This time of year is admittedly slow. There's always the usual Heisman hype in the Summer and there's been some pushes to find the next Ndamukong Su. CBSSports.com thinks Greg Romeus may be said person:
Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh: With the Panthers projected to be a force in the Big East, look for the senior to improve on his numbers from last season. Romeus racked up a team-high eight sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss. The first-team All-Big East performer and Hendricks finalist just might be able to garner some votes if the Panthers are near the Top 15 most of the year. Keep an eye on how Romeus does in the team's biggest games -- at Utah (Sept. 6), Miami (Sept. 23), West Virginia (Nov. 26) and at Cincinnati (Dec. 4).
CBSSports.com isn't the only one out there looking for defensive players who can make a push for the award. According to the Detroit Free Press, Sports Illustrated is also in search of some and apparently mentions Romeus:
The other seven defensive players SI mentioned for the Heisman were Adrian Clayborn (Iowa), Jared Crick (Nebraska), Von Miller (Texas A&M), Greg Romeus (Pittsburgh), Patrick Peterson (Louisiana State), Rahim Moore (UCLA) and Greg Reid (Florida State).
Not to be outdone, Bleacher Report lists Romeus as one of their defensive favorites to have a chance at the Heisman:
Now Romeus, a 2010 "Lott watch list" candidate, will attempt to cap off a stellar Panther career as he matriculates his way to the NFL.
And perhaps thrust himself into the Heisman conversation along the way.
Frankly, I don't see it. First, for any Pitt player to be in contention for the award, the team would need to have a pretty good year. If they do, the team is going to need an offensive star and it's much more likely a candidate like Dion Lewis or even Jonathan Baldwin would be pushed. Su was a rare case on a team that didn't have an offensive star large enough to chase the Heisman.
Continuing with Su...It's true that he did finish fourth in the voting last year. But fourth is a long way from first. Further, he was a distant fourth, despite being one of the most impressive defensive players I've watched in recent memory.
If a defensive player does happen to make it to New York this season, I don't think it will be Romeus.
If Larry Fitzgerald couldn't win it, then no Panther that isn't in a title game has a shot!
ReplyDeleteI don't think Romeus has a shot, but Fitzgerald finished 2nd on a five-loss team. I think if Lewis has an incredible season and leads the league in rushing, he could get there with two losses.
ReplyDeleteBut I could be wrong.
Fitzgerald was the best player in the nation by FAR! He had the highlights and the stats. He lost to a system QB from a loaded Oklahoma team. I love Lewis, but he's no Fitzgerald. Lewis probably wouldn't get an invite unless he cracked 2,000 yards along with no fewer than 2 losses. Even then I don't think he could actually win it as a sophomore from a Big East school.
ReplyDelete