Heisman Watch: BYU's Versatile Quarterback Taysom Hill

Pocatello, Idaho is known as the Smile Capital of the United States. And one of their homegrown products has given a lot of people a reason to keep on a happy face.

For example, the Texas Longhorns are ecstatic about the end of their series with Taysom Hill-led BYU, writes Paul Myerberg, of USA Today:

Hill did it again to the Longhorns, following up last season's breakthrough with 270 yards of total offense and three scores, one a made-for-the-Heisman hurdle job over a hapless UT defender. Leading his team into Austin and notching a 34-point win is just the start: Hill and the Cougars might be eyeballing an undefeated regular season.

Legendary BYU quarterback Steve Young said: "Hill could be a jackhammer one play and then play a violin the next." 

Hill attended Highland High School, where he earned the All-Idaho Player of the Year, Gatorade High School Player of the Year, First Team All-State selection and earned All-Region and All-Conference Player of the Year accolades in his senior season of 2008. Hill also lettered in basketball and track and field while at Highland.

Experts are starting to ask if Hill is the best player in the country.

 This season, his junior year with the Cougars, Hill has been:

• Ranked No. 2 on Athlon Sports Heisman Watch List after Week 2
• Ranked No. 4 on USA Today's Heisman Watch after Week 2
• Ranked No. 9 on Sports Illustrated's Heisman Watch after Week 2
• FBS Independent Offensive Player of the Week (9/8) after scoring three rushing TDs at Texas
• Ranked No. 9 on USA Today's Heisman Watch after Week 1
• CFPA National Quarterback of the Week Honorable Mention (9/1)
• FBS Independent Offensive Player of the Week (9/1) after his five TD performance at UConn
• Named to 2014 Heisman Trophy Watch List by HeismanPundit.com, one of 25 players making the post-spring list
• Named to 2014 Top 25 College Football Players list by the Sporting News, ranking No. 14 overall on the preseason list
• Named to 2014 Players to Watch by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, one of 12 players so honored 
• Named one of the top 14 Heisman Candidates for 2014 by NFL.com
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent First Team
• Named to the Maxwell Award watch list
• Named to the 2014 College Football Performance Awards Quarterback Trophy Watch List
• Named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
• Named to the Davey O'Brien Award watch list
• Named to Walter Camp Award watch list

He is a new breed of BYU quarterback, an athletic one built on the run as well as the pass.

And SBNation reminds us that:

Taysom’s numbers have been tremendous so far and the Cougars have earned some good results through the first two weeks of the season. Those result have been enough for BYU to gain entry into the AP Top 25, which most BYU fans thought would only happen after the game against UCF. The Cougars must continue to win games (maybe 11, but probably 12 if he wants a serious chance at winning the Heisman). His touchdown stats so far have really helped his candidacy, but he will probably need more passing TDs to balance out his statistics as the season progresses. One huge factor is that the Cougars have four more chances to play on ESPN and all of them are on Thursday or Friday evenings. This will give curious voters a chance to watch the Cougars without being distracted by a bunch of other games being played simultaneously. It starts this Thursday at home against Houston. Look for Hill to have another big game and for BYU to earn another big win to take Taysom’s Heisman run to the next level.