It’s been nearly 30 years since a player outside of a major conference has won the Heisman Trophy. BYU quarterback Ty Detmer took home the award in 1989. The year before, Houston QB Andre Ware won the Heisman.
Smaller schools produced more Heisman winners in the first 30 years of the award. Army, Navy, SMU, Princeton, Yale and Chicago all had at least one winner from 1935 to 1963. However, since then, players from major programs have consistently brought home the award.
The likelihood of a Group of 5 player winning the Heisman this year is extraordinarily slim. The player would probably have to lead his team to the playoffs while recording massive numbers. While that’s not improbable, it’s also probably not going to happen.
Nonetheless, several players from Group of 5 conferences have received Heisman votes in recent years. San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny finished fifth in the voting in 2017. Similarly, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds finished fifth in 2015.
Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch finished third in 2013 while earning an invite to New York for the ceremony. So, while there probably won’t be a Group of 5 Heisman winner in 2018, there are three candidates who could earn the invite to the ceremony.
Also, check out our top five candidates from each of the Power 5 conferences. We ranked the most likely candidates from the SEC, Big 10, Pac-12, ACC and Big 12. Next week, we are ranking the top five Heisman candidates in all of college football for 2018.
Group of 5 Heisman Candidates
- Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic
After a successful freshman season where he eclipsed 1,000 yards, Singletary had a breakout year in 2017. Lane Kiffin’s up-tempo offense suited Singletary well as the running back rushed for 1,918 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Singletary was fourth in the country in rushing, trailing only the aforementioned Penny, Bryce Love and Johnathan Taylor. The Owls will rely on Singletary to carry the offense again this year. He carried the ball 301 times a year ago, and he will likely be in store for another 300-carry season.
He's only just getting started. 🏎
Devin "Motor" Singletary named 2nd Team All-American 🏅
Read More ➡️ https://t.co/ZlLeWdfPCf#MotorForHeisman 🏎 pic.twitter.com/3gFBrgL0Eo
— FAU Football (@FAU_Football) June 21, 2018
Again, it’s very, very unlikely Singletary wins the Heisman. However, if he rushes for over 2,000 yards and Florida Atlantic is the best Group of 5 team, there’s a chance he will receive some Heisman votes and perhaps an invite to the ceremony.
- Ed Oliver, Houston
We’ve established how difficult it is for a Group of 5 player to win the Heisman. It’s perhaps even more difficult for a defensive player to win the award. Nevertheless, that’s how special Ed Oliver is as a defensive tackle.
Oliver will be a top five pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he might even go No. 1 overall. The former five-star recruit has already announced he’s turning pro after this season.
Houston's Ed Oliver has been unstoppable from the first game of his career as a Cougar—here's why he's No. 1 in the SI Top 100 ahead of his final college season: https://t.co/SfOA3VHETG pic.twitter.com/A1FoFoDubV
— SI College Football (@si_ncaafb) June 21, 2018
Through two seasons, Oliver has recorded 38.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He’s nearly unblockable. He will probably command a double team most of the year, which might limit his opportunity to compile eye-popping stats. It will be worth tuning in to Houston games this fall just to watch Oliver disrupt opposing offenses.
- McKenzie Milton, UCF
Milton finished eighth in the Heisman voting in 2017 after a terrific sophomore season. The UCF quarterback led his team to a perfect season, and he earned four first place votes and 54 votes overall.
The Knights have a new head coach in Josh Heupel, but the offense will mostly look the same with Milton at the helm. As a sophomore, Milton threw for over 4,000 yards, 37 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also completed 67 percent of his passes.
It will be difficult for Milton or the Knights to top last season. However, if Milton’s numbers are roughly the same and UCF is the top Group of 5 team again, he will earn votes this fall. Milton could possibly earn a Heisman invite if he is one of the top quarterbacks in college football in 2018.
