Oct. 20, 2012; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies tailback (25) Bishop Sankey runs the ball in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Arizona defeated Washington 52-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
When running back Jesse Callier went down with a torn ACL in last year’s opener against San Diego State, many Husky fans worried about who would fill the void. With hardly any experience under his belt, Sophomore Bishop Sankey emerged as the one of the Huskies top offensive threats and the team’s go to ball carrier. After rushing for 1439 yards and 16 touchdowns, Sankey is a lock as the starter, and will look to improve on his already impressive numbers.
While an All-American year is clearly within reach for Sankey, could he end up being a Heisman Trophy contender? If he is able to put up big time numbers, helping the Huskies contend for a Pac-12 championship, Sankey could easily find himself in the Heisman conversation come season ‘s end. A 1600-1700 yard season isn’t out of question and would easily be enough to make Sankey a strong contender for college football’s most coveted award.
With an offensive line that only lost one starter from last year, and has plenty of players with game experience, Sankey could surprise many people throughout the college football world. All though he is a household name in the Pac-12, few fans throughout the nation know about the power and speed coming out of the UW backfield. After rushing for only 82 yards in the first two games of the 2012 season, Sankey was able to rip off 1357 yards and 15 touchdowns in his last 11 starts. With a full season and an offseason to prepare, Sankey could easily surpass his already impressive 2012 totals.
With the opener against Boise State less than two weeks away, there is plenty to get excited about for this season. The UW has many weapons on offense, but Bishop Sankey may be the player that helps them get over the hump and to a double digit win season. If Sankey is able to help the Huskies contend for the Pac-12 championship, he will not only become a Husky legend, he would have a chance to be the UW’s first Heisman Trophy winner.