Heisman hopefuls loom large in Miami-Clemson
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Saturday’s prime-time showdown between No. 1 Clemson and No. 7 Miami could double as a Heisman Trophy showcase for their respective quarterbacks.
A few weeks into the 2020 season, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Miami’s D’Eriq King are viable candidates for college football’s most prestigious individual award.
Lawrence, a junior who has guided the Tigers to a 28-1 record and a national championship in his two-plus seasons as a starter, entered the season as the Heisman front-runner.
King, a transfer from Houston, has entered the Heisman chase with a fast start for his new team.
“I think King definitely belongs in the conversation,” said EJ Manuel, a college football analyst for the ACC Network and former NFL and Florida State quarterback.
King could prove he belongs with a strong performance against Clemson.
“It helps to play in prime time when everybody’s watching,” Manuel said.
A solid performance by Lawrence, who finished seventh in Heisman voting last year, would cement his status as the Heisman favorite.
Lawrence led the way in the first USA TODAY Sports Network Heisman survey of the season this week, attracting first-place votes on 16 of the 21 ballots.
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask was second in the voting, while his Gators teammate tight end Kyle Pitts was third.
Players from the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences won’t kick off their seasons until Oct. 24 and Nov. 7, respectively, so preseason Heisman candidates such as
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields won’t generate much interest until then.
This year’s Heisman presentation also will come later. Typically presented in mid-December, the trophy presentation is certain to be pushed back since most league championship games are set for Dec. 19.
Former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd has kept close tabs on Lawrence throughout his career and is convinced that this could be the year that a Clemson player finally breaks through and becomes the first in school history to claim the trophy.
“I don’t think he’s worried about it, but it’s in the back of everybody’s mind,” Boyd said. “I know he’s more of a team guy, but it would be cool for the Heisman Trophy to come to Clemson.”
Lawrence played limited minutes in
the Tigers’ first two games – convincing victories against Wake Forest and The Citadel – but still has passed for 848 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception.
Posting impressive numbers early in the season tends to stick with Heisman voters.
In 2016, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson put up eye-popping numbers early and still won the trophy despite tailing off late in the season. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, who passed for 967 yards, rushed for 185 more and accounted for 12 touchdowns in three postseason games, finished second in the voting.
“Early success gets your name out there and gets the attention,” Manuel said. “But long-term success is when you start getting rings and championships.
“If you ask Trevor if he’d rather win the Heisman or win another national championship before he goes and gets drafted No. 1 overall, I’m pretty sure Trevor would take the national championship. The Heisman’s great, but it doesn’t mean much if you’re 8-2 or 7-5 your last year in college.”
King has passed for 736 yards and six touchdowns through three games, but he could boost his stock by helping his team upset or challenge Clemson on Saturday night.
“D’Eriq King has crept up into this race, and if he puts together a Lamar Jackson-type game he could skyrocket to No. 1,” Boyd said.
“But I think Trevor’s the front-runner now. If he can sustain, perform well, throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns a game, he can win the dang thing.
“I think it’s going to come home this year. Then people can stop asking me who’s better between Deshaun (Watson) and Trevor.”