This year’s finalists are Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson.
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New York’s Downtown Athletic Club on Monday formally named three finalists for the 2015 Heisman Memorial Trophy, two of whom will take the field in the College Football Playoff next month.
Alabama’s Mark Ingram (Flint) in 2009 was the last running back – and only Crimson Tide player – to win the Heisman. All Heisman winners perform well in big games and Watson has not disappointed this year.
If LSU sophomore running back Leonard Fournette is feeling a tinge sad because he wasn’t among the three players invited to NY for Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony, he shouldn’t be. He ran for 189 yards and a touchdown on 44 carries in Alabama’s SEC championship game victory over Florida on Saturday.
Watson has guided Clemson to a 13-0 record this season and is 17-1 as the Tigers’ starter over the last two seasons. McCaffrey isn’t far behind with 1,847 rushing yards of his own. He also rushed for 887 yards and 11 touchdowns.
What a year it has been for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Derrick Henry made a quick impression on his Alabama teammates upon arriving on campus as a coveted prospect with everything from his hardcore weight room workouts to those middle-of-the-night pushup sessions.
The regular season is over, yet the Heisman Trophy race is anything but settled.
“My main focus is on finishing and helping this team win”, Henry said after the SEC championship game. He saved his best performance for last, finishing with 207 rushing yards, 105 receiving yards and 461 all-purpose yards against USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game. But keep in mind Heisman ballots only have three spots, as Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News explains.
Henry is joined by Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson and Stanford running back and return specialist Christian McCaffrey.
At the very least, McCaffrey is college football’s most versatile player. McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders’ 27-year-old record for all-purpose yards during the contest. Would it really surprise anyone if McCaffrey could also be a defensive back?
Close Heisman voting has been uncommon in recent years. He was the only player in the nation with more than 750 rushing yards and over 3,000 passing yards. In 2013, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston clearly emerged as the best player in college football (on the best team) over the course of the season.
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The 6-foot-1, 232-pound Matakevich had 126 tackles this season – including 15 for a loss – and, along with five interceptions, 4½ sacks and five pass breakups, helped lead the Owls to a surprising 10-3 record and a berth in the Boca Raton Bowl against Toledo. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said Watson would be a third-day pick if eligible this season and should see improvement with more time in college. Henry recorded an absurd 460 yards rushing and two touchdowns combined in the must-win games.
