Joe Burrow and Justin Fields Headline List of Heisman Trophy Finalists

The Heisman Trophy finalists were announced on Monday night, with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Ohio State defensive end Chase Young and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts all being named.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Heisman Trophy finalists were announced on Monday night, with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields headlining the list.

Ohio State's Chase Young (DE) and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts round out the four finalists.

Burrow has been the frontrunner to win the award for most of the year while leading LSU to an undefeated season (13–0). He tallied 4,715 yards with 48 touchdowns with the highest pass completion percentage in the nation (77.9). The senior shattered single-season school records for passing touchdowns (41) and yards (4,014) while throwing just six interceptions. Burrow capped off his dominant season by throwing four TDs in LSU's 37–10 win over Georgia to capture the SEC championship last weekend.

Fields, a sophomore who transferred to Ohio State this season, started the season on a high note and never looked back. He exploded during the Buckeyes' season opener against Florida Atlantic by finishing with a record five touchdowns—the most by any player during their Ohio State debut. In Week 4, he totaled six touchdowns in the second quarter of Ohio State's 76–5 win over Miami (OH). Fields recorded 2,953 yards with 40 touchdowns and one interception during Ohio State's 13–0 season. He sprained his MCL late in the season against Penn State but played with a brace on his knee to beat Michigan and then Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game.

Young dominated the football landscape this year while leading the nation in sacks (16.5) and forced fumbles (7). He broke Ohio State's single-season sacks record, which was previously held by Vernon Gholston, who recorded 14 in 2007. Young also added 44 tackles on the season while leading the Big Ten in tackles for loss (21). The junior served a two-game suspension in November due to an NCAA eligibility issue concerning a loan he borrowed from a family friend in 2017. 

Hurts's name hasn't come up as much in Heisman talks in recent weeks, but his numbers back up his big season. After transferring to Oklahoma for his senior season, he put up a career-high 3,634 yards with 32 TDs and seven interceptions. He added 1,255 rushing yards and 18 scores. Hurts led the Sooners to a 30–23 overtime win over Baylor last weekend to win the Big 12 championship and reach the College Football Playoff semifinals.