A final look at the Heisman Trophy finalists
The wait is nearly over. Alabama will find out tonight if it adds another Heisman Trophy winner as the award will be presented during a virtual ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Crimson Tide has two finalists for the honor as quarterback Mac Jones and receiver DeVonta Smith are joined by Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.
While each of the four finalists participated in bowl games last week, those performances will not factor into tonight’s decision as the deadline for Heisman voting was on Dec. 21. As of Dec. 30 Smith was listed as the odds-on favorite for the award at -240 (Bet $100 to win $41), according to the FanDual Sportsbook. Mac Jones had the next best odds at +210 followed by Lawrence (+750) and Trask (+4300).
Alabama has had two previous Heisman winners in running backs Derrick Henry (2015) and Mark Ingram (2009). Henry was the last non-quarterback to win the award. If Smith wins, he will be the first receiver to claim the honor since Desmond Howard in 1991.
Here’s a final look at how this season’s Heisman finalists stacked up:
Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith
Season stats: Smith leads the nation in receptions (105), receiving yards (1,641) and receiving touchdowns (20). He’s also averaging 24.33 yards on nine punt returns with an 84-yard touchdown against Arkansas. Smith also has a rushing touchdown to his name.
Why he should win: Smith is the most electrifying player in college football. He leads the nation in each of the three biggest receiving stats and has developed into a dangerous weapon in the return game as well. After Jaylen Waddle went down to injury, Smith stepped up as the focal point of Alabama’s offense. Opposing defenses have tried to take him out of games, but so far no one has.
Since Waddle’s injury, Smith has recorded 100 or more yards in six of his last eight games. The senior receiver has two 200-yard games this season and has recorded multiple touchdowns in six of his last seven outings.
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones
Season stats: Jones leads the nation with a 77 percent completion rate and is the first Alabama quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season, passing for 4,036 yards and 36 touchdowns with four interceptions. He also leads the nation in quarterback efficiency rating (203.03) and yards per attempt (11.3) while his touchdowns and yards through the air rank second. Jones has also a rushing touchdown to his name.
Why he should win: Jones is the motor behind the nation’s most explosive offense. After playing behind former Heisman finalists Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts earlier in his career, Jones burst onto the scene this season. The redshirt junior has passed for 400 or more yards four times and has thrown four or more touchdowns on seven occasions. He is currently on pace to set the NCAA single-season record for passer efficiency and completion percentage.
Jones has also stepped up in big moments. Over his last two outings — the SEC Championship Game and the Rose Bowl — he has combined to complete 79.45 percent (58 of 73) of his passes for 715 yards and nine touchdowns with one interception.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence
Season stats: Lawrence has completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,153 yards and 24 touchdowns with five interceptions. He’s also added 203 yards and eight more scores on the ground.
Why he should win: If you are looking for the most talented player in college football, this is your guy. Lawrence will almost certainly become the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft and appears destined for a prolific professional career. His numbers this season would have been better had he not been forced to miss two games after testing positive for COVID-19. Even in his lone loss of the season, he threw for 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. Fortunately for Lawrence, that defeat came after the ballots were cast.
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask
Season stats: Trask leads the nation in both passing yards (4,283) and passing touchdowns (43) while throwing eight interceptions. His 180.9 passer efficiency rating ranks No. 7 in the nation while his 68.9 completion percentage ranks No. 11. Trask has also added three more scores on the ground, giving him a nation’s best 46 combined touchdowns.
Why he should win: Look at all those touchdowns. Trask has seven more passing touchdowns than Jones, who ranks second in the nation. The Florida quarterback also threw for 400 or more yards on five occasions, including three times in his final four games. While Trask suffered four losses on the season, he only performed poorly in one of them, throwing three interceptions during a Cotton Bowl defeat to Oklahoma. Fortunately for him, that game came after the voting deadline.
BamaInsider staff picks
Tony Tsoukalas — DeVonta Smith: This is a tough decision, but I have to go with DeVonta Smith. He’s the first name you circle when trying to shut down Alabama’s offense, and defenses still can’t find a way to limit him. In any other year, this award could have easily gone to Mac Jones. However, Smith just put together perhaps the best ever season by a receiver.
Kyle Henderson — DeVonta Smith: Along with having the best nickname in college football, the "Slim Reaper," DeVonta Smith, in my mind, has put together the most impressive performance by a receiver ever. His 105 receptions for 1,641 yards with 20 touchdowns is mind-blowing. Add his one rushing touchdown and his punt return against Arkansas, the numbers scream greatness. DeVonta Smith is a living legend in college football.
Andrew Bone — DeVonta Smith: Best player in college football. He makes big plays every single week. Alabama is wide receiver U. His name will live at the top of the list for a long time. He will go down as one of the best to ever perform at the college level. Give the man his trophy!
Mick Gillispie — Mac Jones: Mac Jones would get my first-place vote in a slim margin over Devonta Smith. He has provided leadership that is essential to winning. Jones has played with intelligence, and the touch on his deep ball is the best in college football. He has also done an awesome job getting DeVonta Smith the ball and distributing to other targets. The Alabama offense runs through Mac Jones.
Trey Yanity — DeVonta Smith: Do you even need an explanation? There are so many facets to the “Slim Reaper’s” game, but the one I want to highlight, that I believe has won him this Heisman, is his footwork. Catch one, touchdown one in Friday’s College Football Playoff Semifinal illustrates it beautifully. There are a hundred different things I could point to, but his feet, the same ones that crossed the goal line on 2nd and 26, are what I believe has set his career apart from any receiver that has ever played at the college level.
Mathey Gibson — DeVonta Smith: There’s not a more impactful player in college football than No. 6. Smith, AKA the “Slim Reaper,” has torched opposing defenses on his way to tallying 105 receptions, 1,641 yards and 22 total TDs in a mere 12 games. If those aren’t Heisman-worthy numbers, I don’t know what are.
