Can Mark Walton Challenge for a Heisman Trophy?

Sophomore Mark Walton‘s hot start has arguably been the most important aspect offensively in Miami’s 3-0 start. Can Walton possibly challenge for a Heisman Trophy?

Walton has started the 2016 season with three straight 100 yards games. The sophomore’s 401 yards rushing so far this season ranks seventh nationally. His seven rushing touchdowns tie him for third in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Walton will almost definitely pass last season’s yardage total and could possibly pass his touchdown total when the ‘Canes travel to Georgia Tech a week from Saturday. He totaled 461 yards as a freshman in 2015 on 130 carries last season for an average of 3.5 yards per carry. He did score nine touchdowns but was the backup to Joseph Yearby, who averaged nearly five yards per carry and rushed for 1,002 yards.

At his current pace, Walton will finish the season with 1,604 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. That total would be one TD off the record of Hall of Famer’s Barry Sanders’ electric 1988 season. He is highly unlikely to keep up with the three touchdowns per game average, but the 1.600+ yards are certainly within reach.

The Hurricanes only face two good rushing defenses the rest of the season. Pittsburgh is ranked 10th giving up 75.7 yards per game and North Carolina State is 32nd at 109.0 YPG. Virginia Tech and Duke are ranked 47th and 48th nationally. The other five games Miami will face rushing defenses ranked outside the top 50 in the nation.

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Walton is starting to get noticed nationally. He was listed as one of five dark horse Heisman Trophy candidates by Inquistor.Com. Inquisitor’s Evan Massey wrote of Walton: “He hasn’t received a ton of hype yet, but if he keeps putting up the numbers that he has so far for the remainder of the season, the hype will come.”

In the modern era of the spread offense with an emphasis on the pass over the run, it’s going to be hard for Walton to eclipse the gaudy video game type numbers put up by Quarterbacks. Only three running backs have won the Heisman Trophy in the last 16 seasons.

The last two running backs to capture the Heisman were Alabama’s Derrick Henry last season and Mark Ingram in 2009. FanSided’s the Saturday Biltz has San Diego State’s Donnell Pumphrey and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey as their only running backs in the Heisman’s top five after week three.

It is going to be an uphill battle for Walton. That list doesn’t even include LSU’s Leonard Fornette who is likely to be the first running back taken in the 2017 NFL draft.