Razorback Fans May Have Heisman Hopes in Wrong Direction

Big year by Raheim Sanders could produce more national buzz than KJ Jefferson

(Denny Medley / USA TODAY Sports)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — We're winding down talking season before the annual SEC Media Daze next week, but it's been interesting hearing Arkansas fans speculate on quarterback KJ Jefferson's chances for the Heisman Trophy. That may be the wrong player to guess on.

To be completely honest, I hadn't looked at it that way before, but hearing Brad Crawford of 247Sports talking about it on ESPN Arkansas' Morning Rush on Tuesday did make sense. Heisman quarterback winners usually come from teams that have won more than anybody is expecting from the Razorbacks this season. Nobody is projecting them with the 10 wins that would likely be needed according to history.

Nobody is thinking Jefferson is going to have a bad year. Not a single person has suggested that, but with questions all around this roster that are far more than the answers, we really won't have a good idea until September. They'll need a few warm-up games before they head to Baton Rouge to face an LSU team that will likely be in the Top 10 at that point.

The Hogs won't be there. Western Carolina, Kent State and BYU aren't going to move the needle much on any of that, regardless how the Hogs look in those three games. It should be about what they can do once they start playing SEC games, and there aren't a lot of breaks there.

Not unless Jefferson puts up some eye-popping numbers does he make a list for the Heisman. Sanders might, though. As a sophomore last year, he rushed for 1,443 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Fans are placing hope that new offensive coordinator Dan Enos can repeat past success with the Hogs and bring the running game to life.

To do that, he's going to have to get a lot of answers in the offensive line because no running back in the history of the game has run for very many yards without at least a couple of star linemen surrounded by a bunch of guys who are on the verge of being all-stars.

To this point, all Jefferson has shown is he doesn't read too deep into pass routes and has made big plays taking off and running. That usually catches up to players sooner or later in the SEC. That's primarily a subject for a different day and we'll give Enos a chance to work the same magic with Jefferson he had with Brandon and Austin Allen on his first trip through Fayetteville.

Sanders could put up some big numbers, too, which further knocks down Jefferson's chances. If he runs for a league record in what is likely to be his last with the Hogs, that means KJ isn't having to run, which works out better for everybody involved.

Whether it should or not, the Heisman nearly always requires success from the team in terms of wins. That may not be fair, but it's the way things are. One or two losses probably cost Darren McFadden the trophy in 2006 and especially 2007. Even a three-overtime win over eventual national champion LSU after Thanksgiving wasn't enough to pull him over the top.

Sanders should be in line for a big year if the questions around the offensive line and at receiver have answers that are big. That, and some wins, could put him in the conversation far more than Jefferson, who may be the best quarterback in the preseason around the league, but he's not getting the national buzz ... and that's because of projections for the Hogs.

HOG FEED:

YOUTUBE RABBIT HOLE PROVES RAZORBACKS WEREN'T BEST TEAM IN ARKANSAS IN 2019

SO MUCH SAID, HINTED AT THE DAY BROYLES, KRAMER ANNOUNCED ARKANSAS MOVE TO THE SEC

COMMON THREAD BETWEEN SUCCESS OF THREE PRO HOGS, DAVONTE DAVIS

ARKANSAS FANS VOICED IRE TOWARD WRONG FOOTBALL COACH PAST THREE SEASONS

ARKANSAS TO ENTER SEASON AS HEAVY UNDERDOGS, WHICH FITS PITTMAN'S PERSONALITY PERFECTLY

WALSH, BLACK SHINE BRIGHT, DISPLAY ADDED SKILLS IN NBA DEBUT WITH BOSTON CELTICS, ORLANDO MAGIC

ARKANSAS TO ENTER SEASON AS HEAVY UNDERDOGS, WHICH FITS PITTMAN'S PERSONALITY PERFECTLY

'HEART OF A RAZORBACK' PHRASE USE TOO OFTEN, BUT ONLY APPLIES TO ONE MEMBER OF TEAM NOW

VAN HORN COULD LOSE AS MANY AS SIX COMMITS TO DRAFT ON SUNDAY

MAYBE BIGGEST OFFENSIVE QUESTION MARK FALLS ON CODY KENNEDY'S SHOULDERS

NFL DRAFT EVALUATIONS SHOW KJ JEFFERSON HAS ROOM TO MOVE UP BY APRIL

SLOP HOUSE: GREG THOMAS, NOLAN RICHARDSON CHANGED CULTURE ACROSS ARKANSAS IN '80'S AT HIGH COST

SLOP HOUSE: THREE 10-2 SEASONS REVEAL DAYS IN SWC WASN'T EVERYTHING SOME REMEMBER COMPARED TO TIME IN SEC

ACTS BY POLITICIANS PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE ARKANSAS WILL HAVE ROLE IN WHETHER NCAA USE NUCLEAR OPTION

RAZORBACKS NOT GETTING STUCK ON BODY TYPE WHEN RECRUITING WIDE RECEIVERS

FOURTH OF JULY, HOT WEATHER MEANS FOOTBALL STARTING PRACTICES SOON FOR COMING SEASON

DFW RADIO BIT SHOWS WHY TEXAS JOINING SEC MIGHT LEAD TO SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS

ARKANSAS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE GIVES HOGS BEST CHANCE IN DECADE TO TOPPLE LSU, ALABAMA FOR FINAL SEC WEST CROWN

FORMER RAZORBACK TREYLON BURKS WRAPS UP HONEYMOON, JETS OFF TO TITANS IN BETTER SHAPE

DUKE COMING TO BUD WALTON A MARQUEE GAME THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING WITH HOGS

LAST THING OTHER SEC TEAMS PROBABLY WANT IS KJ JEFFERSON PLAYING WITH A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER

FORMER ARKANSAS STAR CORLISS WILLIAMSON FINDS PATH BACK TO NBA

NUMBERS WILL SHOCK HOGS FANS BUT IT'S WHY THEY GOT SUCH GOOD SCHEDULE FOR 2024

WILL ARKANSAS FINALLY BECOME TEAM THAT ROCKS THE BOAT REGARDING RULES?

DUKE CHERRY ON TOP OF LOADED HOME SLATE DESIGNED TO SELL TICKETS

• Return to allHogs home page.

• Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the allHOGS message board community today!

• Subscribe and follow us on YouTube.

• Follow allHOGS on Twitter and Facebook.