Heisman watch: DeVonta Smith pulls ahead with Mac Jones close behind

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Alabama has a good chance of adding a new Heisman Trophy winner as three of its star players are among the award’s biggest contenders. Quarterback Mac Jones, receiver DeVonta Smith and running back Najee Harris all had standout performances during the SEC Championship Game over the weekend, increasing their odds of joining Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram as the two Tide players to earn the honor.

According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, Smith has become the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman at 10-17 odds. Jones has the next best odds at 17-10 and is followed by Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (19-1), Florida quarterback Kyle Trask (19-1) and Harris (24-1).

The voting deadline for the award is Dec. 21, and finalists will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 24. Before that, here’s a look at how the top contenders stack up following their conference championship games.

Last week: Smith recorded 15 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns during Alabama’s 52-46 victory over Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

Season stats: Through 11 games, Smith leads the nation with 1,511 receiving yards and 98 receptions and ranks second with 17 receiving touchdowns. He is averaging 24.88 yards on eight punt returns, including an 84-yard touchdown against Arkansas. He also has a rushing touchdown.

Outlook: Once again, Smith came up big when Alabama needed him most. It was the senior receiver’s 15-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter that ultimately gave the Tide enough of a lead to hold on against a surging Florida offense. Smith also recovered a fumble after fellow receiver John Metchie III jarred the ball loose from Gators cornerback Trey Dean III during an interception return in the first quarter. On the next play, Smith hauled in a 31-yard touchdown reception from Jones to put Alabama up 14-7.

Smith’s 184-yard performance marked his seventh 100-yard game of the season. All but one of those saw him record 150 or more yards. His 15 receptions were a school single-game record and marked his fourth double-digit catch outing of the season. Will that be enough to make him the first receiver to win the Heisman since Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991?

The stats seem to suggest it could happen.

Smith has 36 more receptions and 526 more receiving yards than Howard did in his Heisman season. Howard had 21 touchdowns from scrimmage (19 receiving, two rushing) compared to Smith’s 18 scores (17 receiving, one rushing). Howard also had two special teams touchdowns compared to Smith’s one. Still, the Alabama receiver has made a strong case.

Last week: Jones completed 33 of 43 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns with an interception during Alabama’s 52-46 victory over Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

Season stats: Through 11 games, Jones leads the nation in completion percentage (76.4), passer efficiency (202.34) and yards per attempt (11.4). He ranks second in the nation with 32 touchdowns and has thrown just four interceptions. Jones also has a rushing touchdown to his name.

Outlook: While Harris and Smith received more attention over the weekend, Jones certainly didn’t do anything to hurt his Heisman chances. His 33 completions and 418 passing yards were both SEC Championship Game records. He also recorded the fourth 400-yard game of his career, passing Tua Tagovailoa for most by an Alabama player.

Jones was 13 of 15 for 151 yards in the second half against Florida. His lone blemish on the game came during the first quarter when he was intercepted by Dean on the Tide’s second drive. Dean fumbled the ball during the return, giving Alabama possession back at the Gators’ 31-yard line. Jones then responded with his first touchdown pass of the game on the next play.

If there’s one knock on Jones’ SEC Championship Game performance it’s that he relied too heavily on Alabama’s other Heisman contenders. All five of his touchdown passes were to either Smith or Harris, who combined for 20 receptions for 251 yards through the air. It will be interesting to see if that costs Jones in the voting. However, it’s hard to fault the Alabama quarterback for using the weapons in front of him.

Last week: Lawrence earned MVP honors, completing 25 of 36 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns with an interception while rushing for 90 yards and another score during Clemson’s 34-10 victory over Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game.

Season stats: Through nine games, Lawrence has completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns with four interceptions. He has also added 211 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Outlook: Following Clemson’s win in the ACC Championship Game, Dabo Swinney said “It would be a crying shame if the Heisman Trophy doesn't attach its name to Trevor Lawrence." While the other contenders on this list might beg to differ, the Clemson quarterback should certainly be in the conversation given his strong performance against a quality Notre Dame defense.

Lawerence’s numbers don’t quite match those of Jones and Trask as he was forced to miss two games after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this season. With this year being such a tight race, that disparity could end up hurting him when it comes to the voters. On the other hand, Lawrence might benefit from Alabama having three contenders as the Tide’s top candidates might pull first-place votes from one another.

Last week: Trask completed 26 of 40 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns without an interception while also running in a touchdown during Florida’s 52-46 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Season stats: Through 11 games, Trask leads the nation with 43 passing touchdowns and 4,125 yards through the air while throwing just five interceptions. He ranks fifth in passer efficiency rating (186.65) and eighth in completion percentage (69.7). Trask has also added three touchdowns on the ground.

Outlook: Trask wasn’t able to pull out the victory Saturday, but that was due to no fault of his own. The senior’s 408 yards are the most an opposing quarterback has thrown against Alabama since Deshaun Watson recorded 420 yards and three touchdowns through the air during the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The performance also marked Trask’s third straight 400-yard game, giving him five on the season.

Still, the defeat likely did in his Heisman chances. Trask isn’t just the only contender with a loss on his resume (Lawrence didn’t play during Clemson’s lone defeat to Notre Dame earlier this season), he has three of them. It will likely be tough for voters to ignore that Trask failed to lead his team to victory in his final two games, especially since the last loss came at the hands of three of the other contenders on this list.

Last week: Harris earned MVP honors carrying the ball 31 times for 178 yards and two touchdowns while adding five receptions for 67 yards and three more scores through the air during Alabama’s 52-46 victory over Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

Season stats: Through 11 games, Harris leads the nation with 24 rushing touchdowns. He ranks third in the nation and leads the SEC with 1,262 yards on the ground. Harris also has 32 receptions for 316 yards and three more scores through the air.

Outlook: Following the SEC Championship Game, Harris said he wasn’t too concerned about winning the Heisman, stating that his fellow teammates Smith and Jones were worthy candidates for the award. Nevertheless, the Alabama running back’s five-touchdown performance has surged him into the Heisman discussion.

Harris has more total touchdowns (27) than Smith (19). It’s also worth noting that in Alabama’s two closest games — Ole Miss and Florida — the senior back combined for 493 total yards and 10 total touchdowns.

Had the Tide needed to rely on its running game more this season, Harris’ numbers would have been undoubtedly higher. Still, he’s proven to be the nation’s top back and has vaulted himself into contention for college football’s biggest individual honor.