Analytics website Pro Football Focus released its 2016 Heisman Trophy Watchlist on Monday morning, and the site came to one conclusion – it’s ” Year of the Running Back, Part 2.”

PFF’s preseason favorite is Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey, but LSU RB Leonard Fournette is next in line at No. 2. Steve Palazzolo offers the following analysis for the highest-ranked SEC candidate:

The Heisman front-runner for much of last season, Fournette ran into a brick wall in November, starting with the Alabama defense. It’s unfortunate that his campaign was essentially halted on a night when Alabama’s defense gave him no room to run while Henry ran wild on the other side, but it shouldn’t take away from Fournette’s incredible sophomore season.

He posted the highest rushing grade of any running back while also leading the way with 85 forced missed tackles. His improvement after a stellar true freshman season was evident as he looked more agile last year, adding a shifty component to his already-impressive combination of size and speed. Snap for snap, he looked like a better runner than Henry and given the leaps he made from 2014 to 2015, it’s possible that Fournette takes another big step forward as a junior and that’s a scary proposition for opposing defenses.

Fournette is not the only SEC ball-carrier who could be heading to New York City at the end of the season. Georgia RB Nick Chubb checks in at No. 6, and Palazzolo thinks that a knack for big plays will have the junior Bulldog in the discussion once he’s proven to be healthy:

Yet another talented runner, Chubb is coming off a season-ending injury, but a return to health will have him squarely in the middle of the Heisman conversation. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman when eventual first-round pick, Todd Gurley, was injured and he ranked third in the nation with an elusive rating of 108.5. Opponents stood no chance when trying to tackle Chubb as they bounced off his regularly, and perhaps most impressive, he then showed the speed to create big plays.

That combination has led to an excellent 7.4 yards per carry average in his two years at Georgia. Chubb finished his freshman season at +21.0 overall, good for sixth in the nation, and he was off to another strong last year before injury struck. Georgia got inconsistent quarterback play a year ago, and this year may be more of the same, so look for Chubb to carry the offense. If he’s back to form, Chubb is as talented as any of the other backs in the nation.

PFF named seven candidates in all, which includes some familiar SEC foes:

  1. Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey
  2. LSU RB Leonard Fournette
  3. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
  4. FSU RB Dalvin Cook
  5. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield
  6. Georgia RB Nick Chubb
  7. Oregon RB Royce Freeman

While not ranked, Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly and Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett are listed among other candidates to watch.