Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask were announced as finalists for the Heisman Trophy on Thursday night.
Unlike 2019, when LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was the prohibitive favorite to win, the voting numbers were much closer, with no clear favorite emerging from the field. The winner of the Heisman Trophy will be awarded on January 5 in a virtual ceremony that will begin on ESPN at 7:00 pm ET.
Make your choice among Alabama finalists. Smith presented his case over the past month, stepping up with teammate Jaylen Waddle and showing his ability to make explosive moves in space. Smith leads the country with 98 receptions and 1,511 reception yards, while getting 17 touchdown passes.
Jones said of his teammate: “He is the most electric player in college football. He means the most to us here in Alabama football. You can watch the games and see what kind of person he is with his shape. how to play”
He hopes to become the first non-quarterback to win Heisman since running back Derrick Henry of Alabama in 2015. The last recipient to win Heisman was Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991.
Jones, a junior in a red shirt, started four games last season after Tua Tagovailoa was injured and had a stunning performance in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan. But he had to beat former five-star contender Bryce Young to win the spot this season.
And then he left, showing his comfort in the system, accumulating yards, touchdowns and points effortlessly. Jones has the best college football players around him, and that includes Waddle – a hopeful young man from Heisman until an ankle injury in late October forced him out for the season.
Over the last four games of the year, Jones and Smith made it clear that they were among the best players in the country and put an exclamation point on that statement in the 52-46 victory over the Gators in the SEC championship game.
Jones launched for 418 yards and five touchdowns, and Smith had 15 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns. In all, Jones launched 3,739 yards and 32 touchdowns, with just four interceptions to lead Alabama’s No. 1.
Only one school had teammates ending 1-2 in Heisman’s history: Army of 1945 (Doc Blanchard won, and Glenn Davis finished second).
With teammate Najee Harris announced on Thursday that he finished fifth in the vote, Alabama is the first team with three players in the top five in the Heisman vote since the Army in 1946.
Smith and Jones are also finalists for the Maxwell Prize, awarded to the best player in the country.
Just like Lawrence, 34-1 as a Tigers starter. He is only the second player in Clemson’s history to become a Heisman finalist, joining Deshaun Watson (2015 and 2016). Although Lawrence’s statistics are not as prolific as Jones, all Lawrence does is win. He also proved how valuable it is to the Tigers in the 34-10 victory over Notre Dame in the ACC championship game last weekend.
Lawrence lost his first confrontation with the Irish while recovering from the coronavirus. Clemson lost in the double overtime. In the rematch, Lawrence had 412 yards of total attack and scored three touchdowns in a game that was never really played.
After the game, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney started the lobby on behalf of his quarterback. “I would say this: it would be a shame if Heisman did not name Trevor Lawrence,” said Swinney. “I know this has become a statistic award, but if you watch college football and you don’t know that you’re the best player in the country? I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
In nine games this season, Lawrence launched for 2,753 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions, and added 211 running yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Trask put together one of the best seasons in Florida school history, and that’s something, considering that three Heisman winners played quarterback there. In 11 games, Trask launched a school record of 43 touchdown passes, which leads the country by 11. Trask also leads the country in passing passes per game (375.0) and set a school record with passes of 4,125 yards – including a school – record five sets of 400-yard passes.
Despite shooting for 408 yards and three touchdowns against Alabama, Florida lost the game to move to 8-3. Two consecutive losses at the end of the season, including one for LSU, may have impacted his chances of victory.
Also announced on Thursday were the players who finished in the Top 10 in the Heisman vote. They are: No. 5 Harris; Iowa State No. 6, Breece Hall corridor; 7th Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields; Zach Wilson, BYU No. 8 quarterback; No. 9 Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book; Florida’s No. 10 tight end, Kyle Pitts.