Two Alabama teammates, quarterback Mac Jones and wide receiver DeVonta Smith, join Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask as the finalists for the 86th annual Heisman Trophy. The winner will be announced Tuesday. A rundown of the finalists:
MAC JONES, junior, QB, Alabama
BIO: The relatively unheralded recruit showed his gumption just by signing with Alabama in a recruiting class headed by Tua Tagovailoa with Jalen Hurts just having completed a terrific freshman season. Jones waited his turn and proved he was up for the job when he took over following Tagovailoa’s hip injury late last season. There was speculation that five-star freshman Bryce Young might challenge for the starting job before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of spring practice.
KEY STATS: Led the nation with a completion percentage of 76.5 and a pass efficiency rating of 202.35 in the regular season. Passed for 3,739 yards and 32 touchdowns against just four interceptions in the Tide’s 11 games heading into the playoff. His four 400-yard passing games this season are more than any other Alabama quarterback has produced in an entire career. That includes a 418-yard, five-touchdown performance in the Southeastern Conference championship win over Florida.
BEST GAME: A player who had three straight 400-yard games early in the season saved his perhaps best performance for the biggest stage so far. He completed 33 of 43 passes with an interception against the Gators.
BEFORE COLLEGE: Rated a four-star recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings, Jones arrived as a developmental player at about 180-185 pounds. He was rated as the No. 12 pro-style quarterback, but Jones had a winning track record. He helped lead The Bolles School to the Florida 4A state championship game as a senior in 2016, passing for 1,532 yards and 29 touchdowns.
DRAFT STOCK: His stock, if Jones should opt to skip his senior season, has undoubtedly been helped by sustained success beyond his strong finish last season. Projected as high as a No. 5 pick in at least one mock draft, Jones is pegged as a potential later selection in the opening round and a likely second-rounder in others.
THE SKINNY: Jones has been dynamic this season, launching some bombs and also expertly taking what the defense gives him without taking unnecessary risks. Scarcely missed a beat even with the ankle injury to dynamic receiver Jaylen Waddle that has sidelined him most of the season. Jones has exceeded just about every outside expectation this season, leading one of the nation’s most explosive offenses. Also has a knack for shaking off mistakes and not letting them affect his play.
TREVOR LAWRENCE, junior, QB, Clemson
BIO: Lawrence has looked ready for a Heisman Trophy moment ever since arriving at Clemson before the 2018 season. As a freshman, he led the Tigers to the national championship, dominating Alabama in a 44-16 victory. Lawrence is 34-1 as a college starter and the lone loss — and perhaps his poorest performance — was in the title game in January 2020, a 42-25 loss to LSU. Lawrence, the likely No. 1 pick in the next NFL draft, could’ve easily opted out of the season, but fought hard for the season to proceed in the pandemic. Lawrence also grew as a leader, front-and-center in Clemson’s efforts to combat social injustice this summer. Lawrence won his third ACC title as a starter and was named the ACC offensive player and overall player of the year.
KEY STATS: Lawrence’s numbers are not as robust as other finalists, partly because Clemson’s early dominance typically sends him to the bench for good stretches of the second half and he missed three games due to the coronavirus. Still, Lawrence completed nearly 70% of his throws for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns along with four interceptions in the regular season.
BEST GAME: After missing Clemson’s 47-40 double overtime loss to Notre Dame in November, Lawrence faced the Fighting Irish in the ACC title game and helped the Tigers roll to their sixth conference crown with a dominant 34-10 victory. Lawrence completed 25 of 36 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns against a stingy Irish defense. He also rushed for 90 yards and a score.
BEFORE COLLEGE: Lawrence was a five-star recruit almost since he took up the game. He was 52-2 as a starter at Cartersville High School in Georgia, taking over the third game of his freshman season. Lawrence finished with 41 straight victories, two state championships and Georgia state records for passing yards and touchdowns previously held by another of Clemson’s national championship quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson.
DRAFT STOCK: Lawrence was locked in as the No. 1 overall quarterback right after Clemson’s 2018 national title, some outside the program suggesting he give up his last two seasons of college to prepare for the 2021 draft. Lawrence, who graduated in December, has said he’s going pro and most expect his name to be the first one called at the NFL draft next spring.
THE SKINNY: At 6-foot-6 with a cannon arm and unflappable manner, Lawrence is what a screenwriter might come up for a film about a star quarterback. Lawrence’s Heisman credentials this season may have slipped some when he went more than a month without playing, but he and the Tigers made the playoff again just the same.
DeVONTA SMITH, senior, WR, Alabama
