It’s the year of the running back in college football. From Ray Rice at Rutgers to Steve Slaton at West Virginia to Ian Johnson at Boise State — just to name a few — there is star power from coast to coast. The best back, however, can be found in Fayetteville, Ark., home of the Razorbacks.

A junior from North Little Rock, McFadden burst onto the scene two years ago with 1,113 yards (on a healthy 6.3-yard average) as a true freshman. He was even better as a sophomore, rushing for an SEC-best 1,647 yards and 14 touchdowns. Those numbers are good enough to stand on their own but consider the following: Arkansas’ passing attack ranked 108th in the nation; teams knew McFadden was going to get the ball, and they still couldn’t stop him. In addition, McFadden had to share carries with classmate Felix Jones, who rushed for 1,168 yards on 154 carries en route to second-team All-SEC honors.

Athlon's 2007 Heisman Watch

McFadden’s 2006 season actually got off on the wrong foot — literally and figuratively. Slowed by a dislocated toe suffered in a bar fight, he was limited to only nine carries in a season-opening loss to USC. Then, after a big day (184 yards on 20 carries) against hapless Utah State, McFadden was a bit sluggish (71 yards on 19 carries) in a 21–19 victory at Vanderbilt. From there, he took off — 112 yards against a tough Alabama defense in an overtime win, 145 yards in a dominating victory at Auburn, 219 at South Carolina, 181 against Tennessee and 182 vs. LSU. Staggering numbers against some pretty stout competition.

Arkansas Team Preview

And McFadden did more than just run the ball. Lining up late in the year at quarterback in the Hogs’ Wildcat formation, he completed 7-of-9 passes for 69 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

Why he’ll be holding the hardware: McFadden is the finest college football player in the nation. He might not play in the biggest market or play for a national championship team, but his skills and production will be impossible for voters to ignore.

Why he’ll be left out: Big numbers are nice, but it will be difficult for McFadden to remain atop the Heisman list if the Razorbacks struggle in 2007. And with some key personnel missing from the defense and an offense that will continue to have difficultly throwing the ball, Arkansas will be hard-pressed to threaten LSU in the SEC West.

Final analysis: McFadden might be the best player in the country, but he will be left at the altar when the Heisman Trophy is handed out.

2006 Stat Line