LSU quarterback Joe Burrow leads the list of finalists for the Heisman Trophy, announced Monday after voting closed to select the most outstanding college football player in the country.
Burrow is joined by Oklahoma senior quarterback Jalen Hurts and two players from Ohio State — sophomore quarterback Justin Fields and junior defensive end Chase Young. The award will be presented Saturday night in New York City.
Burrow has been the runway leader since he completed 31 of 39 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns in a 46-41 win at Alabama on Nov. 9.
The senior leads the nation in touchdown passes (an SEC-record 48) and completion percentage (77.9). He is second nationally with 4,715 passing yards and in passing efficiency rating (201.5) while directing the top-ranked team and most-productive offense (554.4 yards per game).
“He should win it. In my opinion, he’s going to win it,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said after Saturday’s SEC title game in which Burrow completed 28 of 38 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-10 domination of Georgia.
“The best thing about Joe is he’s a team player. All he wants to do is win this game. Individual awards are not high on his list. That’s what makes him such a great team player.”
Burrow will face off against Hurts and the fourth-seeded Sooners in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl on Dec. 28.
The dual-threat Hurts is third nationally in passing efficiency (200.3), passing for 3,634 yards and leading Oklahoma with 1,255 rushing yards. He has accounted for 50 touchdowns.
Fields is fourth in the country in passing efficiency rating (190.3), throwing for 40 touchdowns against only one interception, while also rushing for 471 yards and 10 scores. Fields threw for at least two touchdown passes in all 13 games this season.
He and Young will lead the second-seeded Buckeyes into a playoff semifinal against No. 3 Clemson at the Festa Bowl, also on Dec. 28. Young leads the nation with 16.5 sacks (1.5 per game) and in tackles for loss (1.9 per game).
Young is only the fourth defensive lineman to be a Heisman finalist. The others are Washington’s Steve Emtman (1991), Miami’s Warren Sapp (1994) and Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh (2009).
All three Heisman finalist quarterbacks began their careers somewhere else. Burrow spent his first three seasons (including a redshirt year) at Ohio State before becoming LSU’s starter in 2018. Fields played at Georgia last season as a true freshman. Hurts spent three seasons at Alabama, winning a national championship in the 2017 season.
Burrow is LSU’s first Heisman finalist since defensive back Tyrann Mathieu in 2011 and is line to be the school’s second winner, joining running back Billy Cannon (1959).
This is the fourth consecutive season in which an Oklahoma quarterback has been a finalist. Baker Mayfield won in 2017 and Kyler Murray earned the stiff-armed trophy last season.
There are 927 Heisman voters — 870 media members, 56 former Heisman winners and one fan vote.
