2008 Heisman Watch: James Davis

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. Clemson running back James Davis is next on the 2008 list, which will be released in no particular order.

Despite sharing the workload with teammate C.J. Spiller over the last two seasons, James Davis has remained one of the top backs in the ACC. Last year, the Atlanta native became the first Clemson back since Terry Allen in 1987 and 1988 to earn back-to-back First-Team All-ACC honors.

In the 2007 season, Davis collected five 100-yard efforts, including 102 in the season opener against Florida State and 122 in the season finale against rival South Carolina. In 13 contests last year, the 5-foot-11 back rushed for 1,064 yards and 10 touchdowns, and added 12 receptions. Davis’ 1,064 yards in 2007 marked the third consecutive season he led the team in rushing.

Davis ranks second in Clemson history for most rushing yards in a career (3,130) and needs just 837 in 2008 to own the school record. He also ranks third in rushing yardage among active Division I running backs. Davis also knows how to find the end zone, totaling 36 career rushing touchdowns.

Although the Tigers return Spiller and quarterback Cullen Harper, a case could be made that Davis is the most valuable player on this team. The Tigers are 12-0 at home when he runs for at least 100 yards and an impressive 21-3 over his career when he rushes for at least 65 yards.

Why he’ll be holding the hardware: Davis has been one of the most productive rushers in the ACC over the last three seasons and if the offensive line jells together, 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns isn’t out of the question. The Tigers also have a favorable road to the ACC Championship and who knows, possibly a berth in the national title game. It may be hard to ignore Davis if he puts up another 1,000-yard season. We’ve seen career achievement Heismans given out before.

Why he’ll be left out: The biggest knock on Davis’ Heisman campaign will be Spiller and Harper. Spiller is a direct threat to Davis’ candidacy, especially since they will continue to share carries in the Tiger backfield. Even though Davis has posted solid stats over the last three years, they haven’t been enough to get into the top 10 of Heisman voting. He’ll likely need to significantly improve upon his numbers to jump into the top 10 this season.

Final Analysis: All signs point towards ACC title contention for the Tigers. Harper, Spiller and Davis are one of the most dangerous backfield combinations in college football. With all three returning, they will likely cut into the Heisman campaign of each, making it difficult for any Clemson player to hoist the hardware in New York. However, a top 10 finish isn’t out of the question.

2007 STAT LINE

Other Links:

Athlon Sports' 2008 Heisman Watch
Read the Clemson team preview
Watch the Clemson preview video