It’s time to shake up traditional notions about the Heisman Trophy. This is the perfect year to do it. Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. deserves very serious consideration to hoist the coveted prize.

Heisman Trophy voters have long made the easy choice — the quarterback for the best team. However, if one votes for the award that goes to the “most outstanding player in college football,” then Anderson has done more than enough to be in the midst of the conversation. Yet he’s not.

Look at the odds: They don’t give Anderson a shot. He’s tied for No. 7. According to that list and most all others, Anderson isn’t even in the top Heisman candidate on his own team, despite his teammates lauding him for the award this week. The favorite to take home the award knows Anderson well. He sees him in practice every day.

It’s hardly a surprise that Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is currently the favorite to win the award. He plays quarterback for the defending national champion that again is in the Playoff mix. He was hyped before the season so he had a platform before casual college football fans really knew how good Anderson would be. By now, everyone should know.

Anderson is tied for the lead in the SEC with 10.5 sacks this season. His 21 tackles for a loss lead the SEC and the nation. His impact on the game is readily apparent. Just look at last week.

Alabama would likely have 2 losses had it not been for Anderson. The sophomore had 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 4 tackles for a loss against LSU as Bama held on for a 20-14 victory that was still in question during the closing seconds.

Young played well, too. He completed 24-of-37 passes for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he certainly didn’t lead Bama’s offense to a decisive, high-scoring victory. Anderson is the player most responsible for that season-saving win.

I have nothing against Young nor any Heisman voter who may select him. The definition for the award is vague and there’s no arguing that Young is a very good college quarterback. However, if you follow the definition of the award (see above), there is no question that Anderson is well deserving.

No one would argue that quarterback is the most important position on the field, but Anderson is the anti-quarterback. In this era of offensive-friendly football, Anderson can negate the effect an opposing quarterback has against Bama. That should bring us to some sort of common ground.

If you haven’t noticed, Alabama’s recent run of quarterbacks has one thing in common: They’re all very talented. Young was supposed to be the most talented of them all, but I haven’t seen proof that he’s better than his predecessors, and none of them won the Heisman Trophy. Let’s take a month to let this whole thing play out before anyone casts a vote for Young.

I don’t need a month to see that Anderson is worthy of stronger consideration. If he keeps playing like he is, then it would be an absolute shame if he weren’t invited to New York in December alongside a couple of skill-position counterparts to be named. Unfortunately, he is receiving the kind of hype that would have benefitted him before the season. Perhaps an invite to the ceremony will at least legitimize a true Heisman campaign next season. Could he actually be the front-runner for The Heisman Trophy headed into his junior season at Alabama? I wouldn’t rule it out.

The last defensive player to win the Heisman was defensive back Charles Woodson in 1997. However, he also had to show off his athleticism as a punt returner to win the award. That was also an odd season in which ESPN tried to drum up excitement for the award, which was thought to be headed to Tennessee. Woodson edged out UT quarterback Peyton Manning in what was one of the most debated selections in history.

Defensive players just don’t win the Heisman for the most part and that’s a shame. The rules are skewed for offensive players to shine. Are there a couple of other quarterbacks in the nation that could do what Young has done at Alabama this season? With the talent in Tuscaloosa, I’d argue that is the case.

I’d also argue that no one in the nation could do what Anderson has done this season. I don’t care if he’s a sophomore or a defensive player. If he continues to play as he has, Anderson will be on my ballot and he might be No. 1. If any Heisman voter is going to depart from the past and vote for a defensive player, this is the year.