Site Owner Todd Helmick maintains an Official Heisman Vote and is one of only 870 media members across the nation to obtain such an honor. His Heisman Invitation List is updated starting in mid-September.

March 2005
PRESEASON HEISMAN RANKINGS
TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, OHIO lead the way in Heisman player production
© (2005 NC.net)

The state of Texas leads the way in producing high school athletes at skill positions.

USC will dominate the preseason polls, so it's only natural they again dominate the early Heisman talk as well. To no surprise, this race really takes off where it left off, with Leinart at the top followed by his teammate Reggie Bush and the ever-popular Sooner sophomore Adrian Peterson. Vince Young of Texas was no where near being mentioned in any Heisman conversations until his incredible Rose Bowl performance over Michigan, when he ran for nearly 200 yards and participated in five Longhorn touchdowns. Speaking of Michigan, young Michael Hart has one of the best offensive lines for 2005. His numbers are sure to top those of his own amazing freshman season. If a mid-major player is to make a breakthrough in this race, one need not look further than the current home of top-quality QB play, the MAC. Omar Jacobs' numbers were the best of any QB's last campaign, period. He has enough surrounding talent to duplicate (and more) those tasks with another year of recognition under his now-junior belt. Do not be surprised if all-Big Ten first-team selection Drew Tate (Iowa) makes a case for an invitation. His receivers and defense will aid his cause by a "long shot".

In dissecting this Top 20 list, one fact jumps out - where the "hot bed" of high school athletes now is. When speaking of this award, Texas steals the show, with six of our candidates hailing from that state. California follows with four candidates, then Florida with three, and Ohio with two. Ironically, those numbers reflect current recruiting demographic assumptions.

The race is early and exact positions are therefore impossible to place in any particular order. The only aspect we can be fairly certain of at this juncture is...who's number one.

 

 
Quarterback
6-5, 225
Santa Ana, CA
Matt Leinart - USC, Sr.
2004 Team Record: 13-0
Passing
CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA TD INT EFFICIENCY
269 412 3322 65.3 8.1 33 6 156.5
 
RB/PR/KR
6-0, 200
Spring Valley, CA
Reggie Bush - USC, Jr.
2004 Team Record: 13-0
Rushing Receiving KR   PR  
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
REC
YDS
TD
AVG
TD
AVG
TD
143
908
6.3
6
43
509
7
25.6
0
15.7
2
 
Running Back
6-2, 210
Palestine, TX
Adrian Peterson - Oklahoma, So.
2004 Team Record: 12-1
Rushing Receiving
ATT YDS AVG TD REC YDS TD
339 1925 5.7 15 5 12 0
 
Quarterback
6-5, 230
Houston, TX
Vince Young - Texas, Jr.
2004 Team Record: 11-1
Passing
CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA TD INT EFFICIENCY RUSHING YDS.
148 250 1849 59.2 7.4 12 11 128.4 1079
 
Running Back
5-9, 194
Syracuse, NY
 
Quarterback
6-2, 206
Lufkin, TX
Reggie McNeal - Texas A&M, Sr.
2004 Team Record: 7-5
Passing
CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA TD INT EFFICIENCY RUSHING YDS.
200 344 2791 58.1 8.1 14 4 137.4 718
Quarterback
6-4, 224
Delray Beach, FL
Omar Jacobs - Bowling Green, Jr.
2004 Team Record: 9-3
Passing
CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA TD INT EFFICIENCY RUSHING YDS.
309 462 4002 66.9 8.7 41 4 167.2 300
 
Quarterback
6-0, 185
Baytown, TX
Drew Tate - Iowa, Jr.
2004 Team Record: 10-2
Passing
CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA TD INT EFFICIENCY
233 375 2786 62.1 7.4 20 14 134.7
 
Quarterback
6-0, 195
Charlotte, NC
Chris Leak - Florida, Jr.
2004 Team Record: 7-5
Passing
CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA TD INT EFFICIENCY RUSHING YDS.
238 399 3197 59.6 8.0 29 12 144.9 79
 
Running Back
5-11, 205
St. Louis, MO
Laurence Maroney - Minnesota, Jr.
2004 Team Record: 7-5
Rushing Receiving
ATT YDS AVG TD REC YDS TD
217 1348 6.2 12 3 16 0
 
Running Back
5-11, 200
Oakland, CA
 
Running Back
5-10, 217
Wynne, AR
 
RB/DB/PR/KR
5-11, 185
Riviera Beach, FL
Devin Hester - Miami FL, Jr.
2004 Team Record: 9-3
Rushing Defense KR PR
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
TACKLES
INT
AVG
TD
AVG
TD
5
40
8.0
1
17
4
25.6
1
17.2
3
Running Back
5-11, 195
Longview, TX
Jamario Thomas - North Texas, So.
2004 Team Record: 7-5
Rushing Receiving
ATT YDS AVG TD REC YDS TD
285 1801 6.3 17 3 14 0
 
WR/KR/PR
6-0, 170
Cleveland, OH
Ted Ginn - Ohio State, So.
2004 Team Record: 8-4
Rushing Receiving KR   PR  
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
REC
YDS
TD
AVG
TD
AVG
TD
13
113
8.7
2
25
359
2
20.0
0
25.6
4
 
Quarterback
6-2, 210
Youngstown, OH
Brad Smith - Missouri, Sr.
2004 Team Record: 5-6
Passing
CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA TD INT EFFICIENCY RUSHING YDS.
191 369 2185 51.8 5.9 17 11 110.7 553
 
Running Back
5-10, 214
Willingboro, NJ
 
Running Back
5-10, 210
Houston, TX
 
Running Back
5-9, 202
Jacksonville, FL
Leon Washington - Florida State, Sr.
2004 Team Record: 9-3
Rushing Receiving
ATT YDS AVG TD REC YDS TD
138 951 6.9 7 14 90 0
 
Running Back
5-8, 198
Antioch, CA