Lawrence, who should be the # 1 choice in the NFL’s 2021 draft if he leaves Clemson early, joins two Houston Texans finalist and current quarterback Deshaun Watson (third in the vote in 2015, second in 2016) as the Clemson’s only players to be named a finalist since the Heisman Trust officially recognized the finalists in 1982. Clemson never had a Heisman winner.
This is the first time that Alabama has had several finalists and, for the second consecutive year, several finalists have come from the same school; Justin Fields and Chase Young, from Ohio, were finalists in 2019.
The previous winners of the award in Alabama are running backs Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015). Overall, Alabama had 10 Heisman finalists, with eight under the command of Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
Trask is the fifth Gator to be named Heisman finalist, joining Emmitt Smith (1988), Danny Wuerffel (1995, 1996), Rex Grossman (2001) and Tim Tebow (2007, 2008, 2009). Florida has three award winners: Steve Spurrier in 1966, Wuerffel in 1996 and Tebow in 2007.
The rest of the top 10 in the 2020 Heisman poll were announced on Thursday, with Najee Harris of Alabama in fifth, Breece Hall of Iowa state in sixth, Fields of Ohio state in seventh, Zach Wilson of BYU in eighth, Ian Book of Notre Dame in ninth and Kyle Pitts of Florida in 10th.
The Heisman Trophy ballots went to 927 voters: 56 Heisman winners alive, a general fan vote and 870 members of the media.