The Case For and Against Each 2020 Heisman Trophy Finalist
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Since the creation of what is now called the Heisman Trophy in 1935, the award given by New York City’s Downtown Athletic Club is the pinnacle of college football for individual honors. The names etched in the history of the game are ever-present today, players like TCU’s Davey O’Brien (1938), SMU’s Doak Walker (1948), and Texas’ Earl Campbell (1977) help acknowledge greatness from year to year in position specific categories. Although named after an offensive lineman, John Heisman, the one-time “running back award” has largely shifted to a quarterback MVP spotlight since Houston’s Andre Ware took home the trophy in 1989 with 21 quarterbacks following suit. But how will the voters this year cast their ballots, to the game’s best player or the best player on college football’s top team?
The four finalists for the Heisman Trophy are Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, and Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Who will be the winner, or who is deserving of the honor?
Heisman Trophy Finalists
Kyle Trask – Florida
Trask enters the 2020 postseason having guided the Florida Gators through an 8-3 SEC only schedule claiming the East Division title with a 52-46 conference championship game loss to No. 1 Alabama. Trask leads the nation in completions (285), yards (4,125), and touchdowns (43) all while completing 69.7 percent of his passes with just five interceptions attempting the third most passes in the FBS ranks (409). The senior gunslinger has thrown for over 400 yards five times with an end of season streak of three consecutive games. Other superlatives, at least two passing touchdowns in each game this season with a streak of four or more in six consecutive games to start the season.
The Knock
Twice this year Trask was held to under 300 yards passing, against South Carolina and Kentucky. But in both games he was on-point completing 72.4 percent of his passes with four scores against the Gamecocks and hit 21 of 27 verses the Wildcats with three touchdowns. The Gators played three ranked teams during the season going 1-2 dropping contests to then- No. 21 Texas A&M (41-38) and Alabama. Although throwing for over 400 yards against both LSU and Alabama with five total touchdowns, Florida ended the season on a two-game losing streak.
Florida (8-3): Key win vs. No. 5 Georgia; key losses to No. 21 Texas A&M, LSU, and No. 1 Alabama
Notes: Ranked No. 10 playing No. 6 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl
Trevor Lawrence – Clemson
Might voters see this as their last chance to vote for Trevor Lawrence in the Heisman catapulting him atop the finalists? Perhaps viewed as a career honor in voting him No. 1, Lawrence has been a mainstay with the Tigers since his 3,280-yard 30-TD season in 2018. His sophomore season was another highlight reel producing campaign tossing for 3,665 yards and 36 touchdowns as Clemson went 14-1 (8-0 ACC) on the way to a runner-up finish against LSU (42-25) last season.
The Knock
The award is supposed to be on a year-by-year basis, which would put Lawrence at the bottom of this year’s Heisman quarterback finalist. Whether he is the “best” quarterback or not with the best NFL career ahead (not part of the voting), statistically he is not on par with Trask or Jones. Lawrence is 11th overall in passing yards (2,753) with a 22:4 touchdown/interception ratio and did not lead the ACC in passing yards. Completing passes at 69.2 percent clip is fantastic, but is behind both Trask and Jones.
Lawrence missed two games during the season hurting his statistical tallies. In the nine games played, he went over 300 yards five times passing for under 200 yards twice (Citadel and Virginia Tech). In his absence, true freshman starter DJ Uiagalelei threw for 342 yards with two touchdowns against Boston College and against then- No. 4 Notre Dame on the road he threw for 439 yards with two scores without an interception.
Clemson (10-1, 8-1): Key wins against No. 7 Miami and No. 2 Notre Dame; key loss to No. 4 Notre Dame
Notes: Made the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed facing No. 3 Ohio State
DeVonta Smith – Alabama
No matter how one chops it up, DeVonta Smith has been the most prolific receiver in the country during the 2020 season. The senior wideout leads the nation in receptions (98) and yards (1,511) ending second overall in receiving touchdowns (17). Six times Smith rolled over the 100-yard mark in a game, twice going over 200 yards. The productivity has also landed him as a finalist for the Biletnikoff, Hornung, and Maxwell Player of the Year awards.
If a career honor was to be bestowed, Smith is the guy. Smith holds all-time Alabama records in receiving yards (3,620) and single-season touchdowns (17). The final campaign pushed him past former Alabama receiver Amari Cooper and Florida target Chris Doering (31) atop the SEC career TD list at 40. Smith is within striking distance of former Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews (139 yards) for the all-time mark in SEC receiving yards.
The Knock
Apples to apples, Smith’s teammate Jaylen Waddle was the one on pace to scorch the earth racking up 25 receptions for 557 yards with four touchdowns four games into the season until suffering a season ending injury against Georgia. But Smith was not far off with 38 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns in those same four contests. The likelihood of Smith winning, especially with another teammate in the running which may take away votes, is very slim. The last non-running back or quarterback to hoist the Heisman was Michigan corner/punt returner Charles Woodson in 1997. As a return specialist, Smith has taken eight punts back for 199 yards with one touchdown and three kicks for 46. Will that move the needle?
Mac Jones – Alabama
Is running the nation’s best scoring offense, with more than four games played, enough? The Crimson Tide are putting 49.7 points per game up on the board in the nation’s fourth most prolific overall attack (again, excluding Kent State) averaging 543.9 yards per game. Mac Jones is second in the country in passing yards (3,739) but leads all in completion percentage (76.5) and QB Rating (202.3) while sporting a 32:4 touchdown/interception ratio. Jones is just 386 passing yards behind Trask while attempting 82 fewer passes (409/327).
The Knock
While Jones has four times gone over 400 yards in a game, seven times over 300 in total, he has been held under the 300-yard passing mark four times. In the outing that initially does not look great on paper, the junior was limited to 208 yards without a touchdown against Arkansas, but completed 24 of 29 passes in the 52-3 romp. Tennessee also kept Jones out of the end zone, but he did light them up for 387 yards on 25 of 31 passing.
Alabama (11-0): Key wins vs. No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 3 Georgia, No. 22 Auburn, and No. 7 Florida
Notes: Made the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed to face No. 4 Notre Dame
Photo credit: IndyStar.com; No. 10 Mac Jones