gain yards on the ground — Miller could be the first Buckeye to win the Heisman since Troy Smith did it in 2006.

RB Tre Mason, Auburn*

The workhorse of the Tigers offense earned an invitation to New York with a late-season push that was matched by no one. He ran through the Alabama defense and then topped that performance with a 304-yard gem in the SEC Championship Game against Missouri. And he was sharing carries with two other backs early in the season before Gus Malzahn settled into his run first, second and third approach on offense that got Auburn into the BCS title game. Expect more from Mason in 2014.

RB Todd Gurley, Georgia

Considered the nation’s best back early in the season, Gurley is big, fast and strong and can do just about anything in the backfield for the Bulldogs. His campaign to win the Heisman was derailed by a string of injuries that nicked him up just enough to keep him out of action and out of the Heisman race. But make no mistake, Gurley is a beast with incredible speed and strength. With Aaron Murray gone, look for Mark Richt to rely on Gurley more and more carries means bigger stats — if Gurley can remain healthy from all the pounding he takes.

QB Nick Marshall, Auburn*

Auburn didn’t know what Marshall was going to be when the season started. A passer, a runner? As it turned out, they found out they had a playmaker at the most important position on the field. Marshall proved he could run the read-option as well as anyone in the country, gaining 1,023 yards rushing and 11 TDs. He also showed that when called upon to throw the ball, he could do that, too. He completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 1,759 yards, 12 TDs and five interceptions. He only threw one interception in his last eight games, although he wasn’t asked to throw much. With an experienced offensive line, a talented backfield led by Tre Mason and playmaking receivers — and a successful season running Gus Malzahn’s offense — Marshall should be considered a frontrunner from Day 1 in 2014.

QB Bryce Petty, Baylor*

Petty is in a great spot to put up big numbers. The Bears have one of the nation’s top offenses and he ran it close to perfection in 2013. He tossed 30 TD passes and just two interceptions and averaged 320 yards per game. Those numbers could have been much higher, but he saw limited time in the second half of games the first half of the season because of blowout wins. He loses burner Tevin Reese from the receiving corps, but could have his top target, Antwan Goodley back. Goodley is eligible to enter the draft and had 1,319 receiving yards. With or without Goodley, expect Art Briles to have more receivers ready for the opportunity to haul in Petty passes.

RB T.J. Yeldon, Alabama

Only at Alabama can a back rush for 1,163 yards and 13 TDs and it not live up to expectations. But he sat out a late-season game against Georgia State and saw limited carries in early season games against Colorado State and Georgia State. In big games, Yeldon was at his best. He ran for 133 yards and two TDs against LSU, 149 yards and TD against Texas A&M and 141 yards and a score against Auburn. With AJ McCarron gone in 2014 and Nick Saban breaking in a new quarterback, look for the Crimson Tide to lean on its most experienced runner and make a run at Alabama’s second Heisman Trophy.

QB Bretty Hundley, UCLA*

Hundley is big, strong and fast and can make plays with his arm and legs. He completed 67.8 percent of his pass attempts for 2,845 yards, 22 scores and nine picks. He also led the team in rushing with 587 yards and nine touchdowns. To be more effective in 2014, Hundley needs a running back to step up and take some of the burden off him. At times, Hundley tried to do too much and was forced into miscues. In 2012 when Johnathan Franklin was the lead back and rushed for more than 1,700 yards, Hundley threw for 3,740 yards and picked up yards with his feet when he needed to, not because he had to.

RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin*

Gordon quietly had a huge 2013 while picking up a bunch of yards in not a lot of carries because he shared carries with senior James White. Gordon ran for 1,466 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per carry. He topped the 100-yard mark seven times and scored 12 TDs. In 2014, expect to see his touches increase and if he comes close to keeping the same pace as 2013, it could be a record-setting season for him. On the downside, he only caught one pass, but White was a focal point of the passing game. If Gordon gets involved in that aspect and can produce, it will only elevate his Heisman stature.

* Eligible to turn pro before next season


PHOTOS: 10 Spot: Freak athletes playing in BCS bowls