Tide’s Smith is first WR to be AP Player of Year
DeVonta Smith of Alabama is The Associated Press college football player of the year and the first wide receiver to win the award since it was established in 1998.
In what could be a preview of the Heisman Trophy voting, Smith received 26 first-place votes and 114 points to finish comfortably ahead of his teammate and quarterback, Mac Jones.
Jones received nine first-place votes and 67 points as he and Smith became the first teammates to finish 1-2 in the voting for AP player of the year.
Smith is also the first Alabama player to win the award.
“Probably one of the most selfless guys that I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach in terms of whatever he can do to help the team he wants to do,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “The guy is one of the most popular guys on the team and also one of the leaders of the team that everybody looks up to because of the example that he sets every day and how he goes about his work.”
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished third with nine first-place votes and 49 points and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask was fourth with three first-place votes and 44 points.
Smith, Jones, Lawrence and Trask are the Heisman Trophy finalists. The trophy will be presented Jan. 5.
The AP player of the year has gone to the Heisman winner 17 of 22 times previously.
Like the Heisman, quarterbacks have dominated the AP player of the year, with 17 QBs winning the award, along with four running backs.
Smith, who is trying to become the first receiver to win the Heisman since 1991, has 98 catches for 1,511 yards and has scored 19 touchdowns.
STANFORD’S DALMAN TO ENTER DRAFT >> Stanford senior center Drew Dalman announced that he will enter the 2021 NFL draft.
Dalman, from Salinas, is the son of former 49ers lineman Chris Dalman. He anchored an offensive line that allowed the Cardinal to average 420 yards per game in 2020.
Dalman earned firstteam All-Pac-12 honors in 2020 after earning second team recognition in 2019.
SANDERS, OKLAHOMA STAT E BEAT MI AMI IN CHEEZ- IT BOWL >> Spencer Sanders threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns, and Oklahoma State held off No. 18 Miami for a 37-34 victory in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Oklahoma State (8- 3) scored on its first three possessions while jumping out to a 21- 0 lead. Sanders threw TD passes of 30 and 32 yards to Presley, and LD Brown had a 2-yard touchdown run.
Miami (8-3) outgained Oklahoma State 512- 418.
TEXAS BOWL CANCELED >> The Texas Bowl has been canceled because of an increase of positive COVID-19 tests within TCU’s program, becoming the 19th bowl canceled this season. The Horned Frogs were supposed to play Arkansas on Thursday in Houston.
BUFFALO RB PATTERSON DECLARES FOR DRAFT >> Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson is foregoing his senior year by declaring for the NFL draft following a season in which he matched several national records.
In six games, the 21-yearold led the nation with 178.7 yards rushing per outing and finished with 1,072 yards. He matched his school record from 2019 with 19 rushing TDs.