He was Mr. Football in 2006 ... Is he Mr. 2007?

In the 10-year history of the Deseret Morning News Mr. Football award, no underclassman had ever claimed the honor until Alta's Sausan Shakerin did so last year. The highly recruited running back returns for his senior year and what he hopes is an encore performance. Becoming the first back-to-back Mr. Football recipient won't be an easy task with these candidates heading into the 2007 season:

NATE CARTER, RB, Dixie — It's simply impossible to overlook the fact that this guy rushed for over 2,000 yards last year. Sure, some of the defenses he went up against were weak, but with Dixie moving to 4A this year, if Carter can duplicate those stats in 2007 and particularly the playoffs, he's got to be in the mix for the coveted award.

LYNN KATOA, LB, Cottonwood — Defensive guys rarely garner the same type of accolades as the offensive guys, but Katoa has the potential to change all that. He's the No. 1 recruit in the state for a reason. Katoa's big and fast, and college coaches around the country are clamoring to get him.

SAM LANGI, RB, Bingham — This senior no longer has to share carries with Doug Fiefia, and that's a scary thought. As a junior last year he rushed for 892 yards with a yards-per-carry average of 8.5. With another dominant offensive line in front of him, rushing for 2,000 yards should be a piece of cake.

QUIN MECHAM, QB, Timpview — The defending 4A state champions are heavy favorites to repeat in 2007, and the T-Birds' returning starting QB is a big reason why. Sure, he may have taken a backseat last season to Timpview's vaunted defense and running back Jackson Owen, the 4A MVP, but big things are expected from Mecham during his senior year.

KALAMA MOLISI, RB, Skyline — If Skyline's offensive line is as good as advertised, which one coach said is the best in a decade, how can Molisi, the hero of Skyline's 2005 championship run, not be a Mr. Football candidate? If given enough carries, there's no reason he shouldn't eclipse the 1,500-yard mark in the Eagles' run-dominated offense.

ADAM TIMO, RB, Snow Canyon — Considering that this junior's already verbally pledged himself to BYU, he's obviously talented. He's a dual threat out of the backfield with speed and power, and with Snow Canyon switching to a spread offense under new coach Rick Secrist, Timo could have a monster season.