Heisman Trophy finalists are Henry, Watson, McCaffrey

The three finalists are Clemson QB, Deshaun Watson, Alabama RB, Derrick Henry and Stanford RB, Christian McCaffrey. No one who watched him play could, in good conscience, pick someone else to win the Heisman Trophy Saturday in NY. A white running back at the college level and higher has become a rarity in recent years, although Stanford’s Toby Gerhart, also white, was a Heisman finalist in 2009 when he finished runner-up to Alabama’s Mark Ingram. Heisman candidacy has been dominated by the quarterback position this century.

Over the past few weeks, these three individuals looked like the three sure-fire finalists, though there were other players, such as Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield and Navy Midshipmen quarterback Keenan Reynolds, that seemed deserving of invitations to NY. In Alabama’s last two victories against Auburn and Florida in the SEC title game, Henry ran for 460 yards on 90 carries. “Exactly a year later he will be in NY as a Heisman finalist”.

“I don’t know that there’s any player on the team that the team means more to them than it does to Derrick”, Saban said. Exactly a year later he will be in NY as a Heisman finalist.

Watson led Clemson into the College Football Playoff finals four with 5,312 yards passing with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Then, in the Pac-12 title game against USC, McCaffrey gained a combined 461 yards, and earned 11 first place votes for the Heisman.

Watson and No. 1 Clemson could meet Henry and Alabama in the national championship game. Henry has put the Alabama offense on his back bulldozing through defenses en route to 1,986 yards.

Watson missed half of last season with injuries but has emerged as the best player on the top-ranked and only undefeated team.

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

If two tracking polls are any indication, the Heisman Trophy race is extremely close.

PRO PROSPECTS: A junior, Henry is widely regarded as the second-best running back who could be available in the 2016 draft behind Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott.

McCaffrey ranks second in rushing yardage (1,847), and his 3,496 all-purpose yards broke the single-season record set by Barry Sanders in 1988. This included 207 rushing yards and a touchdown, 105 receiving yards and a touchdown, and 149 return yards. But Henry also matched the SEC record of 23 rushing touchdowns shared with Tim Tebow and Tre Mason during his 189-yard performance against the Gators. Clemson has a flawless 13-0 record.

PRO POSPECTS: Watson is locked into college for one more season as a 6-foot-2, 210 pound sophomore.

Historical significance is hard to gauge in the present tense, but in the years to come, as we’re granted the clarity and perspective that only time can provide, I’m certain McCaffrey’s 2015 season will be considered a measuring stick by which other outstanding seasons are judged.