Michigan State Football: Top 5 Heisman contenders of Mark Dantonio era
Oct 18, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) rolls out of the pocket as the looks to pass against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
I know it may seem like I’ve said this about all the players on the list so far, but Connor Cook may be the first Spartan under Dantonio to have a legitimate shot at winning the Heisman. Sure, all of the other guys had the talent, and sometimes even the production, to be mentioned with the Heisman contenders, but Cook has everything else as well.
What do I mean by everything else? All of the other guys had either great numbers and great talent with not that great of a team or a solid team with decent numbers, but nothing to set them apart from the rest of the field. Cook has great production (numbers), a great team that could potentially win a national title and all the talent in the world.
Cook is considered a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft and that’s because of his strong arm, winning attitude and leadership ability. If he spent this offseason working on his footwork like he was supposed to, there will be no question as to whether or not he will be a Heisman finalist in December.
Nobody considered Cook a real threat to win the starting job in 2013 when Andrew Maxwell seemingly let it slip through his fingers, but a strong showing in the first couple games of the year during games that were basically an open tryout for the position led to his anointment as QB1.
Since then, he has passed for about 6,000 yards and 46 touchdowns as a two-year starter. If Cook repeats his performance from last year, he will become MSU’s all-time passing leader in terms of yards and touchdowns.
Connor enters the season as a likely top-five Heisman threat and if the Spartans can make it to the College Football Playoff behind his arm, don’t count him out of the discussion.
We could be looking at Michigan State’s first-ever Heisman winner in 2015.