Dak Prescott has been misevaluated time and time again throughout his career. He’s been underrated, under-appreciated and has been told far more things he can’t do than things he can since his high school playing days.

Think any of that held him back? Not even for a second. Nowadays, the Mississippi State quarterback is the leader of a top 10 team, the best statistical quarterback in the SEC and, yes, the Heisman frontrunner six weeks into the season.

If the season ended today and we could only go off the first six weeks of 2014, Dak Prescott would win the Heisman Trophy.

RELATED: Infographic — Heisman hopeful Dak Prescott

What a journey its been for the player who most college coaches recruited to play tight end. The Haughton, La., native grew up donning the purple and gold in support of the LSU Tigers, but even as he starred as the quarterback at Haughton High School, Les Miles barely gave him a look. Miles eventually visited Prescott — months after he’d committed to Mississippi State.

Dan Mullen, to his credit, was one of very few coaches who thought Prescott’s abilities as a quarterback could translate to the nation’s toughest conference. He was the only man to identify Prescott’s true potential before his current Heisman campaign blossomed.

His arm isn’t strong enough, some told him. He’s too much athlete, not enough quarterback, others said. But Mullen took a chance on Prescott, and the current Bulldogs quarterback did not disappoint.

Prescott emerged in a quarterback rotation with now-graduated Tyler Russell last year, shining as a passer, rusher and even receiver in seven starts. He overcame constant injury problems and the tragic death of his mother to lead the team in rushing for the year, culminating a fantastic 2013 campaign by rallying MSU to a victory in last year’s Egg Bowl over Ole Miss.

Prescott, still recovering from the personal loss, entered the Egg Bowl ice-cold off the bench in the fourth quarter, led the Bulldogs to a come-from-behind overtime victory and assured MSU faithful they had their quarterback of the future.

Yet for some reason, the rest of the nation still wasn’t sold on Prescott’s ability to command an offense in the SEC. He got very little press in the offseason, and even after three huge performances to begin the 2014 season, his name was hardly uttered by the national media. There was always an excuse, too.

“He hasn’t played anyone worth a lick yet. Trust me, when he begins SEC play he’ll be knocked down a peg or two.”

“He’s never been a full-time starter. If the Bulldogs ask him to handle the full workload he’ll never keep these numbers up.”

Excuses, excuses, am I right?

Even after three wins over Southern Miss, UAB and South Alabama to open the season, with the Bulldogs offense averaging nearly 44 points per game in that span, Prescott was nothing more than an above-average athlete flying below the radar in a star-studded conference.

Why? Perhaps it’s because Mississippi State has never been more than average as a football school, and because Mullen has never been more than average as a head coach. Perhaps it’s because Prescott wasn’t highly recruited out of high school, which determines so much of the fans’ perception of a college athlete. Surely there are a number of reasons.

But after back-to-back wins over highly ranked LSU (at night in Death Valley) and Texas A&M, during which time Prescott accounted for eight total touchdowns, he is now not only at the forefront of the college football world, he’s at the top of the list of Heisman contenders.

Finally the nation has taken notice. There’s no room for the usual excuses, no way to say he hasn’t gotten it done each and every week, no way to say he hasn’t played superstar football against the best teams in the country. There’s nothing left to do but accept that Prescott is for real, and that he’s here to stay.

The redshirt junior is the SEC’s highest rated passer, having thrown 13 touchdowns in five games to just two interceptions. He leads all SEC quarterbacks in rushing with 455 yards and six touchdowns, putting him well on pace to clear the 1,000-yard plateau by season’s end. He’s even the leading receiver among SEC quarterbacks, having caught two passes this year for 35 yards and a touchdown.

And for those keeping score at home, that’s 20 total touchdowns in five games, and he’s scored those 20 touchdowns in three different ways. He’s on pace to account for 48 touchdowns this year, more than many entire FBS teams will score in their 12-game schedules.

But it’s so much more than sheer talent that makes Prescott a true Heisman frontrunner. Not only is he a brilliant passer, a dynamic runner and a surprisingly good pass-catcher, he’s also the best leader in the SEC.

Let’s go back to last year’s Egg Bowl. Prescott entered that game far from 100 percent both physically and emotionally, but he rallied his troops and made the whole of the MSU offense greater than the sum of its parts. He’s done the same this year, leading Mississippi State to 48 points in its most recent game despite missing its top wideout and the captain of its offensive line.

When he’s not on the field, Prescott can often be found rallying his teammates, encouraging them and conferencing with them to ensure the next possession is better than the last. He’s not just Mississippi State’s most talented player, but he’s the team’s psychological and emotional leader, too. And that has to be worthy of some Heisman consideration, doesn’t it?

When a player like Todd Gurley puts up monster numbers against teams like Troy and Vanderbilt, no one makes excuses for him. Yet Gurley is far less versatile than Prescott, making him far less dangerous to opposing defenses. The Bulldogs of Georgia are nowhere near as good of a team as the Bulldogs from Mississippi State.

The same goes for Amari Cooper, a fantastic raw talent with gaudy numbers who lacks pretty much every other intangible Prescott can claim (leadership, toughness, consistency, versatility, etc.).

Nothing against those two players, but quarterbacks have won seven of the last eight Heisman Trophies. History tells us quarterbacks playing for top 10 teams have a huge advantage over running backs and an even bigger one over receivers.

None of the other Heisman candidates had to overcome what Prescott has overcome just to get onto the field. None of them were relegated to the oft-forgotten program of the SEC, none were asked to change positions from high school to college, none had to earn their way into the lineup the way Prescott did. And none of the other Heisman contenders at the moment can claim an undefeated record in 2014.

Mississippi State is experiencing success under Prescott it has never experienced before. Did the culture of the program just change overnight? Did Dan Mullen simply flip a switch to go from the punching bag of the SEC’s ranked teams to one of the hottest coaching names in America? No, of course not. If only it were that easy.

It’s all because of Prescott. He’s the caliber of player MSU has never hosted before, and as a result the Bulldogs are achieving success the likes of which they’ve never achieved before. Prescott is already the best quarterback in the SEC this year an the best quarterback in the history of the MSU program. With him at the helm of the offense, the entire Mississippi State community finally has hope. He’s not just a supreme talent; he has the entire Bulldogs nation on his back, and he’s carried them to a 5-0 start without hardly breaking a sweat.

Tell me of another player who can make as compelling a case for the Heisman as the one just made for Prescott. Go ahead, I’ll wait while you try and think of one. Nothing? Exactly, there is no better case for the Heisman than the one Prescott has made this season.

There’s still plenty of season left, but if the Bulldogs keep this up, their quarterback will be hoisting a very heavy trophy in New York this December.