The Heisman trophy fraternity is about to get a bit bigger.
The finalists for the prestigious college football award were revealed on ESPN's Sportscenter on Monday, with Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel being invited to New York City for the presentation ceremony.
The presentation could be historic, as no freshman player has ever won the award. Manziel is a redshirt freshman after sitting out last season.
"I'm overwhelmed by this tremendous honor of representing Texas A&M, the 12th Man and all my teammates in New York," Manziel said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. "This is a dream come true for me, and I know it's a credit to all my coaches and teammates. I definitely wouldn't be a Heisman finalist without my teammates and coaches."
Only one player has won the award in school history, with halfback John David Crow winning the Heisman in 1957.
According to the Associated Press, "Three sophomores have won the award (Tim Tebow in 2007, Sam Bradford in 2008 and Mark Ingram in 2009), but the best a first-year player has ever done is second."
Adrian Peterson came close as a true freshman after finishing second in 2004, while Michael Vick finished third as a redshirt freshman in 1999.
Manziel has been the most dynamic player in college football this season and has a "Heisman moment" after defeating No. 1-ranked Alabama and ending their perfect season. He also has the statistics to back up his argument.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound redshirt freshman has gained an SEC-record 4,600 yards of total offense, breaking the previous record set by Cam Newton in 2010. He has passed for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, while completing over 68 percent of his throws.
Manziel has been just as dangerous with his feet as he has through the air. He leads the SEC with 1,181 rushing yards and has scored 19 touchdowns. In the 29-24 upset win over Alabama on Nov. 10, Manziel threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and added 92 rushing yards.
After losing their opening game to Florida 20-17, Manziel led Texas A&M to 10 wins in the next 11 games, including the upset over Alabama and a 38-13 win over No. 15 Mississippi the previous week.
The team was ranked 14th in the nation in passing and 13 in rushing due to Manziel and went 6-2 in their first season in the SEC. In the final game of the season, a 59-29 win over Missouri, Manziel threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns.
According to the Associated Press, Texas A&M will play Oklahoma (No. 11 BCS, No. 12 AP) in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
Te'o could also make history by winning the award as a defensive player.
If he wins, he would become the first defense-only player to win the award and would be the first payer from Notre Dame to win since Tim Brown in 1987. The school is tied for the most winners all-time with Ohio State, who each have seven.
The Irish have gone 12-0 this season and will play in the championship game, but they have no standout player on offense. Te'o is the most recognizable player on the team and has made a huge impact for a defense that is ranked first in the nation in scoring.
The senior has made significant plays in every game for Notre Dame this season and has intercepted seven passes, the most of all linebackers. Te'o has recorded 103 tackles this season including 46 solo, to go along with two sacks.
In the final game of his career, a 22-13 win at USC, Te'o had five tackles, including three solo, and one interception and notched his third 100-tackle season in his Notre Dame career.
Te'o made a key interception in the team's 17-14 win over Brigham Young on Oct. 20 and has recorded double-digit tackles in half of Notre Dame's games this year. He had two interceptions in the 13-6 win against Michigan on Sept. 22 and made a season-high 12 tackles against Michigan State on Sept. 15.
Klein also has a chance to make some Heisman history.
While 31 quarterbacks have already won the award, no player from Kansas State has ever brought home the trophy.
"I'm just honored with this opportunity that the Lord has provided me here at K-State," Klein said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. "I'm so proud to represent K-State in this because I feel like my road is very synonymous and in line with the K-State way. It has been a process, it has been a journey. There have been a lot of ups and downs, as well as a lot of hard times and growing pains through it. I'm just very proud to represent the K-State family and our heart and spirit in this environment."
Klein was the presumptive winner a few weeks ago when Kansas State was the No. 1-ranked team in the BCS. He was a senior; he had the stats; he was on the best team. Then came Baylor.
The Wildcats had no answers for Baylor and quickly fell behind 28-7 in the first half. Klein had his worst game of the year, throwing three interceptions, and Kansas State lost the game 52-24.
Kansas State dropped out of the national title picture, which shifted the focus back to Manziel. The 6-5, 226-pound senior has put up some amazing statistics as well, but nothing close to what Manziel has done.
Klein has thrown for 2,490 yards and 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with 890 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. The team had the 10th ranked scoring offense and posted 50 points five different times this season.
In the final game against Texas a 42-24 win, Klein threw for 184 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 103 yards and another two scores. The win clinched the Big 12 title for the Wildcats.
Earlier this season in a 55-14 win on the road against West Virginia, Klein threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 41 yards and four more scores. He has scored a rushing touchdown in every game this season apart from the opener against Missouri State.
Even if Klein loses the Heisman, he at least will bring home some other hardware. According to the Associated Press, he was named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Award, which is given to the top upperclassman quarterback in the nation.
According to the Associated Press, "Klein will finish his Kansas State career against Oregon (No. 4 BCS, No. 5 AP) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl."
PREDICTION (Commentary): It's Manziel and it's not even close. It would be stunning for a freshman to win, but the idea that a freshman can't win the award is an antiquated notion anyway. It's time to break the mold and there's no better time than now because Manziel truly deserves the award.
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