Alabama duo highlights Heisman finalists
The 2020 Heisman trophy finalists were announced Thursday, and Alabama turned in a dominant showing.
The Crimson Tide saw two players make the final list of nominees, with quarterback Mac Jones and wide receiver DeVonta Smith getting the nod. The pair joins Florida quarterback Kyle Trask and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence on the ballot.
The award will be handed out virtually Jan. 5.
Alabama is the 2nd school to have 3 of the top-5 players (DeVonta Smith, Mac Jones, Najee Harris) in the Heisman Trophy voting in a single year.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 25, 2020
The Crimson Tide join 1946 Army (Arnie Tucker, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis). Army had 1, 4 and 5 spots that year. pic.twitter.com/1VIccZgfqO
Here's info on the four finalists:
Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Year: Redshirt junior
Key stats: 3,739 passing yards, 32 TDs, 76% completion
No Tua Tagovailoa, no problem for Alabama. Despite losing the star quarterback, the Crimson Tide offense remained among the best in the sport, largely thanks to the emergence of Jones. The redshirt junior built on his experience last season to turn in one of the best seasons for a quarterback in school history. Jones is second in the country for passing yards and third in touchdowns, helping the Crimson Tide go 11-0 and hold the No. 1 ranking in the country ahead of the College Football Playoff. Should Jones receive the most votes, he'll become the first quarterback from Alabama to claim the award.
DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Year: Senior
Key stats: 1,511 receiving yards, 19 total TDs
Whether he wins the Heisman or not, there's nobody better at their position in college football than DeVonta Smith. The Alabama wideout leads the country in receiving yards with 1,511, a whopping 318 more than second place. He also leads the country in receptions and is tops among Power 5 players in touchdown catches. If that wasn't enough, he also added a rushing score and a punt return touchdown this season. While many seem to be warming up to the idea of Smith winning the Heisman, it would be a groundbreaking victory. No receiver has won the award since Desmond Howard in 1991.
Kyle Trask, QB, Florida
Year: Senior
Key stats: 4,125 passing yards, 43 passing TDs, 69.7% completion
If the Heisman was being awarded on statistics alone, Trask would be the runaway winner for the 2020 season. The Florida senior was a scoring machine over the Gators' 11 games, throwing for an absurd 43 touchdowns - 10 more than second place. He also led the country in passing yards and had just one game where he threw fewer than three touchdowns. Should he win the Heisman, he'll become the fourth Florida quarterback to do so, joining Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, and Tim Tebow.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Year: Junior
Key stats: 2,753 passing yards, 29 total TDs
If Lawrence doesn't cap his incredible college career with a Heisman, the reason might end up being COVID-19. The Clemson star was hit with the virus during the season, causing him to miss two games. The Tigers also had a game canceled due to the pandemic, further hurting his chances to pad his stats. That being said, his numbers per game are incredible, and there's a strong chance he leads Clemson to the national title game for the third straight season. Whether that will be enough to win the trophy remains to be seen, but there's no debate as to who the best quarterback in the country is.
Heisman Top 10 vote getters after 4 finalists:
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 25, 2020
5-Alabama RB Najee Harris
6-Iowa State RB Breece Hall
7-Ohio State QB Justin Fields
8-BYU QB Zach Wilson
9-Notre Dame QB Ian Book
10-Florida TE Kyle Pitts