On Monday, I walked into the offices of ESPNU ready to do a segment on "Palmer & Pollack" about my current ESPN The Magazine profile of Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel.
"Who's he remind you of?" Jesse Palmer asked. "Cam?"
"Nope."
"Denard?"
"Nope."
"Robert Griffin?"
"Nope."
"Well then, who?"
"Easy," I said. "Russell Wilson. Except Wilson looks like Manuel should look a year from now."
In the past three years, I have seen Wilson up close more than any other top-shelf college quarterback. I've seen him five times in the past year alone: three times behind center for NC State and twice as a middle infielder for the Asheville Tourists, Class A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
As good as he was for the Wolfpack -- in three seasons, he threw for 8,545 yards and 76 touchdowns and ran for 1,089 yards and 17 TDs -- he still flew below the radar nationally. Because of that, no one in the Midwest was entirely sure what to expect from the fifth-year senior who transferred to play for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Well, the Badger is out of the bag. Wilson ranks in second place on Ryan McCrystal's Heisman Predictor rankings this week, and -- with a national stage that Raleigh just couldn't provide -- Mr. Wilson is garnering "Is he this year's out-of-nowhere Cam Newton?" type buzz. Spending your first two games going 27-of-33 for six touchdowns and an otherworldly passing efficiency rating of 244.8 will do that for a man.
So, is college football's most recognizable transfer a legit contender to visit the Downtown Athletic Club this December? Let's take a look.
Why he'll win
To read Ryan McGee's full story on Wilson's Heisman chances, including how he compares favorably to one past winner, become an ESPN Insider today.
Ryan McGee | email
ESPN The Magazine, NASCAR- ESPN The Magazine senior writer
- 2-time Sports Emmy winner
- 2010 NMPA Writer of the Year
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ryan McGee
Ryan McGee is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. While you may know him for his extensive and very popular NASCAR coverage on this site and television, he's also been a constant in the Mag's coverage of college football. Why? Well, to wit:
• He started working in college athletic departments at 16 (Furman, Tennessee). Got his first sideline pass (UNC @ Virginia) when he was 12 and was totally run over by Tar Heels LB Micah Moon.
• His father was a college football official for 36 years (FBS 1981-2009), working 20 bowl games and two national championships.
• Ryan's a member of the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America).
• He's covered college football for ESPN The Magazine for the last five years.
• He's all over college sports -- Ryan authored "The Road To Omaha: Hits, Hopes and History at the College World Series."
Follow Ryan on Twitter: @ESPNMcGee
