Evaluating The 2020 Heisman Race

This 2020 College Football season has been like none other. With ever-changing schedules and differences of games played, this year's Heisman race has been very funky and some may put an asterisk next to the winner. In this article, I'll break down some of the top Heisman candidates and explain my winner.

SEC GUNSLINGERS

University of Florida QB Kyle Trask

259 of 369 (70.2 comp.%) for 3,717 yards, 40 TDs, 5 INTs

Case for Trask: Purely off the numbers, no QB matches Trask's production. The Senior from Manvel, Texas leads the country in pass yards and pass TDs by a significant margin. Second to his 3,717 yards is Dillon Gabriel of UCF with 3,353 and he holds a 10 TD advantage over second place Gabriel and the soon-to-be-mentioned Zach Wilson. The Florida QB has casually dropped 400+ yard and 4+ TD games with ease.

Case against Trask: Although he finished with 474 yards passing and 2 TDs, Kyle's performance this past weekend against LSU will damage his Heisman hopes. After Alabama's Mac Jones ripped the Tigers defense apart the week before, Trask was sloppy and threw 2 costly INTs that resonated in a loss that will surely leave the Gators outside the College Football Playoff. Trask's total body of work keeps him deep into these conversations, but a poor showing against a common opponent for his adversary (Mac Jones) hampers his campaign.

Heisman Moment: In the famed World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Trask powered through a defense full of future NFL Draft picks en route to a victory and clear path to the SEC East title. Kyle hung 474 yards and 4 TDs on an elite Georgia Bulldogs defense.

University of Alabama QB Mac Jones

217 of 284 (76.4 comp.%) for 3,321 yards, 27 TDs, 3 INTs

Case for Jones: For starters, Jones is the leader of the top team in the country. Some thought Alabama would return to a ground and pound offense following the departure of Tua Tagovailoa, but Mac Jones has torched every defense he's seen. In Alabama's three biggest games (Texas A&M, Georgia, Auburn), Mac has thrown for a combined 1,154 yards and a whopping 13 TDs. Jones and the Crimson Tide have remained spotless and dominating, while his counterpart Kyle Trask and the Gators lost to Texas A&M and LSU.

Case against Jones: Mac Jones has been ridiculously consistent, but he doesn't dominate the stat categories. Tide RB Najee Harris has "stolen" many goal line opportunities, and while this isn't necessarily Mac's fault, it will count against him, nonetheless. A very subjective knock on Jones is his incredible supporting cast, which truthfully is a bogus deterrent. With stars like Najee Harris, Jaylen Waddle, and Devonta Smith, some voters may be skeptical as to if Jones is purely a product of the system and the talent around him.

Heisman Moment: It's been a magical season for the Jacksonville native, but what takes the cake is his outing vs Auburn. After throwing two pick-sixes in last year's Iron Bowl, Mac Jones shredded the Tigers defense, throwing for 302 yards and 5 TDs in a revenge blowout of Alabama's bitter rival.

OUTSIDERS LOOKING IN

Clemson University QB Trevor Lawrence

173 of 250 (69.2 comp.%) for 2,431 yards, 20 TDs, 3 INTs

Case for Lawrence: The future top 2021 NFL Draft pick was sidelined with COVID-19 for a couple games, and if not for that, Lawrence would likely be on the same level as Trask and Jones. In his 8 games played, Lawrence has dotted up defenses with ease, often exiting before the 4th quarter because of Clemson's success. T-Law has eclipsed 350 yards passing 3 times and has added 6 TDs on the ground. Despite his COVID-19 absence, Lawrence has been as good of a QB as anyone in the country.

Case Against Lawrence: It might not be fair, but Lawrence simply hasn't had enough games to pace himself with the rest of the competition. While his projected stats through 10 games can rival the likes of Trask and Jones, you can't win a Heisman on projections. As well, a modest 12 of 22 for 195 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT vs Virginia Tech doesn't help the 6'6" phenom.

Heisman Moment: The 73-7 rout of Georgia Tech could fit here, but I'll go with Lawrence's calm and collected effort against a then-surging Miami team. With monsters like Gregory Rousseau coming at him, Trevor completed 70% of his passes and accounted for 4 total TDs in the humbling of the Hurricanes.

Brigham Young University QB Zach Wilson

221 of 302 (73.2 comp.%) for 3,267 yards, 30 TDs, 3 INTs

Case for Wilson: At the helm of a CFB darling, Wilson has shown no mercy for each of BYU's opponents. The headband enthusiast finds himself in the top 5 of completion percentage, passing yards, passing yards per attempt, touchdowns, and passer rating. He's the fearless leader of the mighty Cougars and has them in position to make a high-level bowl game.

Case against Wilson: Zach has been a sight to see in 2020, but the competition that he's faced is incredibly subpar, especially in comparison to the likes of Trask and Jones. Magnificent performances against Eastern Western Central Northern Louisiana Texas State doesn't net a Heisman, and in his biggest test of the season, Wilson was merely average against Coastal Carolina.

