Related
Where Alabama stands following a wild week in college football
Alabama's offense is on pace to rewrite the record books
Mac Jones' numbers stacking up to Joe Burrow's Heisman season
Alabama's week off helped the Crimson Tide avoid chaos on a wild weekend in college football. However, Mac Jones now has plenty of company atop the Heisman race. With several candidates showing out over the weekend, this year’s competition appears to be wide open.
Here’s a look at where the top contenders stand heading into Week 11 of the season.
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones
Last week: Jones and Alabama had an open date on their schedule ahead of this week’s trip to LSU.
Season stats: Through six games, Jones has completed 78.5 percent of his passes for 2,196 yards and 16 touchdowns with two interceptions. His 12.4 yards per attempt and 210.32 passer rating leads the nation among quarterbacks who have played at least four games.
Outlook: Jones’ week off put him on the back burner as other contenders continued to shine. The Alabama quarterback is still among the leaders of the pack and will have an excellent opportunity to gain more momentum this week as he faces an LSU team that ranks last in the SEC in passing defense, giving up 335.2 yards per game through the air.
Alabama’s 5 p.m. CT kickoff against LSU will be televised on CBS, setting the stage for Jones to put on a primetime performance in front of a national audience. He’ll need to take advantage of that if he wants to stay ahead in a heated race.
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields
Last week: Fields completed 24 of 28 (85.7 percent) passes for 314 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and also ran in a score during a 49-27 victory over Rutgers.
Season stats: Through three games, Fields has completed 86.7 percent of his passes for 908 yards and 11 touchdowns with no interceptions. He is averaging 10.9 yards per pass attempt and has a 222.38 passer rating. He also has 57 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Outlook: Fields has thrown as many incomplete passes this season (11) as he has thrown touchdowns. The former five-star recruit has completed at least 82 percent in each of his three games this season while making a mockery of Big Ten defenses.
The only problem with his Heisman resume to date has been lack of competition. Nebraska, Penn State and Rutgers are a combined 1-7 this season. Each member of that trio ranks outside of the top 40 in terms of pass defense. Fields should not have much of a test this weekend as he faces a Maryland team that ranks No. 77 in the nation, allowing 247 yards per game through the air.
The highest-ranked passing defense remaining on Ohio State’s schedule is Michigan State, which currently sits at No. 39 in the nation. Given the lack of competition, it will be interesting to see how Fields is judged at the end of the year.
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask
Last week: Trask completed 30 of 43 (69.8 percent) passes for 474 yards and four touchdowns with one interception during a 44-28 victory over Georgia.
Season stats: Through five games, Trask is tied for the nation’s lead with 22 passing touchdowns. He has completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 1,815 yards and has just three interceptions. He’s also added 70 yards on the ground.
Outlook: Trask burst onto the scene this weekend after dismantling a highly-talented Georgia defense. The senior has thrown for at least four touchdowns in each of his five games this season. Even in his lone loss to Texas A&M, he completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 312 yards and four scores.
Now that Trask has the nation’s attention, the trick will be maintaining it. Florida closes its season out with a string of winnable matchups in Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee and LSU. If Trask can cruise through that stretch, it could set up a potential Heisman-deciding matchup against Jones and Alabama in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence
Last week: Lawrence was forced to sit out Clemson’s 47-40 overtime loss to Notre Dame as he missed his second straight week after testing positive for COVID-19.
Season stats: Through six games, Lawrence has completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 1,833 yards and 17 touchdowns with two interceptions. He’s also rushed for 71 yards and four touchdowns.
Outlook: It’s perhaps harsh that Lawrence is this far down the list, but that’s what two weeks on the shelf will do to you. With Clemson off this week, the junior will have to wait until a Nov. 21 trip to Florida State to get back on the field again. The good news is that he’s expected to be available by then.
Lawrence won’t be blamed for losing to Notre Dame. However, he missed a valuable opportunity to defeat a top-five team on the road this past weekend. Clemson should roll in its final three games against Florida State, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. That could give Lawrence another shot at Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game.
Given his marquee status, Lawrence is still very much in this race. However, his time away has decreased his margin of error moving forward.
BYU quarterback Zach Wilson
Last week: Wilson completed 21 of 27 (77.8 percent) passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions while also adding another score with his legs during a 51-17 victory over Boise State.
Season stats: Through eight games, Wilson leads the nation with 30 total touchdowns. He has completed 75.1 percent of his passes for 2,512 yards. He’s tied for the nation’s lead with 22 passing touchdowns and has thrown just two interceptions. He is averaging 11.4 yards per attempt and has a 201.63 passer rating. He also has 158 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Outlook: Can the Heisman Trophy really go to a BYU player? At the moment, probably not. However, Wilson remains on the peripheral after continuing to post big numbers every week.
The dual-threat passer will need to continue his success and hope some of the Power Five contenders ahead of him slip up in order to really have a shot. Although, as long as he keeps BYU among the nation’s top teams, he’ll remain a contender.
Alabama running back Najee Harris
Last week: Harris and Alabama had an open date on their schedule ahead of this week’s trip to LSU.
Season stats: Through six games, Harris is averaging 5.76 yards per carry and has 714 rushing yards. He is tied for the nation’s lead with 14 touchdowns on the ground. He has also recorded 20 receptions for 183 yards.
Outlook: With Clemson running back Travis Etienne likely dipping out of the race with a less-than-stellar showing against Notre Dame, Harris remains the likeliest of the non-quarterback candidates to win the Heisman. Still, the Alabama back is probably going to need a bit of help.
If the quarterbacks on this list keep performing at record rates, it’s going to be tough for Harris to keep up. However, we’re not counting the senior out of the race just yet. Harris is still tied for the nation’s lead with 14 touchdowns and is averaging a steady 119 yards per game on the ground against SEC defenses.
A big game against LSU this week could give him the spark he needs heading into a crucial month of November. Last season, Harris gashed the Tigers for 146 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while also recording three catches for 44 yards and another score through the air.