Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Who will challenge Tagovailoa in 2019?
Tua Tagovailoa will be the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy next season after the Alabama quarterback had to settle for second to Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray.
Murray is heading for professional baseball next year and Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins, the other Heisman finalist on Dec. 8, could very well enter the NFL draft. Assuming Haskins does go pro, along with a few other high-profile quarterbacks such as Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Michigan’s Shea Patterson, who else can challenge Tagovailoa?
Note: UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton would have made this list if not for a severe leg injury that makes his return to the field uncertain.
TREVOR LAWRENCE, QB, CLEMSON
The strong-armed passer with the flowing blond hair became the Tigers’ starter four games into his freshman season and has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country since. Lawrence enters the College Football Playoff with 2,606 yards passing, 24 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. Clemson leaned on the running game and tailback Travis Etienne (1,463 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns) at times this season to take the pressure off Lawrence. Etienne is back next season, too, but expect the Tigers to let Lawrence loose and the results to be spectacular.
JAKE FROMM, QB, GEORGIA
Fromm got overlooked this season, with Tagovailoa, Haskins and Murray putting up crazy stats. But the Bulldogs’ sophomore threw 27 touchdowns and was third behind Tagovailoa and Murray in efficiency rating at 175.81. He’ll be a third-year starter for a preseason top-five team in 2019 — if he can hold off Justin Fields, the five-star freshman who served as his backup this season. And Georgia’s offense could flow through running back D’Andre Swift no matter who plays quarterback.
JALEN HURTS, QB, TEAM TBD
Tagovailoa’s backup at Alabama is almost certain to transfer in the offseason after having graduated. That means he can play immediately next season. He’ll be college football’s most prized free agent, a former Southeastern Conference player of the year. Where he lands will help determine his Heisman hopes. Let’s speculate. Oregon is coached by former Alabama assistant Mario Crisotbal and the Ducks could be looking for a quarterback if Herbert departs. Or how about Hurts at Oklahoma, trying to become the third straight Oklahoma quarterback to win the Heisman?
JONATHAN TAYLOR, RB, WISCONSIN
With a bowl game still to play, Taylor has rushed for 3,966 yards through his sophomore season, an NCAA record previously held by Wisconsin Heisman winner Ron Dayne. The Badgers disappointed in 2018, starting in the top five and going 7-5. That killed Taylor’s Heisman hopes. The Heisman has become a quarterback’s award, but If the Badgers bounce back in 2019, Taylor can make a run.
J.T. DANIELS, QB, USC
Daniels flashed five-star talent as a freshman starter for the Trojans, who stumbled to a 5-7 season. He will have a new offensive coordinator next year in former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, who has a history of developing highly productive quarterbacks — including 2012 Heisman winner Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M.
SAM EHLINGER, QB, TEXAS
The sophomore has a little Tim Tebow in his game, passing for 3,127 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushing for 541 and 13. If the Longhorns take another step forward and can overtake the Sooners in the Big 12, it would likely mean Ehlinger has stepped up, too. Though he could be losing two NFL-quality receivers in juniors Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray apologizes for anti-gay tweets
NORMAN, OKLA. >> Newly minted Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray is apologizing for anti-gay tweets posted to his Twitter account several years ago, when he was 14 and 15.
The Oklahoma quarterback tweeted : “I apologize for the tweets that have come to light tonight from when I was 14 and 15. I used a poor choice of word that doesn’t reflect who I am or what I believe. I did not intend to single out any individual or group.”
The tweets have since been deleted from the account of the 21-year-old Murray, who won college football’s most prestigious individual award Saturday night over Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins.
Murray, a junior from the Dallas suburbs, has signed a $4.66 million contract with the Oakland Athletics after he was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft in June and this season may be his last in college football.
Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen wins Lott IMPACT Trophy
NEWPORT BEACH >> Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen has won the Lott IMPACT Trophy as the college defensive player having the biggest influence on his team.
Allen received the award Sunday night from former Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott at the Pacific Club. It goes to a player with strong academic work, community involvement and team leadership.
Allen edged fellow finalists Ben Burr-Kirven of Washington, Christian Wilkins of Clemson and Ben Humphreys of Duke.
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Allen, from Montclair, New Jersey, has 14 sacks and 84 tackles this season. He also won the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player and was the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year.