Heisman watch: Kyle Trask takes lead, Justin Fields struggles, Spencer Rattler is back
Kyle Trask took a commanding lead in the Heisman race with Justin Fields and Mac Jones dropping off as we check in with the Heisman watch after Week 12.
The 2020 Heisman Trophy race gets hairier with each passing week. While the favorites in the Heisman race are clear at this point, it seems as if they are jockeying for position with each passing game. For some, that’s good news as they continue to climb the ladder to the top of the rankings. Others, however, are slowly on the decline.
Perhaps the most notable player on the descent is Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Prior to his positive COVID-19 test, he was the Heisman watch frontrunner to win the award. After missing two games and then seeing his return in Week 12 postponed due to issues for Florida State, his stock continues to drop.
Elsewhere in the Heisman watch, though, players such as Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Florida’s Kyle Trask and Alabama’s Mac Jones all had the opportunity to put forth a convincing effort. All were impressive but one more so than the others.
With all this and more from Week 12 to take into account, let’s dive into the Heisman watch rankings once again, parsing through the top 10 candidates to take home college football’s most prestigious award.
Heisman watch candidate No. 10: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Sam Howell leaped into the Heisman conversation last week as he led the North Carolina Tar Heels in a shootout with Wake Forest. The sophomore quarterback’s numbers were something out of a video game as he threw for 550 yards with six touchdowns and an interception while also rushing for 21 yards and another score.
The Tar Heels were idle in Week 12 as they prepare for a Friday night matchup with No. 2-ranked Notre Dame next week. If Howell wants to make a big move in this race, playing the Irish offers him a fantastic opportunity to do so. Should he stay red-hot and potentially lead the Tar Heels to an upset victory in Chapel Hill, he’ll make a move further up the rankings.
Heisman watch candidate No. 9: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
As has been the case for the majority of the 2020 college football season to this point, there are three members of the Alabama Crimson Tide offense in the Heisman race. And the reason why that’s the case was on full display in Week 12 as Nick Saban’s group absolutely boat-raced Kentucky in a 60-point win. In that effort, running back Najee Harris stayed the course for his impressive season.
Harris had only 83 yards on the ground due to getting just 13 carries but added 27 receiving yards and found the end zone twice in the rushing attack. This season, Harris has been scoring at an incredible rate as his totals on Saturday put him at 16 rushing touchdowns for the season. However, the fact that he’s still shy of 800 rushing yards and has such an explosive passing offense around him caps just how high he can move in these rankings.