The four finalists for the 2020 Heisman Memorial Trophy were announced on Thursday, Dec. 24. Voting closed on December 21 and is based solely on the on-field performances of each player from college football's regular season through conference championship games.
This season's recipient will be announced during the Heisman Trophy Ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. The event is being held virtually due to COVID-19.
MORE: Heisman Trophy winners, runners-up since 1935
Here are the 2020 finalists:
NAME | SCHOOL | POSITION | CLASS |
---|---|---|---|
Mac Jones | Alabama | QB | Redshirt junior |
Trevor Lawrence | Clemson | QB | Junior |
Kyle Trask | Florida | QB | Redshirt senior |
DeVonta Smith | Alabama | WR | Senior |
Below is a deeper look at each of this year's finalists.
Mac Jones — Alabama QB
Jones was preparing for his third career start around this time last year. It just goes to show how much things can change in a year. Alabama lost Tua Tagovailoa to the NFL and didn't really miss a beat offensively once Jones became the starting quarterback. The redshirt junior passed for 3,795 yards and 32 touchdowns to just four interceptions in 11 games. He also topped the FBS in completion percentage (76.5) while leading Alabama to an SEC title and a College Football Playoff berth. The Tide have two Heisman Trophy winners, though both were running backs — Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015). But after Jones' first full season under center, the record books in Tuscaloosa might need re-writing.
Trevor Lawrence — Clemson QB
Lawrence has accomplished a lot in two-plus years at Clemson. He's a national champion with three appearances at the College Football Playoff and holds a 34-1 record as a starter. There's really one major box left unchecked and that's the Heisman Trophy. Clemson has never had a Heisman recipient and Lawrence is a finalist for the first time in his career. The junior threw for 2,753 yards and 22 passing touchdowns against four interceptions in nine games while adding seven rushing touchdowns. He missed two games due to COVID-19, which would mean he'd be the first winner to miss a game since Charlie Ward in 1993.
Kyle Trask — Florida QB
There's something about Florida quarterbacks and the Heisman Trophy. Trask has a chance to be the fourth signal-caller in program history to take home college football's most prestigious piece of hardware for an individual. The redshirt senior led the FBS in passing yards (4,125) and passing touchdowns (43) in his first full season as a starter, leading the Gators to the SEC Championship Game. For parts of this season, Trask's numbers were on par with the record-setting campaign that 2019 Heisman winner Joe Burrow put together. We'll find out on January 5 if Trask will join the ranks of Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow as part of Florida's Heisman history.
DeVonta Smith — Alabama WR
Only three wide receivers have ever walked away with the Heisman Trophy and the last was Desmond Howard in 1991. Smith is just the fourth finalist among wideouts since Howard's win. Then again, not many receivers — including past winners and finalists — have produced quite like Smith has this season. The senior led the FBS in receptions (98) and receiving yards (1,511), hauling in 17 touchdowns in 11 games. By comparison, Howard scored 21 total touchdowns to Smith's 19 while the Tide's top wideout amassed over 600 more total yards than Howard, playing in one fewer game. One thing that could hurt Smith's chances is that Mac Jones is also a finalist. But if the votes don't get split among the Tide, Smith could have a shot at joining elite company.
