Alabama’s Henry, Clemson’s Watson, And Stanford’s McCaffrey Named Heisman

Only three players are selected every year and this year, people are putting special emphasis that a running back should win the award.

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded this Saturday night in NY, where Alabama running back Derrick Henry hopes to become the first running back to claim the award since fellow Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram in 2009. The explosive sophomore is a dynamic runner, pass catcher and kick returner, and surpassed Barry Sanders’ NCAA record for most all-purpose yards in a single season (3,250). McCaffrey ran for 1,847 yards, caught for 540, returned 14 punts for 67 yards, returned 36 kickoffs for 1,042, and threw for 39. McCaffrey was the leader in all of the FBS with 3,496 all-purpose yards this season. He’s the dual threat with 30 passing touchdowns, 11 rushing touchdowns and more than 3,500 yards through the air.

Henry and McCaffrey will be trying to break a streak of five straight quarterbacks winning the Heisman on Saturday night when the trophy is presented in NY.

“He’s gained more yards in one year than anybody who’s ever played college football”, head coach David Shaw said.

Louisiana State running back Leonard Fournette, who just weeks ago was considered by some experts as a shoe-in to win the award, will not be a finalist in NY – nor will Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. No other running back has more carries than the Alabama junior and he’s recorded at least 100 yards in seven of eight SEC games (including four 200-yard games).

Deshaun Watson will fly to NY on Friday, but he has to finish finals first.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Watson gives the Tigers an edge that no one else in college football has — the best player in the country. He is also a finalist for the Maxwell Award (national player of the year), Doak Walker Award (nation’s top running back) and Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award.

“To my left is the best player in the nation”, Shaw said of McCaffrey following a win over USC in the Pac-12 championship (via Kyle Kensing, Sports on Earth). McCaffrey and the Cardinals will face Iowa in the Rose Bowl on January 1 at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN.

The SEC record is remarkable in a conference that has produced several great runners through the yet, and it’s whose record Henry broke that is even more telling.

The Heisman resumes of Henry, Watson and McCaffrey all have strengths and weaknesses.

Quarterbacks have won the last five Heismans and 13 of the last 15.

“Are you the Heisman trophy victor?”

Will Watson win the Heisman this year? And he scored those in three different ways – rushing, receiving and passing (on an 11-yard, second-quarter toss to quarterback Kevin Hogan).

Kirby Smart will continue in his current role as Alabama’s defensive coordinator through the College Football Playoff as he also begins work as Georgia’s coach.