RACE TO NEW YORK
SECOND TIER
Trevone Boykin
QB TCU
He's fresh off setting single-season school records for passing yards (3,901) and touchdown passes (33).
Nick Chubb
RB Georgia
Now the Dawgs' featured back, Chubb romped for 1,547 yards and 14 TDs in reserve duty as a freshman in '14.
Ezekiel Elliott
RB Ohio State
He reeled off 696 yards and eight scores in the Big Ten title game, Sugar Bowl and national championship.
DeShaun Watson
QB Clemson
Limited by injury as a freshman, a healthy Watson (1,466 yards, 14 TDs in '14) should carry the ACC-favorite Tigers.
Quarterback
Ohio State
Either J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones will inherit the spotlight and the reins of the No. 1 team in the country.
LONG SHOTS
Joey Bosa
DE Ohio State
He led the Big Ten in tackles for loss (21) and sacks (13½) and should again lead OSU's driven defense.
Taysom Hill
QB BYU
The dual-threat passer suffered a broken left leg in '14 but returns as an electric star with big games on his slate.
Samaje Perine
RB Oklahoma
Last season's Big 12 offensive newcomer of the year, he set an FBS single-game record with 427 rushing yards against Kansas.
Justin Thomas
QB Georgia Tech
The legs behind the Jackets' triple-option offense rushed for 1,086 yards last fall, the most by a Tech QB in a season.
Scooby Wright
LB Arizona
A repeat of his video-game-like numbers (163 tackles, 29 TFLs, 14 sacks) could make him a finalist.
FAVORITES
Connor Cook (left)
QB Michigan State
NFL teams are already drooling over Cook, a tough-nosed, accurate passer who gets to stand behind one of the country's top O-lines as a senior.
Leonard Fournette
RB LSU
Fournette capped his 1,034-yard freshman campaign with a 143-yard, two-touchdown performance against Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl.
Derrick Henry
RB Alabama
The Tide's uncertain QB situation could lead coordinator Lane Kiffin to lean on the 6'3" Henry, who rumbled for 990 yards and 11 scores last year.
Jeremy Johnson
QB Auburn
The Tigers' new starter is a 6'5", 240-pound dual threat who brings better passing skills to the high-output offense of an SEC favorite.
Dak Prescott
QB Mississippi State
Prescott finished eighth in Heisman balloting in '14 and spurned the NFL for his senior season, during which he'll lead a green lineup.
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CHARLES BAUS/CSM/LANDOV (COOK ACTION)
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES (BOYKIN)
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GRANT HALVERSON/GETTY IMAGES (CHUBB)
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KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES (ELLIOTT)
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RICHARD SHIRO/AP (WATSON)
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LEON HALIP/GETTY IMAGES (COOK)
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STACY REVERE/GETTY IMAGES (FOURNETTE)
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BUTCH DILL/AP (HENRY)
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STACY REVERE/GETTY IMAGES (JOHNSON)
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SIMON BRUTY FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (PRESCOTT)
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CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES (WRIGHT)
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GERRY BROOME/AP (THOMAS)
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SUE OGROCKI/AP (PERINE)
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CARLOS M. SAAVEDRA FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (HILL)
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JAMIE SABAU/GETTY IMAGES (BOSA)
ILLUSTRATION