Devine for Heisman

For 30 minutes Saturday afternoon, ESPN discussed the top Heisman Trophy candidates heading into the 2010 season.

For 30 minutes, I patiently waited for the crew to mention one name: West Virginia's star running back Noel Devine.

I waited … and waited.

When 3:30 p.m. rolled around, and the program ended, and Devine's name wasn't mentioned once, I sat stunned.

Really? Navy's Ricky Dobbs is a better player than Devine?

No.

Devine deserves to be in Heisman Trophy discussions in 2010.

If ESPN doesn't want to acknowledge the Mountaineers' sensational senior running back, I sure will.

Without a doubt, Devine is one of the best players in the country. If his team can match the Fort Myers, Fla., native's skill level, Devine might just sneak up and win the most-coveted single-player award in college football.

If you look at the statistics alone, Devine deserves some mention. Last year, he ran for 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior.

He is in line to finish second in career rushing at WVU with another solid season. If Devine has a Heisman-type season, he could pass Avon Cobourne for the top of that list with 1,784 yards in 2010.

From the media's perspective, it seems the coaching staff is willing to rely heavily on Devine this year – learning from its mistakes in the past.

In 2009, Devine had just four games with more than 20 carries. That number has to go up if a Heisman is in his future.

He will also have to be more consistent each game. Last year, there were six games in which he rushed for less than 100 yards.

Those are the downsides to Devine's Heisman campaign.

The upsides are much greater.

For a guy who's 5-foot-8, he has as much power as a linebacker. Devine can bench 445 pounds – better than nearly every one of his teammates. In fact, that was the same number starting nose tackle Chris Neild was able to lift.

Fellow running backs across the country normally don't come close to Devine's outrageous strength.

Inside the tackles, Devine has the tendency to get lost and scoot through for a few extra yards. If that doesn't work, he can use the strength in his legs to gain a few more yards with a defender on his back.

It's on the outside where Devine has made his name. He can get around the corner quicker than any starting running back in the country. When he does, watch out.

The quick back is known the most for his cutback ability, like he showed his freshman year against Maryland and last year against Auburn. He left both defenders jock-less in a millisecond. He's that shifty.

In addition to his obvious talents as a runner, Devine is also the Mountaineers' team leader. In addition, he is the face of West Virginia's program – just look at the team's poster or media guide this year.

Director of Football Communications Mike Montoro said the marketing staff will do its part to sway the Heisman voters toward choosing Devine.

"As he continues to play each week, we will send some kind of information to the voters," Montoro wrote in an e-mail.

Even his teammates would love to see Devine hold up the trophy in December.

"Devine for Heisman!" was the update from Geno Smith on Twitter Saturday evening.

"Noel works so hard out there. He really pushes us as an offense," Smith said earlier this summer. "He deserves all the credit he gets. I really hope he can win the Heisman this year. As many times as we can get the ball in his hands will be great for him, but great for the team, too."

Devine's best friend and fellow senior leader Jock Sanders might have said it best, though.

"That would be a great thing for him. I hope he does get it," Sanders said. "He just has to play the same way he did last year. We just have to have a better winning record."

Don't be surprised if you hear this: "And the 2010 Heisman Trophy goes to … Noel Devine, running back, West Virginia."

Don't count him out. He definitely deserves to be in the running – no matter what ESPN has to say.