Before Thursday night, few people other than the most hardcore college football fans knew the name Kenny Hill. Hill, a sophomore quarterback for Texas A&M, was tasked with making his first collegiate start at the home of the South Carolina Gamecocks, the SEC East favorites. And if that wasn't pressure enough, he was also the player who would replace Aggies legend Johnny Manziel. But in one night, all of that changed.
In what was supposed to be a rude post-Manziel awakening for the Aggies, Hill led his team to a 52-28 blowout of the favored Gamecocks. Hill went 44-for-60 with 511 yards and 3 touchdowns to break Manziel's Texas A&M passing record, and the Aggies' 680 yards of total offense was the most the Gamecocks have ever given up in a game. It was a performance even the biggest Aggies fans couldn't have predicted.
While Hill's performance was shocking in its own right, we've seen this story before. In the 2013 season opener, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston went 25-for-27 for 356 yards and 4 touchdowns to grab the attention of the college football world. In 2012, Manziel came out of nowhere to put up massive numbers and eventually use his spectacular play to beat Alabama. In 2010, little-known Auburn quarterback Cam Newton lit up the SEC with both his feet and his arm. All three of those players won the Heisman Trophy.
It's too early to call it a trend, but in three of the past four years, the player to win the Heisman was on nobody's radar before the season. Winston, Manziel and Newton won over fans and the media with their dazzling displays of offense and athleticism, and the surprise behind those performances made them all just as incredible. Hill has the chance to be next in line, and those with a vested interest in the Heisman race are already beginning to take notice.
Just added #KennyHill to Heisman race, where he is 20/1 to win. http://t.co/o8QfnWwwiP
— Sportsbook.com ® (@Sportsbook_com) August 29, 2014
Before the game was even over, Hill had gone from off the board to 20/1 to win the Heisman — a shocking change. By Friday, he was at 12/1 odds, behind just six other players and right in front of star Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall.
Some might suggest that this is far too much confidence to place on a player who has just one collegiate start to his name, but Hill might have as good of a chance as anyone else to win the Heisman. He has the nation's attention firmly in his hand, and since he's a new starter, people are going to be waiting to see what he can do next. Contrast that with Winston, who has a lot to live up to this year, given the bar he set last season. In that way, the "unknown" factor can benefit Hill.
Moreover, Hill is set up to succeed at Texas A&M. The Aggies' high-powered, hurry-up offense is nearly impossible to stop, and Hill has a plethora of weapons around him, having thrown to 12 different receivers — five of them at least four times — against South Carolina. He'll also have plenty of chances for big performances against high-level opponents, with games against Alabama, Auburn and LSU still to come.
Too often, conventional wisdom says that young players will have a tougher time winning awards because of their inexperience. But over the past few years, we've see young players defy that way of thinking. With a breakout game already in the books, Hill has the chance to be the next big thing in college football, and pretty good odds to be the next Heisman winner, as well.
