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Mountain East

Malik Grove, QB — Notre Dame (OH)

A breakout season from NDC in 2016 has catapulted not only the Falcons into national conversations, but their playmaking QB as well. Grove finished with 32 touchdown passes a year ago and also added 578 yards on the ground. What will help determine Grove's candidacy is how far NDC goes, and winning the MEC is definitely a possibility. No MEC player has won the Harlon Hill in its history, and Grove has a great shot to be the first to do so.

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Connor Jessop, QB — Shepherd

Stepping in as the full-time starter for the first time in college, Jessop will show fans that Shepherd is still a force to be reckoned with even with so many losses around the ball. While we don't know what a full season of Jessop will bring, he did toss a school record 480 yards in a spot start last year, and also had five touchdown passes. We should not expect those kinds of numbers every week, but Jessop should be a blossoming star in 2017.

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Laurence King, WR — Fairmont State

A rising sophomore who broke out with a 983-yard freshman season, King will take on an even bigger role with the loss of all-time best receiver Fabian Guerra. The 5-foot-7 King doesn't just beat teams in the air though, as he also returns kicks (two touchdowns) and can run the ball, too. In reality, the sophomore is an athlete, and more touches give him more chances to score, and get into the eyes of voters across the country.