Alabama’s Mac Jones winning the Heisman wouldn’t be all that crazy

We’ve seen crazy things happen. Let’s not rule out Mac Jones becoming the first Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Alabama Crimson Tide history just yet.

What if Mac Jones somehow takes home the 2020 Heisman Trophy?

Though it sounds a bit crazy, keep in mind half of the last decade’s Heisman winners have seemingly come out of nowhere. While guys like Oregon’s Marcus Mariota (2014) and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (2017) came as a surprise to no one, who saw guys like Johnny Manziel (2012) or last year’s winner Joe Burrow (2019) take home the Heisman? Jones can make it happen in 2020.

William Hill released its update 2020 Heisman Trophy odds earlier in the week. While guys like Ohio State’s Justin Fields (+350) and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (+400) headline the list, Jones has sneaky-good value at +2200. To put it simply, Jones can win the 2020 Heisman Trophy because he plays the right position for the right team.

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

Since 2005, only three non-quarterbacks have taken home the Heisman. USC’s Reggie Bush did it in 2005 before later having to vacate his trophy. The only other players do so were a pair of Alabama running backs in Mark Ingram Jr. (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015), who took home Heismans to Tuscaloosa as part of national title-winning teams under Nick Saban.

Jones is entering his first year as the Alabama starting quarterback. He backed up Tua Tagovailoa in his first two years in school. Though his playing time was sparse, he did get to start a few games last season once Tagovailoa saw his college career come to an end in early November vs. Mississippi State due to a hip injury.

Jones has played in 17 games over two seasons at Alabama, completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 1,626 yards for 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Though not the talent of his predecessor, Jones has the feel of an A.J. McCarron in the Alabama backfield, a signal-caller capable of leading his team to the promised land with the right supporting cast around him.

And he’ll need help from his teammates, as the Crimson Tide’s 2020 schedule might be the toughest of the Saban era. Road games at LSU and Tennessee, a neutral-site affair vs. USC and the SEC home opener vs. Georgia immediately jump off the page. However, going 12-0 (8-0) or 11-1 (7-1) en route to an SEC Championship could get Jones to New York for the ceremony.

Of course, Jones does have a promising true freshman quarterback nipping at his feet this year. Bryce Young was the No. 1 quarterback in his high school class. Though he may not be able to unseat Jones from the starting role initially or at all, you know Saban will want to play him at least a little bit, similar to what he did when Tagovailoa was a freshman backing up Jalen Hurts.

Unless a Heisman candidate does jaw-dropping things athletically from the quarterback position, as Robert Griffin III (2011) and Lamar Jackson (2016) did in their campaigns, the best way to end up hoisting the trophy is to win a ton of games as the quarterback for a traditional power. Given Alabama’s talent, Jones should be able to win at least 10. But can he get that to 11 or even 12?

Even if Alabama runs the gauntlet and makes a triumphant return to the College Football Playoff, the odds are not in Jones’ favor to edge out either Fields or Lawrence for the Heisman. Fields was already a finalist and Lawrence has only lost one college game in two years. But if Burrow’s Heisman run last year taught us anything, it is that out-of-nowhere stories are always the best.

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