CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- You may have heard: The Heisman Trophy is currently property of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The ACC actually is home to two of the last four Heisman winners in former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and Louisville junior quarterback Lamar Jackson. Winston won the award in 2013, with Jackson capturing it in 2016.
Jackson is one of the early favorites for the 2017 season, but he does not have history on his side. Former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin is the only player to win the award twice; he did it in 1974 and 1975.
Still, Jackson's odds are better than most. Fourteen of the last 16 Heisman winners were quarterbacks. The seven players with the strongest chances of winning the Heisman this year are all quarterbacks, according to William Hill, a British-based bookmaker. FSU redshirt sophomore quarterback Deondre Francois is a 12-to-1 pick.
Francois isn't the only Seminole the bookies view as a Heisman contender, however. Star redshirt sophomore safety Derwin James is a 60-to-1 choice. It's the best odds William Hill lists for any defensive player.
A defensive player has not won the Heisman since former Michigan star Charles Woodson was named the nation's best player in 1997. While James might be a dark horse to win the award, it raises the question: What would a defensive player need to do to win the Heisman?
"There'd probably have to be not as many offensive star power guys, and the stats would have to be gaudy," Boston College coach Steve Addazio said, when asked that question during ACC Kickoff. "The team would have to have some kind of real story to it. It's hard. I think that's hard."
