Lawrence, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft in case he leaves Clemson prematurely, joins Houston Texans doubles finalist and current quarterback Deshaun Watson (third in voting on 2015, second in 2016) as the only Clemson players to be named a finalist since the Heisman Trust officially began recognizing the finalists in 1982. Clemson has never had a Heisman winner.
This is the first time Alabama has multiple finalists and the second year in a row that several finalists come from the same school; Justin Fields of Ohio State and Chase Young were finalists in 2019.
Previous Alabama Award winners are runners Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015). Overall, Alabama has had ten Heisman finalists, with eight of them passing in front of Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
Trask is the fifth Gator to be named a Heisman finalist, joining Emmitt Smith (1988), Danny Wuerffel (1995, 1996), Rex Grossman (2001) and Tim Tebow (2007, 2008, 2009). Florida has three award winners: Steve Spurrier in 1966, Wuerffel in 1996 and Tebow in 2007.
The rest of the top ten in the 2020 Heisman poll were announced Thursday, with Alabama’s Najee Harris in fifth, sixth in Breece Hall, Iowa, seventh in Fields from Ohio State, Zach Wilson in eighth, Ian Book of Notre Dame in ninth and Florida Kyle Pitts in 10th.
Heisman Trophy ballots were intended for 927 voters: 56 live Heisman winners, a general fan vote and 870 members of the media.