The 2009 Heisman Trophy presentation is Saturday night, December 12th. In recent years, the Heisman committee has stepped out of their comfort zone of junior and senior quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers or defensive backs that return punts and kicks. Underclassmen such as QB Tim Tebow in 2007 and QB Sam Bradford in 2008 won as sophomores.

Tebow, receiving his third straight nomination, joins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska, who hopes to be the second true defensive player ever to win the Heisman. Suh would be following in the footsteps of the last defensive player to be nominated, 1997 Heisman winner Charles Woodson of Michigan.