Heisman Trophy finalists include three transfer quarterbacks, a defensive end

LSU’s Joe Burrow, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts began their respective college careers elsewhere before choosing to transfer. Now all three quarterbacks find themselves competing for a chance to win college football’s highest individual honor: the Heisman Trophy.

Burrow, Fields and Hurts along with Ohio State defensive end Chase Young were named finalists for the award Monday evening.

“The Joe Burrow transfer has made a difference for us. We’re fortunate that the transfer rule’s in place. Joe’s one of the most important recruits we’ve had at LSU,” Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said during Sunday’s bowl announcements. “With the spread offense, we couldn’t have had success without him.”

Burrow, who joined the LSU program in 2018 after spending three seasons at Ohio State, set multiple records with the Tigers, including passing yards (4,715), passing TDs (48), passing yards per game (362.7), completions (342), total offense (5,004) and total offense per game (384.9).

He’s looking to join Billy Cannon as the only Heisman Trophy winners from LSU.

Fields earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year honors in his first season at Ohio State. He leads the league with 3,424 yards of total offense and 50 total touchdowns and he ranks fourth in the nation with 300 points responsible for behind Burrow and Hurts.

Hurts is looking to become the third straight Oklahoma quarterback to win the Heisman, joining Kyler Murray (2018) and Baker Mayfield (2017). All three players were transfers, with Hurts joining the program as a graduate transfer from Alabama. He ranks third in the country in total offense with 4,889 yards and 50 total touchdowns.

Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, Army and Yale (1936-37) are the only schools with back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners.

No school has ever claimed the award three straight seasons.

“The transfers for quarterbacks have been good to us,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “… Jalen’s been a very positive impact on our program. His has been unique because it hasn’t been years; it’s been months. So it’s been kind of fast and furious but very positive.”

Young is looking to become the first defensive player to win the award since Michigan’s Charles Woodson (1997). He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year after leading the nation in sacks (16.5) while amassing 21 tackles for loss this season.

Ohio State becomes the seventh school to feature multiple finalists for the Heisman, but the first since 2016 when Oklahoma’s Mayfield and receiver Dede Westbrook were nominees.

The finalists will travel to New York City where the winner will be announced Saturday. The ceremony will air on ESPN at 8 p.m.