Now that the 2014 season is officially in the books, let’s look ahead at next year’s potential Heisman frontrunners beginning with Ohio State junior ballcarrier Ezekiel Elliott who made a name for himself during the College Football Playoff. Several SEC guys are included in the mix, led by LSU’s beast of a back, Leonard Fournette.

1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State — Name recognition is very important when discussing Heisman hopefuls and this 6-foot, 225-pounder running back made quite a splash during the season’s final stretch. With 696 yards rushing and eight touchdowns over his final three games (all wins over ranked teams), Elliott headlines the 2015 race alongside any of Ohio State’s three standout quarterbacks. Urban Meyer kept referring to Elliott as a ‘monster’ and he has proved his point.

2. Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU — The facilitator of the Horned Frogs’ Air Raid offense, Boykin’s back as the best player in the Big XII following an all-league junior campaign capped off with a 39-point blowout against Ole Miss in Atlanta. Boykin has already established national familiarity and has the dual-threat angle voters often fawn over.

3. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU — It didn’t take this true freshman long to become a household name in SEC circles after earning the top spot in a crowded LSU backfield by midseason this fall. Fournette’s production could as much as double with a heavier workload as a sophomore and he should see more time on special teams. During the Tigers’ bowl loss to Notre Dame, Fournette exploded into a multi-position threat.

4. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia — A man among boys despite being a rookie, Chubb dominated opposing defenses after being inserted into the starting lineup following Todd Gurley’s autograph suspension and never let up, finishing with 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. His statement was a 266-yard outburst in a Belk Bowl win over Louisville, the second-highest total ever for a single game at Georgia behind Herschel Walker.

5. Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State — The Bulldogs’ rising senior quarterback says he’s coming back to Starkville but still has two days to reverse that decision as a prime early entry candidate. You have to think coach Dan Mullen will meet with his most important player at some point over the next 48 hours to convince the dual-threat playmaker to keep the Bulldogs a Western Division threat.

Just off the radar: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson; Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State