Heisman Moment: In a highly-anticipated Friday night matchup, Wilson rolled over Mountain West powerhouse Boise State. On 28 throws, Wilson dropped 360 yards and 3 TDs in the air, as well as a rushing TD. Boise State might not be at its peak form, but if you're a non-power 5 player looking to make a statement, blue grass in Idaho is the perfect place.

THE SIDEKICKS

University of Alabama WR Devonta Smith

83 receptions for 1,327 yards and 15 TDs

Case for Smith: The 2017 National Championship hero does not only lead the country in receiving yards, but has now smashed the SEC all-time receiving TD mark. Just about every defense that has seen the Crimson Tide has been gassed by the Senior WR, with Smitty eclipsing 100 yards 6 times! Elite performance after elite performance has established DeVonta as the top WR and possibly the best player in this 2020 season. The Heisman is a QB-driven award, but Smith's historic season could buck that trend.

Case against Smith: There really isn't anything concrete against Smith, he works opposing DBs and has even made noise in the return game. The only argument against DeVonta is the position he plays and the QB bias in Heisman voting. The last WR to win the award was Desmond Howard in 1991, and he was a prolific kick returner. The WR oppression mixed with his teammate Mac Jones stealing votes is the recipe for DeVonta Smith to return from New York (virtually because it's 2020) sans a trophy.

Heisman Moment: Although LSU is a shell of their past season champion, they still sport superstar DB Derek Stingley. In the Tide's 2019 loss to LSU, Smith cooked Stingley for 213 yards and 2 TDs. Fast forward to 2020, DeVonta IMPROVED on last year's game with 231 yards and 3 TDs against the Tigers. Although it may not be biologically, publications such as Wikipedia will surely tell you that DeVonta is the father of Derek Stingley.

University of Alabama RB Najee Harris

183 carries for 1,084 yards and 22 TDs

Case for Harris: A bit overshadowed by Mac and DeVonta, Najee Harris has been wreaking havoc on SEC defenses. He's hit the century mark on yards while also cashing in for an FBS-best 22 TDs. With the SECCG and possibly the CFB ahead, Harris needs only 1 more rushing TD to supplant Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram (former Heisman winners) as the Alabama rushing TD leader and only 130 yards to break Henry's yardage record. The Senior RB from Northern California is breaking records left and right for this juggernaut of a Tide offense.

Case against Harris: While Harris has been more than impressive, he only ranks 7th in the country in rushing yards this season. It sounds idiotic to suggest that that ranking is poor, but when competing against the numbers of his teammates (Jones and Smith), as well as stat-sheet stuffers like Wilson and Trask, that isn't quite enough to take home the hardware.

Heisman Moment: Yes, it was the porous Mississippi defense, but Najee's 206 yard, 5 TD performance at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium kept Alabama undefeated and rolling. I can't overstate that I understand it was Ole Miss, but 200 yards and 5 TDs resonates against just about anyone for me.

University of Florida TE Kyle Pitts

36 receptions for 641 yards and 11 TDs

Case for Pitts: Pitts feels a bit below the rest of the young men on this list, but he's been a monster and he's the Robin to Trask's Batman. He's only recorded 36 receptions, but an average of 17.6 yards per catch demonstrates his big play ability. What further moves the needle on that point is his 11 TDs, which is nearly 1/3 of his receptions! That volume of TD production is ridiculous, especially when you remember that Pitts has only appeared in 7 games.

Case against Pitts: Somewhat similar to Lawrence, voters are to vote on the body of work, not the hypothetical body of work if injuries didn't exist. Pitts has been an absolute beast and is one of the best pass-catchers in the sport, but he doesn't quite have the numbers to have a serious shot.

Heisman Moment: The SEC had just returned and Pitts was all gas, no brakes. In their opener against Ole Miss, Kyle caught 8 passes (from his pal Kyle) for 170 yards and 4 TDs. From the get-go, Pitts was putting up crazy TD rates.

MY RANKINGS

With so many factors playing into this race, I ultimately would give my Heisman vote to Devonta Smith. He has clearly been the best player in football this year. I think the SEC Championship Game will go far in deciding the Trask vs Jones debate, but because of Alabama's undefeated record, and in large part because of their head-to-head stats against LSU, I'm going to side with Mac Jones as the runner up.

1. DeVonta Smith

2. Mac Jones

3. Kyle Trask

4. Zach Wilson

5. Trevor Lawrence

6. Najee Harris

7. Kyle Pitts

*To be noted, these rankings are purely off the 7 players mentioned. Others such as Notre Dame's Ian Book, Iowa State's Breece Hall, and Buffalo's Jaret Patterson are in the race as well.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Mac Jones or Kyle Trask? Does Trevor Lawrence deserve more respect? Is Devonta Smith the best player in CFB? Who is your Heisman pick? Let me know in the comments below!