Who are the 2021 Heisman Trophy candidates?

2021 Heisman Trophy candidate No. 5: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

When Tua Tagovailoa left the Alabama Crimson Tide, there were questions about how Mac Jones would fill in. After all, the Hawaiian quarterback set a new bar for quarterbacks in the offense as Nick Saban and his staff adopted a much more potent passing attack. Of course, Jones took over and didn’t miss a beat from what his predecessor did.

In what will likely be his lone season as the starter, Jones threw for 4,036 yards, 36 touchdowns and only four interceptions over 12 games for the Crimson Tide. He stepped right in among the great weapons that Saban has brought into the fold and was awesome. So it’s not a big leap to think Bryce Young will be the next player in that mold.

For as good as Tua and Jones were, Young came to the Crimson Tide with more hype behind him than either of those two. He was the No. 2 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class and the dual-threat quarterback checks every box for a player who, especially in what the Bama offense has shown in recent years, can be a college superstar.

Assuming that Jones makes the expected leap to the NFL after this season, Young is the heir apparent at quarterback and he’s the next in line of what is turning into an unprecedentedly great era at the position for the Crimson Tide. Though he’s unproven, Young should step in and make national noise right away.