Alabama lost a former Heisman Trophy finalist in Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. However, the Crimson Tide returns a roster full of playmakers capable of putting up big numbers this fall. While Alabama might not have a sure-fire Heisman candidate when it kicks off against Southern California on Sept. 5, here are a few names who have a chance of making it to New York in December.
*All Heisman odds were compiled from the FanDuel Sportsbook
Mac Jones, quarterback
2019 stats
Games: 12 (four starts)
Completion percentage: 68.8 (97 of 141)
Passing yards: 1,503
Passing Touchdowns: 14
Interceptions: 3
Heisman odds: +2500
Why he can win it: First off, he’s a quarterback on a team who figures to be a strong contender to make the College Football Playoff. Since the turn of the century, 17 of the last 20 Heisman winners have played quarterback, including the last four.
The other thing Jones has going for him is a loaded offense that still features two elite receivers, the nation’s top backfield and a deep group of returning offensive linemen to provide the blocking. On top of all that, the right-hander showed last season that he can put up Heisman numbers, completing 71.4 percent of his passes for 1,172 yards and 13 touchdowns with two interceptions over his four starts.
Why he won’t win it: While Jones demonstrated his capability late last season, his success still came in a relatively small sample size. His 327 yards and three touchdowns against a good Michigan defense in the Citrus Bowl were promising, but he won’t have a month to prepare for the weekly gauntlet of similarly strong SEC sides this season.
More importantly, we don’t even know if Jones will be behind center for Alabama. The redshirt junior enters spring camp as the favorite to retain his starting job but will have to fend off five-star freshman Bryce Young, who was the No. 2 rated player in this year’s recruiting class, as well as Taulia Tagovailoa.
Bryce Young, quarterback
Heisman odds: +5000
Why he can win it: Bryce Young has the potential to be the most electrifying player Alabama has ever had behind center. Yes, that includes the last guy. The dual-threat dynamo was named the Gatorade Football Player of the Year in California last year, completing 72.6 percent of his passes for 4,528 yards and 58 touchdowns with six interceptions while adding another 357 yards and 10 more scores on the ground.
Young arrived at Alabama as an early enrollee and will be able to compete for the starting job this spring. We’ve already seen Jalen Hurts rise to the starting ranks in his first season with the Crimson Tide in 2016 when he earned SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Young appears to have more arm talent and could make an even bigger impact if given the reigns this year.
Why he won’t win it: While Young has Heisman talent, his biggest obstacle is the man in front of him. Unlike Hurts in 2016, Young will have to beat out a quality passer for the starting job. Even if he does beat out Jones for the role, there’s no guarantee he will do so in time to compile the necessary numbers to beat out other Heisman contenders.
Najee Harris, running back
2019 stats
Games: 13 (12 starts)
Rushing yards: 1,224
Yards per carry: 5.86
Rushing touchdowns: 13
Receiving yards: 304
Receiving touchdowns: 7
Heisman odds: +6000
Why he can win it: Alabama’s only two Heisman winners — Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram — were running backs, so maybe the next Crimson Tide player to earn the award will also come out of the backfield. After electing to return for his senior season, Najee Harris is among the top non-quarterbacks in contention for the award.
The former five-star recruit is coming off a stellar year where he served as the Crimson Tide’s bell-cow back, tallying six 100-yard games on the ground. Harris also showed he can be a multi-dimensional threat, recording both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in three separate games. His 190 combined yards and two touchdowns against LSU nearly spurred Alabama to a second-half comeback.
Harris appeared to find his stride midway through the season. If he can keep up that production over the course of an entire year, he has the potential to be the top back in the country.
Why he won’t win it: While Harris has the chance to improve even further this season, he might find it difficult to match last year’s numbers. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound back had four games with 20 or more carries. For perspective, Damien Harris, Alabama’s leading rusher from the year before, never carried the ball more than 20 times in his four-year career. Alabama not only returns Najee Harris this year but also fellow five-star back Trey Sanders as well as Brian Robinson Jr. and Keilan Robinson. The Crimson Tide also brings in three four-star freshmen in Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams and Kyle Edwards.
Taulia Tagovailoa, quarterback
2019 stats
Games: 5
Completion percentage: 75 (9 of 12)
Passing yards: 100
Passing Touchdowns: 1
Interceptions: 0
Heisman odds: +6000
Why he can win it: Surprised to see Taulia Tagovailoa with the same odds to win as Najee Harris? We are a bit shocked, too. However, if the sophomore can win the starting quarterback job at Alabama, he’ll naturally be a contender for the honor.
Taulia looked solid in his limited action on the field, showing good escapability during his appearance against Arkansas. During his senior year at Thompson (Ala.) High School, he became the first player to have at least four 400-yard passing performances in his career. We’ve learned better than to discount anyone with the last name of Tagovailoa.
Why he won’t win it: At the moment, it looks as if Mac Jones and Bryce Young are the two leaders for the starting quarterback role. While no one is counting out Taulia, he might have too far to climb to see an extended amount of playing time this season.
Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver
2019 stats
Games: 13 (three starts)
Receptions: 33
Receiving yards: 560
Receiving touchdowns: 6
Punt return average: 24.35
Punt return touchdowns: 1
Kick return average: 35.00
Kick return touchdowns: 1
Heisman odds: +8000
Why he can win it: Waddle has already put up solid numbers for Alabama the past two seasons despite not being one of the Crimson Tide’s three starters at the position. This year the junior steps into a first-team role where he will join DeVonta Smith as the two primary targets on an offense that has ranked in the top six in passing the past two seasons.
While receivers don’t typically win the Heisman, Waddle brings another element to his game through special teams. Last year, the speedy playmaker led the nation averaging 24.35 yards per punt return, including a 77-yard touchdown against LSU. He also averaged 35 yards on five kick returns, including a 98-yard score against Auburn.
Why he won’t win it: Receivers just don’t win this award. Since the Heisman was first handed out in 1935, just three wideouts — Johnny Rodgers (1972), Tim Brown (1987) and Desmond Howard (1991) — have claimed the honor. While Waddle should see an increase in production, he’ll still be competing for catches with Smith, who led Alabama in receiving last season. There’s also the matter of potentially breaking in a new quarterback which could hamper some of the receiving numbers.
DeVonta Smith, wide receiver
2019 stats
Games: 13 (11 starts)
Receptions: 68
Receiving yards: 1,163
Receiving touchdowns: 14
Heisman odds: +10000
Why he’ll win it: DeVonta Smith is coming off one of the best seasons any Alabama receiver has ever had. His 1,163 receiving yards rank third in the school’s single-season record books while his 14 touchdown catches are tied for second.
Smith is no stranger to Heisman moments either. During last season’s game against Ole Miss, he set Alabama’s single-game records for receiving yards (274) and receiving touchdowns (5). He also has a way of coming up in big games. Smith had seven catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns against LSU. There’s also that memorable touchdown grab against Georgia in the 2018 national championship game.
Why he won’t win it: Unlike Waddle, Smith doesn’t feature in the return game, and it's unlikely he will put up enough stats at the receiver position to win the award. With Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III now gone, defenses might begin to key in on him more this season which could result in double teams. Last year, we saw Jeudy go through dry spells when defenses shaded his way.
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