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FSU Football: Cam Akers getting love as potential Heisman candidate

By Jason Parker

TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 7: Running back Cam Akers #3 of the Florida State Seminoles carries the ball as defensive back Jaquan Johnson #4 of the Miami Hurricanes tries to tackle him during the first half of an NCAA football game at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 7: Running back Cam Akers #3 of the Florida State Seminoles carries the ball as defensive back Jaquan Johnson #4 of the Miami Hurricanes tries to tackle him during the first half of an NCAA football game at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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FSU football has had three players bring home the top individual award – with some saying No. 4 could be a possibility from the man wearing No. 3.

In the midst of winning almost every award he was eligible for during a magical 1993 season, Charlie Ward made history as the first FSU football player to win the Heisman Trophy as the top player in college football. Chris Weinke would add another one to the trophy case seven years later and Jameis Winston brought home a third during the 2013 title season.

Could the Seminoles be getting a fourth trophy coming home to Doak Campbell Stadium in the near future? According to one writer, there is one player in garnet and gold this season who could be in the running to do just that.

Since arriving on campus as an early enrollee for spring 2017, running back Cam Akers has been the center of attention for many paying attention to the FSU football program. He lived up to much of the hype during a rocky season for the Seminoles last year – and NFL.com believes he is one of the top 18 candidates for the Heisman during the upcoming season.

"His 1,024 rushing yards broke Dalvin Cook’s FSU freshman record, and he did it with opposing defenses challenging the run more after QB Deondre Francois suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1. If Akers is in the Heisman hunt late in the season, a Nov. 10 game against Notre Dame will draw the eyes of a lot of Heisman voters."

One of the areas that Akers will have to work on if he wants to be one of the top backs in the whole game is consistency. While he did have four games of over 100 yards rushing – and was one yard short of a 200 game – he also had five games of 44 yards or less, including three of the final four in the regular season.

Akers will also have his work cut out for him as eight of the 11 FBS teams that the sophomore back and FSU football will face finished in the top 50 in rushing defense last season, including three teams – Northern Illinois (No. 10), Virginia Tech (No. 15) and Clemson (No. 19) – in the top 20 nationally.

Next: James Blackman ranked second best QB in Florida for 2018

With that being said, if Akers can avoid the sophomore slump and continue to improve like Dalvin Cook before him…and Devonta Freeman before him and so on…he will be in the conversation for the top honor and the Seminoles will be in the conversation as a team who can play well into the start of January.

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