Writer calls Deondre Francois dark horse Heisman candidate

Deondre Francois is fighting to get his job back after missing all of 2017 with a knee injury. Could he come back in emphatic fashion?

Deondre Francois burst on the national stage in his 2016 FSU debut against Ole Miss. He led the Noles to a huge come from behind victory, passing for 419 yards and rushing for 59 yards while scoring two touchdowns.

It was an outstanding performance considering the circumstances, first college start in prime time against a ranked SEC team with another good quarterback in Chad Kelly.

Francois went on to win the ACC Rookie of the Year and led the Noles to 10 wins including a huge win over Michigan in the Orange Bowl.

Francois entered the 2017 season as Heisman hopeful, just one of 18 players to receive odds on winning the award.

Florida State Seminoles Football

It’s funny the difference a year can make as he’s now fighting to get his job back after rehabbing his knee injury.

He’s in a dog fight with James Blackman and Bailey Hockman to win the starting job again in 2018. Despite that, one writer Athlon Sports calls Deondre Francois one of 10 dark horse players that could win the Heisman in 2018:

"Francois seems like an afterthought in the college football world after he went down in the opener against Alabama last season and it remains to be seen if he can even reclaim his starting job with a new coaching staff in place and a handful of regrettable off-the-field actions. Still, there’s no question he has the talent (3,350 passing yards, 20 TDs in 2016) and platform at FSU to make a run at the trophy if he winds up as the starter and leads the Seminoles to a big bounce-back campaign."

Thoughts

Willie Taggart’s offense is centered around the run, but he’s had a quarterback to put up monster numbers before. Quinton Flowers had an unreal year in 2016 but just so happen there was this guy named Lamar Jackson that took college football by storm.

Flowers rushed for 1,530 yards and 18 touchdowns while passing for 2,812 yards and 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.

Francois likely isn’t the runner that Flowers was but I do think he’s a more capable passer. Oregon’s starting QB averaged 26 passing attempts per game last season with Francois averaging 30 attempts per game in 2016.

If Francois can improve is his accuracy a bit, he’d see an increase in yards as this offense will attack vertically. It’ll also get play makers in space that could go for big gains.

Is it likely Francois is a Heisman contender? Nah, but he certainly can have a big year in Willie Taggart offense. However, the first thing he has to do is win the job.