FSU running back Dalvin Cook not among Heisman finalists

Joining Watson will be running backs Derrick Henry of Alabama and Christian McCaffrey of Stanford. After all, the quarterback of the unbeaten, No. 1 team in the country, the record-setting running back who racks up all-purpose yardage every time the football is in his hands, and one of the most dominant offensive workhorses in all of college football will be in NY for the presentation on Saturday.

Among those missing out was Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, LSU running back Leonard Fournette, who was the early season favorite, and Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds.

Henry set the SEC record for rushing yards in a season while leading the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff. While it took him more games to do so, the Stanford sophomore actually required fewer touches than Sanders (387 to 394).

Watson has more than proven himself on college football’s lone undefeated team heading into the College Football Playoff. Watson threw for 3,512 yards (16th) and 30 touchdowns (9th) while also running for 887 yards (71st) and 11 touchdowns (38th). New Orleans Saints tailback Mark Ingram is the school’s lone Heisman victor, capturing the trophy in 2009.

The dynamic McCaffrey rushed for 1,847 yards, caught 41 passes for 540 yards and added another 1,109 yards on kick and punt returns. He’s one of the central reasons, certainly on offense, why Clemson has yet to lose a game in 2015.

So only three finalists this year. In Alabama’s last two victories against Auburn and Florida in the SEC title game, Henry ran for 460 yards on 90 carries. Watson’s knee injury late in his freshman season, which required season-ending surgery, makes it an even more remarkable journey.

Henry will be joined in NY by his parents and two of his high school coaches.

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

There are 929 Heisman voters, including 145 media representatives from each of six sections, plus 58 former winners and one vote that’s given to the public on an online ballot.

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson was selected as a Heisman Trophy finalist on Monday. He reminded us what a workhorse running back was as the Tide rode him to the SEC title.

In the second half, he started delivering more blows of his own and he started wearing Florida down. McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders’ record for all-purpose yards in a season, but he truly put the “all” in “all-purpose”. McCaffrey accounted for 42 percent of the Cardinal’s yards from scrimmage this season, but only 19 percent of Stanford’s touchdowns. This included 207 rushing yards and a touchdown, 105 receiving yards and a touchdown, and 149 return yards.