Alabama's Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith Headline 2020 Heisman Trophy Finalists
The finalists for the Heisman Trophy were announced Thursday night, with Alabama's dynamic duo of wideout DeVonta Smith and quarterback Mac Jones headlining the list.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask were also named finalists.
Smith is currently the favorite to win the award. He's be just the fourth first wide receiver to win the Heisman and the first since Desmond Howard won the award in 1991. The last wide receiver to finish in the top two of the Heisman voting was Larry Fitzgerald in 2003, who was runner-up to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White. Oklahoma's Dede Westbrook was the last wideout to be a Heisman finalist in 2016.
Smith has terrorized opposing secondaries all year, leading the country in receptions (98) and receiving yards (1,511) with 17 receiving touchdowns. He's also averaging 24.9 yards per punt return with one score. He's topped 100 receiving yards in seven out of 11 games this season, twice reaching the 200-yard mark.
Jones has spear-headed the Alabama passing attack. He ranks first in the nation in completion percentage (76.5%), yards per pass attempt (11.4) and passer rating (202.3). He has 32 touchdown passes and just four interceptions. Jones's passer rating is just ahead of the all-time single-season record of 202.0 set by last year's Heisman winner Joe Burrow.
Lawrence has only played in nine games this season after a midseason COVID-19 diagnosis but has been his typical stellar self, setting career highs in completion percentage (69.2%), yards per pass attempt (9.6) and passer rating (172.7). He's thrown 22 touchdowns and four interceptions with seven rushing scores. Lawrence finished seventh in Heisman voting last season.
Trask leads the nation with 4,125 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns. The senior has five 400-yard passing games this season, including in each of his last three games.