2020 Heisman Trophy update: Trask has been up to the task

The top players in college football have just a few games left to push themselves to the front in the Heisman Trophy race.

As we enter Week 14 of the 2020 season, let’s count down the top five Heisman candidates and examine their stats, top performances, and what they still need to do to win the award.

5. Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

In his third season at BYU, junior quarterback Zach Wilson has spearheaded a 9-0 campaign and helped guide the Cougars to a No. 8 ranking in the AP poll.

His 2,724 passing yards rank seventh in the country, and his 74.3% completion ranks third, behind Justin Fields and Mac Jones.  

Wilson’s 26 touchdown passes are also the third most in college football, and the young signal caller has only been intercepted twice this season. He threw 184 passes between those two interceptions, which set a school record for the longest streak without a pick.

Wilson’s best game came against BYU’s only ranked opponent, Boise State, which was ranked No. 21 on Nov. 6. In that matchup, Wilson completed 22 of his 28 passes for 360 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns.

While his performance in 2020 has been outstanding, BYU's strength of schedule will hinder Wilson's Heisman chances. The only regular-season game left to pump up his résumé is against a 3-3 San Diego State squad.

4. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

A projected first-round pick in next year's NFL draft, Justin Fields already received an invite to New York for last year's Heisman ceremony and garnered the third most votes.

In 2020, the junior Buckeyes quarterback is at a disadvantage, as the Big Ten opted to start its season late, and Ohio State has only played four games (two were cancelled because of COVID-19 issues).

Fields has produced at a high enough level to generate Heisman attention, but he will need huge performances at Michigan State and against Michigan to have a shot at hoisting the coveted bronze statue.

Fields has averaged more than three passing touchdowns per game, and his 79.6% completion rate is the best in the country.

The knock on his résumé is his game against then-No. 9 Indiana, the toughest opponent on Ohio State's schedule. In the Buckeyes' 42-35 win, Fields' completion rate dipped to 60%, and he was intercepted three times. Before that game, he had yet to throw an interception this season. 

3. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Just like last year, Trevor Lawrence has gone from Heisman frontrunner to afterthought as the season progresses. Because of his body of work, however, he is still afloat in the Heisman conversation.

Since his first season at Clemson — when he became the first true freshman quarterback to start and win a national championship since 1986 — Lawrence has been propped up on a pedestal and placed under a blinding spotlight. 

His statistics are nothing to scoff at. They just aren't as good as many believe they should be, especially for a quarterback with a 36-1 record as a starter.

This season, Lawrence has piled on 19 touchdown passes, with just two interceptions. His 2,236 passing yards rank 12th in the nation, and his 178.7 passer rating is 10th.

Clemson once again drew a fairly weak schedule against mediocre ACC competition, so Lawrence hasn't had much opportunity to impress against top-notch teams.

He did beat then-No. 7 Miami in October and put up 292 yards and four total touchdowns in the lopsided win. But in Clemson's biggest matchup of the season against Notre Dame, Lawrence was sidelined because of a positive COVID-19 test. 

Had Lawrence faced the Fighting Irish and gotten a win, he would likely be a serious contender in the Heisman race.

He may get a rematch in the ACC Championship Game, where Lawrence could do enough to sway Heisman voters just before they cast their ballots Dec. 21.

2. Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Life without Tua Tagovailoa has been smooth sailing for No. 1 Alabama, because of the play of his replacement, Mac Jones.

The junior quarterback has accumulated the sixth-most passing yards in the nation, averages nearly three touchdown passes per game, and his 76.2% completion percentage is second best in college football.

What makes Jones' stats even more remarkable is the fact that he has played one of the toughest schedules in the country and is still outperforming his peers.

In a 52-24 win against then-No. 13 Texas A&M, Jones recorded four touchdown passes and completed 74.1% of his throws. In last week's victory over No. 22 Auburn, he threw for five scores and 302 yards.

Jones also set a school record, as the first quarterback to throw for more than 400 yards in three straight games. Those games were against A&M, Ole Miss, and Georgia, one of the SEC's best defenses.

1. Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

The only player having a better year than Jones is Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.

The senior who filled in for Feleipe Franks last year has turned into one of the biggest names in college football and the player most likely to secure the Heisman in January.

Since the season opener against Ole Miss, Trask has gone on a scoring rampage. He tallied six touchdown passes against the Rebels and at least four in each of his next five games.

When he recorded his 28th touchdown against Arkansas in November, he set the SEC record for most passing touchdowns through six games. 

Tagovailoa previously held the record (26), but three of his first six matchups came against non-conference foes Duke, New Mexico State, and Southern Mississippi. Trask broke Tagovailoa's mark with an SEC-only schedule.

He also set the SEC record for touchdown passes through seven games.

The Gators gunslinger achieved his biggest win against then-No. 5 Georgia in November, when he completed 30 of his 43 passes for 474 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.

Florida is set to play Tennessee this weekend and LSU on Dec. 12. The Gators could also meet Jones and Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, where a win would likely lock up the Heisman for Trask.

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