This article was originally published with The Red & Black on August 6, 2015 and can be found here.

Garrison Hearst couldn’t do it. Terrell Davis never came close. Todd Gurley had the best shot, but it all fell apart.

Georgia had several talented running backs after Herschel Walker’s three-year run in the 1980’s, but none brought home a Heisman like Walker did in 1982 or Frank Sinkwich did 40 years earlier.

There’s now hope for Georgia fans that the drought in Athens ends this December.

Sophomore running back Nick Chubb ended last season on a tear that helped the Bulldogs overcome the loss of Gurley. Chubb’s final game of 2014, which set a Belk Bowl rushing record, created plenty of talk that the Cedartown, Georgia native is a legitimate Heisman contender.

While there’s plenty of football to be played, it’s starting to look like perfect timing.

It’s no secret the ESPNs of the world love talking about the Southeastern Conference and its star players, which comes in handy for Chubb. If he can start the season with impressive outings against UL-Monroe and follow it up with solid performances against Vanderbilt and South Carolina, his name will gain steam on the television shows and radio stations across the country. At that point, it’s all a matter of staying consistent.

The media platforms aren’t the only ones who give the SEC some love. Four of the last eight Heisman winners played in the SEC: Tim Tebow at Florida, Mark Ingram at Alabama, Cam Newton at Auburn and Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M. Several stars in the conference wound up finalists but did not take home the trophy the last few years, including Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper and Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron.

The Bulldogs have an unsettled quarterback situation, but that may play into Chubb’s favor. Since neither junior Faton Bauta nor redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey have started a game, it’s a safe strategy for Georgia head coach Mark Richt to give his running back a significant workload. More carries are not a challenge for Chubb; he took 38 carries against Missouri last season. If he plays like he did last year, a lot of carries will only give the 19-year-old more opportunities to shine.

Heisman Trophy’s are supposed to be given for a player’s single season. However, Chubb’s freshman season gave him plenty of momentum for 2015. The perception is he is the next elite SEC running back, which will cause more talk after each performance. If Chubb came in his first year with the hype now surrounding him, he may have been a Heisman finalist.

Chubb’s road to the Heisman is still a rocky one. There are several perceived front-runners ahead of him, including Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin and Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson. Running backs are in a drought as well, as only two running backs–Ingram and USC’s Reggie Bush–have won it since the turn of the century.Georgia also has to compete on a national level for most of the year and post the wins to keep him in contention.

Even with those hurdles, there’s no reason to count Chubb out. As a recruit, he was overshadowed by freshman Sony Michel but never lost his focus. He came in as a freshman and proved himself as a freak in the weight room and the practice field. He was tasked with replacing Gurley and did so to the tune of 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Winning the Heisman Trophy is quite the task, but if we learned anything from 2014, there’s never a time to count Chubb out.