Trevor Lawrence should have been a Heisman finalist

Trevor Lawrence has yet to lose a game as the Clemson Tigers quarterback, yet he was snubbed from being a Heisman Trophy finalist for the 2019 NCAA season.

In the leadup to Monday Night Football between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles, 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard appeared on the ESPN Monday Night Countdown set to reveal who will be heading to New York on Saturday. While Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts and Chase Young are all deserving, Trevor Lawrence should have been the fifth guy invited.

Lawrence’s Clemson Tigers are 13-0, won the ACC for the fifth straight season and haven’t lost a game since he enrolled in school back in January 2017. The long-haired signal-caller from Cartersville, Georgia has been every bit as good as Deshaun Watson was during his first two years in Clemson. Lawrence has already won a national title but didn’t get an invitation for some reason.

Sure, he may not have had the season of Burrow, Fields or Hurts, but he is the star offensive player for the No. 3 team in the country. Clemson will face Fields and Young’s Ohio State Buckeyes in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28. Look for him to use this Heisman Trophy ceremony snub as extra motivation in Clemson’s attempt to upset the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff.

Lawrence has the numbers to merit inclusion at the 2019 Heisman Trophy Ceremony. He is 13-0 as a starter, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 3,172 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Lawrence is averaging 9.4 yards per passing attempt and boasts a passer efficiency rating out of this world at 176.5. Yet, he still didn’t get an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Not only can Lawrence sling the pigskin, but he can also run it a bit with 6-foot-6, 215-pound frame. He has 407 rushing yards on 77 attempts for seven rushing touchdowns. Even though he is more of a prototypical passer than anything, Lawrence is still averaging a strong 5.3 yards per rushing attempt. He’s a complete player and will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Yes, we get it that he may only finish at-best in third place in this voting. This is Burrow’s Heisman Trophy and we should expect him to win by a wide margin. However, this was an opportunity for the college football world to learn more about Lawrence’s story and potentially set the stage for him to win it next year. For now, he and his Clemson teammates need to get ready for Ohio State.

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