Justin Fields Edges Trevor Lawrence as Heisman Favorite

Ohio State quarterback noses past high school, college rival for top honor

With America starved for sports during the Coronavirus pandemic, and with the Ohio State-Clemson rivalry inflamed by the Buckeyes narrow loss to the Tigers in the College Football Playoff, the perfect storm exists for an ardent debate about quarterbacks Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence.

It's not difficult to envision the two kids from Georgia who grew up about 20 miles from each other but never played against each other in high school facing off three times in the next year:

First, in New York City in early December for the Heisman Trophy.

Second, in a College Football Playoff rematch, perhaps for the national championship.

Third, next April for the No. 1 spot in the NFL Draft.

Competing with each other won't be anything new for Fields, the Buckeyes' starter, and Lawrence. The two were po-TATE-a/po-TA-ta picks for the nation's No. 1 QB going into their high school senior seasons.

Back then, Fields was committed to Penn State, Lawrence to Clemson and the nation's No. 3 QB, Emory Jones, was bound for Ohio State.

Entering the presumed post-pandemic 2020 college football season, Lawrence has a national title and a runner-up finish under his belt with the Tigers, Fields has transferred from Georgia to OSU and Jones never showed up in Columbus, flipping to Florida on National Signing Day.

Fields passed for 41 touchdowns and ran for 10 last season, while Lawrence passed for 36 TDs and rushed for nine.

Fields is 13-1 as a college starter.

Lawrence is 25-1.

Las Vegas sports book William Hill has installed Fields at 3 1/2:1 for the Heisman and Lawrence at 4:1.

As for the top pick in the draft, Kiper has Trevor Lawrence on top of his board right now, but says, "it's not out of the question that Justin Fields could overtake Trevor Lawrence."

Justin Fields is super talented. Could he really pass Trevor Lawrence as the top quarterback in next year's draft? pic.twitter.com/6BJcE8E6vb

— Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) May 5, 2020

He labels the competition between the two for the top spot akin to, "Affirmed and Alydar," two racehorses who finished within a length of each other in all three Triple Crown races in 1978.

"Make no mistake about it," Kiper said. "Justin Fields is right there...By the time we get to late April, if things fall and come together the way we expect, boy, you're going to have a lot of discussion about these two and about who really is the best quarterback in this draft."

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