2008 Heisman Watch: LeSean McCoy

It’s the most prestigious individual award in all of sports, and Athlon's Heisman Watch spotlights the top 25 candidates to hoist the trophy. Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy is next on the 2008 list, which will be released in no particular order.

The Panthers haven’t found much success under head coach Dave Wannstedt, but they’ve emerged as one of the darkhorses for the top 25 in 2008. Wannstedt has brought top talent to the Panther roster and one of his key recruits was LeSean McCoy. The 5-foot-11 running back was one of the most prolific rushers in Pennsylvania high school history. After graduating high school, McCoy spent one season at Milford Academy and turned down Penn State to play for the Panthers.

It wasn’t long before the Panther coaching staff knew McCoy would be a special player for their backfield. In the first three games of 2007, he rushed for 347 yards and four touchdowns. In a three-point loss to Navy, the Harrisburg, Pa. native posted 165 yards and three touchdowns and followed it up 137 yards against a tough Cincinnati defense.

One of McCoy’s biggest performances was in the annual Backyard Brawl with West Virginia. Against a solid Mountaineer rush defense, McCoy carried the ball 38 times for 148 yards and led his team to a 13-9 upset victory. His huge performance in the Panthers’ biggest stage of 2007 opened the door for a run at the Heisman this season.

McCoy ended 2007 with 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with 33 receptions for 244 yards and one touchdown. His 1,328 rushing yards were a Big East freshman record and earned Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors for his 140-yard performance against Syracuse. For his huge freshman season, McCoy was awarded with first-team All Big East honors and voted as a Freshman All-America.

Why he’ll be holding the hardware: Talent-wise, McCoy ranks near the top of running backs in college football. As long as the new starters on the offensive line come together, McCoy should have plenty of rushing lanes this season. With a suspect passing game, there will be plenty of carries for this sophomore back to handle in 2008 — leading to well over 1,000 yards once again.

Why he’ll be left out: Although he’ll see plenty of carries with a suspect passing game, it could eventually backfire on the Panther offense. Defenses will eventually stack the box, unless Bill Stull proves he can be an effective passer. McCoy may have trouble pushing his rushing totals hire if the passing game sputters. While the Panthers are a nice sleeper pick for the Big East title, McCoy will have trouble garnering Heisman consideration if the Panthers slip to a six or seven win season.

Final Analysis: McCoy is eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft, so another strong showing could see this Panther take off to the NFL. The Panthers have a lot of potential in 2008, but they need the parts around McCoy to give him a little help. Look for another 1,000-yard season and it will likely take a run at the Big East title by the Panthers to push McCoy into serious discussion for the Heisman.

2007 STAT LINE

Other Links:

Athlon Sports' 2008 Heisman Watch
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