*Editors note: This was written prior the cancellation of the B1G and PAC-12 season, and prior to the choice of several college stars to opt out. This article includes players who will not suit up in 2020, but I have decided to present the article as it was originally written to present a wide-angle view of the college football universe entering the 2020 season.
With college football right around the corner, here’s a look at the top candidates to take home the nation’s most prestigious trophy.
Favorites
When discussing the favorites for the award, a “favorite” must meet the following criteria to make our list:
Super-high production + Hype + A potentially good team
If one of YOUR favorites didn’t make the list, it’s because they fail to meet one of those criteria. Here are the players we feel best meet that criteria:
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2019 Stats - 3,665 yd, 36 TD, 8 INT, 65.8% CMP, 166.7 Rtg / 563 rushing YD, 9 TD
Lawrence struggled with turnovers early in 2019, but recovered to earn All-ACC honors, finish seventh in Heisman voting, and help Clemson reach their fourth national championship game in the last five years. Lawrence enters his junior year with astronomical expectations, widely regarded as the extremely rare “can’t miss” QB prospect in the mold of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Clemson seems destined for yet another run to the College Football Playoff, but will Lawrence be able to duplicate his 2019 production with the loss of both leading receivers in Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross?
Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
2019 Stats - 3,273 yd, 41 TD, 3 INT, 67.2% CMP, 181.4 Rtg / 484 rushing yd, 10 TD
Fields lived up to this five-star billing in his first year with the Buckeyes, accounting for 51 TD and finishing fourth nationally in passer rating and third in touchdowns. Despite being slowed late in the year by an ankle injury, Fields earned B1G Offensive Player of the Year, second team All-America honors, and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting. With the Buckeyes returning another loaded roster in 2020, there is little reason to believe Fields won’t duplicate his stellar sophomore season for one of the national title favorites.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
2019 Stats - 2,094 yd, 21 TD, 6.4 YPC / 23 Rec, 198 yd
Hubbard, a relative unknown, burst on the scene in 2019 with a monster sophomore year that included unanimous All-American honors and a selection as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. The nation’s leading rusher will need the Cowboys to remain around the fringes of the top 20 to help his Heisman case, as he finished eighth in Heisman voting, trailing two running backs (Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins) whose teams both finished with double-digit wins.
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
2019 Stats - 1,616 yd, 19 TD, 7.8 YPC / 37 Rec, 432 YD, 4 TD
After back-to-back 1,600 yard seasons, Etienne surprised many by electing to return for his senior year. He has little to prove after earning All-American honors in 2018, winning ACC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, and setting conference records for touchdowns and total points. Barring injury, he enters the year as a virtual lock for All-America honors and likely a selection in the first two rounds of the NFL.
JA'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
2019 Stats - 84, rec, 1,780 yd, 20 TD, 21.2 YPR
Chase stood out as the best receiver on one of the best offenses in college football history, winning the Biletnikoff award along with a national title during his sophomore year. Chase’s highlights include absolutely obliterating first and second-round draft picks such as Trevon Diggs, C.J. Henderson, A.J. Terrell, and Kristian Fulton and he would likely have been the first receiver selected in the 2020 NFL draft had he been eligible. With the loss of record-setting QB Joe Burrow and one of the college football's best offensive minds in Joe Brady, will Chase be able to duplicate one of the most dominant receiving seasons in recent memory?
Dark Horses
These are the “I told you so” candidates. They aren’t the favorites, but if one of them makes a real run at the Heisman, you want to be able to say “I told you to watch out for him!” The players on this tier have the ability to win the Heisman, but only meet two of the three criteria above:
Najee Harris, RB, Alabama -- Harris really came on at the end of 2019, but with Alabama’s committee approach at tailback, will he have enough production to match workhouse backs like Etienne and Hubbard? (Lacking: Production)
Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas - Ehlinger’s strong junior season (3,663 yd, 32 TD) was overshadowed by a disappointing 8-5 season for the Longhorns. If the Longhorns return to the top 10, expect Ehlinger’s Heisman campaign to pick up steam. (Lacking: Team Success)
Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame - Book threw 34 TD, rushed for 546 Yd, and helped lead ND to their third straight season of double-digit wins. Another College Football Playoff push for the Irish could be enough to vault him into serious Heisman contention. (Lacking: Hype)
Mack Jones, QB, Alabama - In his three starts replacing the injured Tua Tagovailoa last season Jones completed 68.4% of his passes, threw 10 TD to two INT, and averaged 312 yards per game. Two of those games came against top-15 opponents in Michigan and Auburn. If Jones can even approximate Tagovailoa’s production on yet another loaded Alabama offense, he could become a legitimate Heisman contender. (Lacking: Production)
Jamie Newman, QB, UGA - After lifting dragging Wake Forest to a surprising 8-5 record, Newman became the most sought after target on the grad transfer market, ultimately choosing to replace Jake Fromm at UGA. He currently stands 10-1 odds to win the Heisman, surprisingly high considering his solid, but not elite production for a talent-deprived Wake Forest team (2,868 yd, 26 TD, 11 INT). Newman feasted on the lighter part of the schedule, throwing 11 of his 26 TD passes against Rice, Southern Utah, and Elon. He struggled mightily down the stretch, throwing six TD and six INT as the Demon Deacons stumbled to a 1-4 finish against the tougher part of their schedule. There seems to be a strong belief that a massive upgrade in supporting cast plus the addition of new UGA offensive coordinator Todd Monken could unlock a Justin Fields type of season for the physically gifted Newman. (Lacking: Production)
Worth Watching
These players have the talent and hype, but lack the elite production or team pedigree to be considered a favorite or dark horse::
Sam Howell, QB, UNC
Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma
D’Eriq King, QB, Miami
Bo Nix, QB, Auburn
Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M
Adrian Martinez, QB, Nebraska
Kedon Slovis, QB, USC
Kyle Trask, QB, Florida
Surprise Candidates
Nearly every year at least one player pops up out of nowhere to make some serious noise in the Heisman race. We’re not talking about a darkhorse candidate that showed some promise the year before, but rather a complete unknown that bursts on the scene and wows people with their production for a winning program. Some examples of previous surprise finalists/winners:
2019 - Joe Burrow, LSU (Winner)
2017 - Bryce Love, Stanford
2016 - Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma
2015 - Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
2013 - Jameis Winston, FSU (Winner)
2012 - Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (Winner)
2010 - Cam Newton, Auburn (Winner)
2009 - Toby Gerhart, Stanford
Who will it be this year?? We don’t know...and that’s one of the things that makes college football great.