2008 Heisman Watch: Max Hall

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. BYU quarterback Max Hall is next on the 2008 list, which will be released in no particular order.

BYU has produced a bevy of successful collegiate quarterbacks, and Max Hall hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ty Detmer, Steve Young and Jim McMahon. Detmer claimed the 1990 Heisman Trophy, in addition to finishing in the top 10 in 1989 and 1991. Young finished second in the 1983 Heisman balloting, and McMahon finished in the top five in 1980 and 1981. With the success of Cougar quarterbacks in Heisman balloting, Hall has a good shot of placing among the top 10 in his second year as a starting quarterback.

Hall began 2007 as one of the biggest question marks for the BYU offense. Although he was rated as a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Hall committed to Arizona State and did not see any game action before transferring to BYU. However, by the end of 2007, this quarterback was widely considered to be the best in the Mountain West.

In addition to throwing for 3,848 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, Hall added several awards to the trophy case. The Mesa, Ariz. native earned All-Mountain West Conference first-team honors, led the conference with 296 passing yards per game, and was the top sophomore quarterback in the NCAA in terms of passing yardage.

Overall, Hall threw for 300 yards in five contests and only threw for less than 200 yards in one game. In a loss against Tulsa, Hall threw for 537 yards and four touchdowns, but Cougar fans are most likely to remember his heroics against Utah. Facing a 4th-and-18, Hall connected with Austin Collie for a 49-yard reception, which eventually led to the game-winning touchdown and an outright Mountain West title for the second year in a row.

Why he’ll be holding the hardware: If the Cougars can go undefeated and earn a BCS bid, expect Hall’s stock to significantly jump onto the national radar. Additionally, the Cougars are a storied program and the previous success of quarterbacks could help Hall in the Heisman race. With the return of tight end Dennis Pitta and running back Harvey Unga, Hall should post better statistics in his second season as a starter, and having more passing yards and touchdowns can’t hurt his cause.

Why he’ll be left out: Although the Mountain West is one of the tougher non-BCS leagues, Hall will have trouble getting enough wins over quality competition. The Cougars host UCLA and travel to Washington early in the year — but neither are big enough victories to put Hall into the top spot for Heisman voting. Also, 2008 is a crowded year for Heisman contenders. With a large number of candidates in the mix, he may have to wait until 2009 to be a preseason top 10 candidate — even if he has another strong statistical year.

Final Analysis: 2008 could be a special year in Provo. With a solid team returning, the Cougars have hopes of crashing the BCS, and an undefeated year would be a nice feather in Hall’s Heisman campaign. However, Hall is likely a year away from being a serious contender for this award. Even though he may miss out on the Heisman, another strong statistical year and a likely Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year award appears to be in the future.

2007 STAT LINE

Other Links:

Athlon Sports' 2008 Heisman Watch
Read the BYU team preview
Watch the BYU preview video
Watch the Mountain West conference preview video