Heisman Trophy: All-time winners
YEAR | WINNER |
---|---|
1935 | Jay Berwanger - RB, Chicago |
1936 | Larry Kelley - TE, Yale |
1937 | Clinton Frank - HB, Yale |
1938 | Davey O’Brien - QB, TCU |
1939 | Nile Kinnick - RB, Iowa |
1940 | Tom Harmon - RB, Michigan |
1941 | Bruce Smith - RB, Minnesota |
1942 | Frank Sinkwich - RB, Georgia |
1943 | Angelo Bertelli - QB, Notre Dame |
1944 | Les Horvath - HB, Ohio State |
1945 | Doc Blanchard - FB, Army |
1946 | Glenn Davis - RB, Army |
1947 | John Lujack - QB, Notre Dame |
1948 | Doak Walker - RB, SMU |
1949 | Leon Hart - TE, Notre Dame |
1950 | Vic Janowicz - RB, Ohio State |
1951 | Dick Kazmaier - RB, Princeton |
1952 | Billy Vessels - RB, Oklahoma |
1953 | John Lattner - RB, Notre Dame |
1954 | Alan Ameche - FB, Wisconsin |
1955 | Howard Cassady - RB, Ohio State |
1956 | Paul Hornung - QB, Notre Dame |
1957 | John David Crow - RB, Texas A&M |
1958 | Pete Dawkins - RB, Army |
1959 | Billy Cannon - RB, LSU |
1960 | Joe Bellino - RB, Navy |
1961 | Ernie Davis - RB, Syracuse |
1962 | Terry Baker - QB, Oregon State |
1963 | Roger Staubach - QB, Navy |
1964 | John Huarte - QB, Notre Dame |
1965 | Mike Garrett - RB, Southern Cal |
1966 | Steve Spurrier - QB, Florida |
1967 | Gary Beban - QB, UCLA |
1968 | O.J. Simpson - RB, Southern Cal |
1969 | Steve Owens - RB, Oklahoma |
1970 | Jim Plunkett - QB, Stanford |
1971 | Pat Sullivan - QB, Auburn |
1972 | Johnny Rodgers - WR, Nebraska |
1973 | John Cappelletti - RB, Penn State |
1974 | Archie Griffin - RB, Ohio State |
1975 | Archie Griffin - RB, Ohio State |
1976 | Tony Dorsett - RB, Pittsburgh |
1977 | Earl Campbell - RB, Texas |
1978 | Billy Sims - RB, Oklahoma |
1979 | Charles White - RB, Southern Cal |
1980 | George Rogers - RB, South Carolina |
1981 | Marcus Allen - RB, Southern Cal |
1982 | Herschel Walker - RB, Georgia |
1983 | Mike Rozier - RB, Nebraska |
1984 | Doug Flutie - QB, Boston College |
1985 | Bo Jackson - RB, Auburn |
1986 | Vinny Testaverde - QB, Miami (Fla.) |
1987 | Tim Brown - WR, Notre Dame |
1988 | Barry Sanders - RB, Oklahoma State |
1989 | Andre Ware - QB, Houston |
1990 | Ty Detmer - QB, Brigham Young |
1991 | Desmond Howard - WR, Michigan |
1992 | Gino Torretta - QB, Miami (Fla.) |
1993 | Charlie Ward - QB, Florida State |
1994 | Rashaan Salaam - RB, Colorado |
1995 | Eddie George - RB, Ohio State |
1996 | Danny Wuerffel - QB, Florida |
1997 | Charles Woodson - CB, Michigan |
1998 | Ricky Williams - RB, Texas |
1999 | Ron Dayne - RB, Wisconsin |
2000 | Chris Weinke - QB, Florida State |
2001 | Eric Crouch - QB, Nebraska |
2002 | Carson Palmer - QB, Southern Cal |
2003 | Jason White - QB, Oklahoma |
2004 | Matt Leinart - QB, Southern Cal |
2005 | Reggie Bush - RB, Southern Cal* |
2006 | Troy Smith - QB, Ohio State |
2007 | Tim Tebow - QB, Florida |
2008 | Sam Bradford - QB, Oklahoma |
2009 | Mark Ingram - RB, Alabama |
2010 | Cam Newton - QB, Auburn |
2011 | Robert Griffin III - QB, Baylor |
2012 | Johnny Manziel - QB, Texas A&M |
2013 | Jameis Winston - QB, Florida State |
2014 | Marcus Mariota - QB, Oregon |
2015 | Derrick Henry - RB, Alabama |
2016 | Lamar Jackson - QB, Louisville |
2017 | Baker Mayfield - QB, Oklahoma |
2018 | Kyler Murray - QB, Oklahoma |
2019 | Joe Burrow - QB, LSU |
* Vacated