In terms of national exposure, Marshawn Lynch is rarely one of the first names to roll off your tongue when speaking of the Heisman trophy. Though he plays for California at one of the most recognized universities and football programs in the country, Lynch still remains one of college football’s hidden gems.

At 5-foot-11 and 217 pounds, he was one of the most highly touted running backs coming out of high school, but was mainly lost in the fray, as he was ranked behind Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson as the best prep back in the nation. 

In high school, Lynch was a scoring machine. Over his final two seasons at Oakland Tech, he scored 53 touchdowns. Against Skyline High School, in an upset victory in the state Silver Bowl, he ran for 233 yards and six scores. However, even after all the accolades, and accepting a ride to Cal in 2004, he still was forced to share the limelight. Serving as a backup to current Arizona Cardinal J.J. Arrington as a freshman, Lynch’s visibility was often limited, but whenever he touched the ball, his presence was more than felt. Rushing for a staggering 8.8 yards a carry, he scored a total of 10 touchdowns on the ground. 

Last season, with Arrington playing on Sundays, Lynch finally got a chance to start. Proving his worth as game breaking back, he showed not only great speed and agility, but also the power to shed tacklers like loose clothing. After a sophomore season that saw him run for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns, Lynch led the Bears to a bowl game, despite missing two full games due to hand and finger injuries. In the Las Vegas Bowl, he showed how durable he truly was as he ran for a career high 194 yards and three touchdowns.

With his resume developing and his buzz at an all-time high, many thought that Lynch would be ready for a breakout junior year. Voted a preseason All-American and eyed by many as a possible Maxwell and Walter Camp Award finalist as the nation’s top player, Lynch was garnering hype for the Heisman trophy.

Unfortunately, for Lynch and the Golden Bears, injuries slowed the Heisman campaign. However, to his credit, he has yet to miss a game because of it. For the past few weeks, playing on sore ankles, Lynch has willed himself to easily his two best performances of the season. On Oct. 14 against Washington State, he rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns. This past weekend against Washington, in an overtime thriller, he rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns, catching four passes for 53 yards. In the victory over the Huskies, Lynch scampered 22 yards for the game-winning score in overtime, a feat that didn’t surprise any of the Cal players or coaches. Before the game, Lynch gave a vocal rallying cry to his teammates to get back their respect after Washington ran their pregame drills on top of the Cal logo at mid-field. Lynch took the gesture to heart, and the Huskies took the brunt of his fury.
Now with Adrian Peterson likely out for the rest of the reason with a broken collarbone, the race for best running back in the country now falls squarely on Lynch and West Virginia’s Steve Slaton. However, if Lynch can stir up more dramatic performances like his one last week, he will surely be on his way to receiving the notoriety that has long eluded him. Already with eight touchdowns rushing this season, Lynch is only two away from equaling his total from all of last year. According to wideout Lavelle Hawkins, with Lynch’s track record and toughness, a ticket to New York’s Downtown Athletic Club for the Heisman may not be so farfetched after all. “Marshawn is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever played with. All you have to do with Marshawn is say, ‘Let’s go Marshawn, we need you,’ and he answers.”