Bryce Love returning to Stanford in 2018
Is the favorite for the 2018 Heisman Trophy the guy who finished second in 2017?
Bryce Love’s father told the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday night that the Stanford running back would be back for his senior season. Love had until the end of the day Monday to decide if he wanted to enter the NFL draft as an underclassman.
Love ran for 2,118 yards in 2017 even though he missed a game because of an ankle injury. That ankle injury was obvious if you watched Stanford at all in the second half of the season. It wasn’t uncommon to see Love hobble off the field after a tackle and then return a few plays later.
He finished second in the Heisman voting to Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, who won the award in a landslide.
Love averaged over eight yards a carry in 2017 as he was second in the country in rushing to San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny. The two backs were the only players to break the 2,000-yard mark in rushing. If Love does it again, you can bet he’ll be in New York for the Heisman ceremony for a second-straight year.
Love was the backup to Christian McCaffrey in 2016 as McCaffrey rushed for 1,603 yards in an injury-marred 2016 campaign. McCaffrey finished second in the Heisman voting in 2015.
With his return, Stanford joins Washington as an early favorite in the Pac-12. The Huskies return their star running back as well; Myles Gaskin said over the weekend that he was coming back to Washington.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
