Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith, along with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Florida’s Kyle Trask have been named finalists for the Heisman Trophy. The Heisman will be awarded on January 5 during a virtual ceremony. The corona pandemic forced the usual trip to New York for the trophy presentation that normally comes with being a finalist.
Jones and Smith are the eighth teammates to be finalists together since the tradition began in 1982. Smith is aiming to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard of Michigan in 1991.
If it isn’t Smith leading the nation in receptions (98) and receiving yards (1,511), the winner will be a quarterback for the 13th time in the past 15 years.
Jones leads the nation in efficiency (202.34), completion rate (76.5) and yards per pass (11.4), with 32 touchdown passes.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide will play No. 4 Notre Dame in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff on January 1.
Jones or Smith was going to be Alabama’s third Heisman winner, but that’s not going back first. Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015) were the first Heisman winners of the Tide.
Lawrence was the preseason favorite to win the award, but missing two games after signing COVID-19 slowed his campaign. The junior quarterback and presumptive first selection in the next NFL draft did not play against Boston College and Notre Dame.
He did play in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship rematch against the Fighting Irish last weekend and led the Tigers to a massive victory. In the season, Lawrence threw for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns in nine games, making Clemson into the playoff for the third time in his career.
No. 2 Clemson plays No. 3 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl semi-finals on Jan. 1. Lawrence would be the Tigers’ first Heisman winner.
Trask leads the country with 43 touchdown passes and 4,125 yards. The senior tries to join Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow as a Heisman-winning Florida quarterback.
The rest of the top 10 were revealed in sequence, starting with Alabama running back to Najee Harris.
Iowa State running back Breece Hall was sixth, followed by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.