Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith, Clemson defender Trevor Lawrence, and Florida defender Kyle Trask were announced Thursday night as finalists for the Heisman Trophy.
Unlike in 2019, when LSU defender Joe Burrow was the prohibitive favorite to win, the voting figures should be much closer, without a clear first pilot leaving 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 p.m.
Choose from the Alabama finalists. Smith has been supporting his case for the past month, stepping up with teammate Jaylen Waddle and showing off his ability to play explosive games in space. Smith leads the country with 98 receptions and 1,511 receiving yards, while catching 17 touchdown passes.
Jones said this about his teammate: “He’s the most electric player in college football. He means the most to us here in Alabama football. You can watch the games and see that, what kind of person he is with the way in which he plays “.
He hopes to become the first non-defender to win the Heisman since Derrick Henry of Alabama in 2015. The last recipient to win the Heisman was Desmond Howard of Michigan in 1991.
Jones, a red junior, started four games last season after Tua Tagovailoa was injured and had a dazzling performance in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan. But he had to beat former five-star prospect Bryce Young to win the job this season.
And then he left, showing his comfort in the system, effortlessly accumulating yards, touchdowns and points. Jones has the best college football skills around him, and that includes Waddle – Heisman’s first hope until an ankle injury in late October forced him to leave for the season.
In the last four games of the year, Jones and Smith have clearly shown that they are among the best players in the country and put an exclamation point on that statement in a 52-46 victory over the Gators in the SEC championship game.
Jones threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns, and Smith had 15 catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns. In total, Jones threw for 3,739 yards and 32 touchdowns, with just four interceptions to lead No. 1 in Alabama.
Only one team had teammates who finished 1-2 in the history of Heisman: the 1945 army (Doc Blanchard won it, and Glenn Davis finished second).
Along with teammate Najee Harris, who announced Thursday that she finished 5th in the vote, Alabama is the first team with three players in the top five in the 1946 Army Heisman vote.
Smith and Jones are also finalists for the Maxwell Award for the best player in the country.
So did Lawrence, 34-1 as a starter with the Tigers. He is only the second player in Clemson’s history to become a Heisman finalist, joining Deshaun Watson (2015 and 2016). Although Lawrence’s stats aren’t as prolific as Jones’s, all Lawrence does is win. He also proved how valuable he is to the Tigers in their 34-10 victory over Notre Dame in last weekend’s ACC championship game.
Lawrence missed his first match with the Irish while recovering from the coronavirus. Clemson lost in the double overtime. In the rematch, Lawrence had 412 meters of total offense and scored three total touchdowns in a game that was never very close.
After the match, Clemson’s coach, Dabo Swinney, started the lobby on behalf of his defender. “Here’s what I’d say, it would be a tearful shame if Heisman didn’t attach his name to Trevor Lawrence,” Swinney said. “I know it became a statistical award, but if you look at football in college and you don’t know he’s the best player in the country? I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
In nine games this season, Lawrence threw for 2,753 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions and added 211 yards in a hurry and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Trask put together one of the best seasons in Florida school history and that says something, given that three Heisman winners played quarterbacks there. In 11 games, Trask threw a school record of 43 touchdown passes, leading the nation by 11. Trask also leads the nation in court yards (375.0) and set a school record of 4,125. crossing meters – including a school – records five crossing games of 400 yards.
Despite throwing for 408 yards and three touchdowns against Alabama, Florida lost the game to go 8-3. Two consecutive losses to end the season, including one for LSU, could have had an impact on his chances of winning.
On Thursday, the players who finished in the Top 10 in the Heisman voting were also announced. These are: no. 5 Harris; Nr. 6, Iowa State, back Breece Hall; No.7 Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields; No.8 BYU quarterback Zach Wilson; No. 9 Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book; Nr. 10 Florida tight Kyle Pitts.