The early 2017 Heisman forecast has a familiar look. A group of gifted quarterbacks and running backs -- including last year's winner, quarterback Lamar Jackson of Louisville -- are projected to contend for college football's most prestigious individual honor.
It has been nearly 20 years since Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson became the first predominantly defensive player to win the Heisman. Woodson's triumph in 1997 seemed to signal that defenders with the right profiles could claim the stiff-arm trophy. But no other defender since has hoisted the Heisman.
Twelve years passed until a defensive player made a push for the award, as Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh finished fourth in 2009. Three years later, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o was the Heisman runner-up to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. Last season, another Michigan defender, Jabrill Peppers, earned an invitation to New York as a Heisman finalist, but he finished fifth in the voting.
It will take unique circumstances for a defender to follow Woodson's path. Here's a look at five returning defenders who could work their way onto the Heisman radar this fall.