SI.com thinks Colt McCoy was one of 2006’s breakout players. They profile him and 30+ others as the year’s biggest new athletes from all sports:
Strong performances in preseason camp earned McCoy the starting job, but mature decisions and big wins over the likes of Oklahoma and Nebraska helped ingratiate the red-shirt freshman with Longhorns fans who were still longing for Vince Young.
Longhorn fans are hoping 2006 was just the beginning for McCoy.
The AOL FanHouse is running a series of posts with their favorites for the 2007 Heisman Trophy and they think Colt McCoy is a real contender. Here’s why our top guy is on their list:
McCoy’s passing stats were on par with Troy Smith and Brady Quinn’s and he was leading his team like a grizzled veteran. He led the Horns to come from behind victories against Nebraska and Texas Tech. Before that fateful QB sneak against Kansas State, McCoy was setting team and national records and had the Horns in position to defend their national title. Imagine the numbers he could’ve put up if offensive coordinator Greg Davis hadn’t kept the training wheels on for so long.
Before his injury McCoy was one of the nation’s top QB’s and was still able to set all time passing records for the University of Texas. If he can continue to improve and keep alive behind a rebuilt offensive line, he’ll put up big numbers and could be in the Heisman race for the next three seasons.
College Football News has announced their Big 12 conference awards and Texas QB Colt McCoy is their Big 12 Player of the Year.
If someone had told you at the beginning of the year that Colt McCoy wouldn’t just be an adequate replacement for Vince Young, but would step into the pressure and the spotlight to become the Big 12’s most efficient passer completing 68% of his throws with 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, you’d have sold Longhorn fans tickets to Glendale for January 8th. Overlooking that he was banged up over the last two games and wasn’t nearly 100% in the three-interception loss to Texas A&M to close out the year, McCoy was poised, steady, and extremely productive playing like a veteran right out of the gate.
Definitely deserving of the honor McCoy played like a veteran and had the best season of any player in the conference.