Small college players deserve your attention

By Joe Smeltzer

Darell Henderson is the best college football player you've never heard of (Photo creds to The Commercial Appeal)

Darell Henderson should be in the Heisman Trophy discussion.

With two games left, Henderson has rushed for 1,446 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging an astonishing 9.2 yards-per-carry.

Although he's second in rushing yards to Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor, the latter averages just 6.8 YPC, so it's safe to say that Henderson is, at least statistically, the best running back in the country. While he won't—win the Heisman, Henderson is at least worthy of consideration for a trip to New York.

Instead, his name is barley even on the list of 11 players on ESPN's "Experts' Poll." So why is a player with video games numbers like Henderson not getting talked about more? For starters, his team is just 6-4, but the bigger problem is that he plays for Memphis. Imagine a running back from even a mediocre power five school putting up Henderson's numbers and not warranting a trip to New York? I can't, because it wouldn't happen, and that's a problem.

Of the three running backs listed as Heisman candidates, Henderson has the highest yards-per-carry, and his 283 receiving yards trump both Taylor and Clemson's Travis Etienne, who both have less than 60. Yet, Henderson is the only one of those three that doesn't have at least one top five vote. Do you think him playing in Conference USA instead of the Big 10 or ACC might have something to do with that?

Ever since Boise State's legendary Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma the nation has been wondering where the love is for small Division I schools. More than a decade after that game, the movement for mid-major equality is stronger than ever. Central Florida—who Henderson shredded for 199 yards earlier this season— put up a national championship banner after going undefeated in 2017 to stick it to the NCAA playoff committee, and might do the same this year should the Knights go unbeaten again (they are 9-0.)

While the nation sympathizes with mid-major schools who are pushed to the side in the rankings in favor of the big boys, there doesn't seem to be as much of a fight for individual players from those schools. If Henderson doesn't win any major award at the end of the season, I'll be among an exclusive club of people who notices.

The biggest argument against players from mid-major programs and those schools in general is that the level of competition isn’t as strong as it is in power five conferences. While there is truth to this, the inconsistency is that people who will fight tooth and nail for schools like UCF and other small schools won’t do the same for the players that make up those teams.

Henderson isn't alone in dominating the country on a smaller stage. Andy Isabella of UMASS has nearly 1,500 yards receiving, more than 130 ahead of the next closest guy. Will he win the Biletnikoff Award? Considering the Minutemen are 4-7, probably not.

Pro Football Focus recently published a list of the best college football players at each position, and four of those players—Henderson and Isabella included— are from mid-major schools. We'll have to see how many of them will walk away with major national awards after the season. I wouldn't be shocked if none of them do.

Players from small DI schools— such as Walter Payton and Marshall Faulk— have proven that they can dominate at the NFL level for decades, yet for whatever reason, they don't get recognized at the college level unless their team is ranked. So while we're all clamoring for teams like UCF to get noticed, we should be doing the same for players like Darnell Henderson and Andy Isabella.