Heisman watch: Alabama trio Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith, Mac Jones vs. Trevor Lawrence

Najee Harris joined the Heisman watch with a monster SEC Championship Game, putting him right alongside Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith.

A late Championship Week in this 2020 college football season meant one last look for Heisman Trophy voters to get a look at the top candidates to win the most prestigious individual award in the sport. But while some players rose to the occasion and made a statement in the Heisman race, others faltered in the biggest moment of the year.

In the case of the latter, no one was a bigger letdown than Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Though the Buckeyes won the Big Ten Championship Game over Northwestern, they did so in spite of their quarterback. Fields’ 12-of-27 performance with two interceptions and less than 150 total yards essentially put him out of contention for even a spot as a Heisman finalist.

The same, however, isn’t true for the heavy-hitters from Alabama and Trevor Lawrence in a last-ditch effort with Clemson. So with that, let’s check in on the Heisman watch one last time before ballots are cast with our top-five rankings.

Heisman watch candidate No. 5: Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

The entire body of work for Kyle Trask is undeniably impressive but the fact that he and the Florida Gators fell short against LSU last week and then Alabama in the SEC Championship Game should be held against him. Even still, he was a fighter in the loss on Saturday night as he continued to put up big-time production.

Trask finished the losing effort going 26-of-40 for 408 yards with three touchdowns and he rushed for a score as well. Unfortunately, the fact that he fumbled in the second half was costly for Florida and he took the game-ending sack as well. The timing of his and his team’s losses couldn’t be worse. In essence, Trask’s minor imperfections played him out of the Heisman race.

Heisman watch candidate No. 4: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Because of the missed time due to contracting COVID-19, Trevor Lawrence is likely out of the race to win the Heisman Trophy. But his performance against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game might’ve been good enough to get him into the mix as a finalist.

In the 34-10 rout in favor of the Tigers, Lawrence went 25-of-36 for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Though he had a pick, he also added 90 rushing yards and another score. Over nine games played, Lawrence threw for 2,763 yards with 22 passing touchdowns, only four interceptions and seven rushing scores. Shockingly enough, the eventual No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is pretty darn good.

Heisman watch candidate No. 3: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

Talk about a late push into the Heisman race, Alabama running back Najee Harris has been overshadowed for much of the year by his teammates. But in the SEC Championship Game, he was one of the unquestioned stars, setting a record for the conference championship game with five total touchdowns en route to winning the MVP honors.

Harris rushed for 177 yards on 31 carries with two scores while also catching five balls for 67 yards and his three other trips into the end zone. His 27 total touchdowns on the season are absurd but even more so is the fact that he’s still not the best candidate for the award on his team.

Heisman watch candidate No. 2: Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Honestly, it’ll be a shame if DeVonta Smith doesn’t win the Heisman Trophy. He’s been the best player in college football and the only thing that hurts him is that he doesn’t play quarterback. But the wide receiver has been the single most consistently dominant force in the country and that didn’t subside against Florida.

Smith racked up another monster outing against the Gators, catching 15 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. In 11 games, the senior has an unreal 98 catches for 1,511 yards and 18 touchdowns, not to mention his 84-yard punt return touchdown to his credit as well.

Seriously, can we give out a Co-Heisman Trophy this year? Because Smith and his quarterback deserve that.

Heisman watch candidate No. 1: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Against Arkansas last week, Mac Jones was criticized because he simply didn’t need to do much, throwing for just over 200 yards. So against Florida, all he did was set an SEC Championship Game record for passing yards while thoroughly dominating the Gators with another pristine performance from the Crimson Tide signal-caller.

Jones completed 33-of-43 passes on the night and, even with an interception, he threw for 418 yards with five touchdowns on the night. While he and Smith are both deserving, the fact that this quarterback threw for 3,739 yards with 32 touchdowns and only four interceptions for the best team in the country likely means that Mac Jones is your 2020 Heisman Trophy winner.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.