As another season draws near, so does Heisman hype. There are plenty of big names — and some smaller ones, too — that will compete for the opportunity to hear their name called at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York in December. But, just being invited as one of the four finalists is considered a huge honor.

Here’s a look at 10 players that will vie for the trophy on the field and with the voters:

1. TIM TEBOW, JUNIOR QB, FLORIDA

First of all, he’s the defending holder of the big trophy. Secondly, he’s on a team that could play for the national title. His name is already known in every household. The only question will be his stats. He’s not likely to run as much this year as the team searches for more consistent running backs. Will his passing numbers be large enough? It’ll help to have Percy Harvin as his go-to receiver, but the big games against Tennessee, LSU and Georgia could decide his fate.

2. CHRIS “BEANIE” WELLS, JUNIOR RB, OHIO STATE

Wells rushed for over 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns last year — and he wasn’t 100 percent healthy. This year, he should eclipse those numbers easily. In four of the team’s first five games, Wells will be running over and through Youngstown State, Ohio, Troy and Minnesota. Having Southern Cal squeezed in between those cupcakes could put him on the map big time if he can perform against the Trojans’ vaunted defense.

3. KNOWSHOWN MORENO, SOPHOMORE RB, GEORGIA

Count on this guy being in the hunt all season, barring injury of course. Moreno’s hard-running style and endless motor should help Georgia pick up a lot of wins. And with so many big games, Moreno won’t have trouble being seen nationally. The only question mark is durability. With Thomas Brown gone, Moreno will be asked to do a lot. Luckily for him, quarterback Matthew Stafford’s arm should ease some of the pressure.

4. GRAHAM HARRELL, SENIOR QB, TEXAS TECH

Harrell’s name isn’t as familiar as the players above him, but don’t let that fool you. He threw for 4,555 yards in 2006 and an astonishing 5,705 yards and 48 touchdowns last season. Even with video game stats, Harrell’s third year in coach Mike Leach’s system could prove to be his best. That’s scary. If the team can win 9-10 games, lookout for this sleeper. He could be in a similar position as Missouri’s Chase Daniel a year ago: Big 12 title could spell Heisman. Daniel came up short of both, though.

5. CHASE DANIEL, SENIOR QB, MISSOURI

Speaking of Missouri’s vaunted signal caller, there’s no reason not to put Daniel on the list. He threw for 4,306 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior. With exciting receiver Jeremy Maclin back, there’s little reason to think the guy that finished fourth in last year’s Heisman voting won’t move up this season. But, 2007’s 12 victories could be hard to come by this year, and a couple of early losses may have voters forgetting Daniel come December.

6. MICHAEL CRABTREE, SOPHOMORE WR, TEXAS TECH

Can a sophomore receiver actually win the nation’s top award? It’s very unlikely, but that doesn’t diminish this playmaker’s unbelievable skills. His 134 receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns crushed the freshmen record books. Now, last year’s Biletnikoff award winner will have defenses gunning for him. Luckily, Leach’s system is a lot of short passes that receivers break for big plays. It’ll be hard to double and triple team that.

7. JAMES LAURINAITIS, SENIOR LB, OHIO STATE

You always need a defensive guy in the mix. Sure, they rarely win, unless they play both ways like 1997 winner Charles Woodson. But there’s nothing wrong with giving them hope. Laurinaitis is head of the class on the defensive side. The senior won the Butkus award last year after recording 121 tackles with 8.5 of those for a loss. Playing on one of the nation’s best defenses and overall teams will give him plenty of exposure. Still, it’s hard to see the big guy receiving enough love and votes.

8. PAT WHITE, SENIOR QB, WEST VIRGINIA

No Rich Rodriguez? No problem. West Virginia still has the most versatile QB in the land. This guy can run — all day long. He led the Mountaineers’ vaunted rushing attack in yards with 1,335 last year. He also scored himself 14 times and threw 14 more. This season, expect more than 2007’s passing yards of 1,724. New coach Bill Stewart wants to amp up the aerial attack, which should help the health of White. Having Noel Devine as his running partner at tailback won’t hurt either.

9. SAM BRADFORD, SOPHOMORE QB, OKLAHOMA

Tebow proved a sophomore could win the Heisman. Bradford proved he was the real deal with 3,121 yards, 36 touchdowns with just eight interceptions and 11 wins as a redshirt freshman. This Sooner will look for at least as many wins this season, and expectations will be high for Bradford this time. He’ll have to avoid the sophomore slump, though, something Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was unable to do last year after a similar freshman season.

10. MARK SANCHEZ, JUNIOR QB, SOUTHERN CAL

The Trojans might be one of the best teams in the country, so it’s hard to leave off someone from Southern Cal. They also have a history of Heisman winners, and you can’t go wrong with adding another quarterback to the hunt. Sanchez threw for 695 yards and seven touchdowns in three starts when John David Booty went down last year. This season, he’s the man and will have playmaker Joe McKnight at his disposal along with NFL talent at every position. A knee injury in early August, however, could keep him hampered into the season. That would be enough to end his chances.