Heisman Trophy candidates’ profiles for 2012

The Heisman Trophy will be presented during a ceremony that is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. PST Saturday at the Best Buy Theater in New York. A look at the finalists:

Collin Klein

Kansas State

Quarterback

6-5, 226

Senior

Loveland, Colo.

A three-time team captain, Klein has accounted for 37 of the 56 touchdowns generated by the Wildcats’ offense. He has passed for 2,490 yards and 15 touchdowns and run for 890 yards and 22 touchdowns — second in the nation in rushing touchdowns among all players and the leader among quarterbacks. Klein is the first quarterback from a BCS conference to run for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for at least 10 in back-to-back seasons. Three others did it once: Cam Newton (2010), Tim Tebow (2007) and Eric Crouch (2000), all Heisman winners.

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Johnny Manziel

Texas A&M;

Quarterback

6-1, 200

Freshman

Kerrville, Texas

“Johnny Football” could become the first freshman — he redshirted last season — to win the Heisman. He has passed for 3,419 yards and run for 1,181 yards, giving him a Southeastern Conference-record 4,600 yards. Heisman winner Cam Newton held the previous record and played two more games. Manziel is the first freshman and first SEC player to pass for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in the same season. He became a top candidate in November when he engineered a 29-24 win over then-top-ranked Alabama, passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns and running for 92 yards.

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Manti Te’o

Notre Dame

Linebacker

6-2, 255

Senior

Laie, Hawaii

Only the second Notre Dame player to record at least 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons, Te’o already overcame the odds to win the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp player of the year as the nation’s most outstanding player. He was the first defensive player since 1980 to win the Maxwell Award and only the third player to ever win the Walter Camp award. Te’o is the undisputed leader of the top-ranked Irish’s stellar defensive unit, which has allowed a national-best 10.3 points per game and only 286.8 yards. He has 103 tackles and seven interceptions.

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—Mike Hiserman