Advertisement

Jalen Hurts, Chase Young, Justin Fields join Joe Burrow as Heisman Trophy finalists

By Connor Grott
LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow (R) is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after throwing an SEC-record 48 touchdown passes this season. File Photo by Art Foxall/UPI
LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow (R) is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after throwing an SEC-record 48 touchdown passes this season. File Photo by Art Foxall/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, Ohio State defensive end Chase Young and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields were named finalists for the 2019 Heisman Trophy.

Former Michigan star and 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard revealed the group of finalists for the 85th edition of the award, given to the most outstanding college football player in the country, Monday on ESPN. The winner will be announced Saturday in a ceremony held in New York City.

Advertisement

Burrow, who spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Ohio State, is the current favorite to win the award after throwing for an SEC-record 48 touchdown passes and 4,715 yards. He guided the Tigers to a win in the SEC title game and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Burrow and LSU will play Hurts and the No. 4 Sooners in a semifinal game at the Peach Bowl on Dec. 28. Burrow could become only the second player in program history to win the Heisman, joining former running back Billy Cannon (1959).

Advertisement

Hurts, who transferred to Oklahoma after three seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide, is the third Sooners quarterback in the last three years to make the trip to New York. Baker Mayfield (2017), who was also a finalist in 2016, and Kyler Murray (2018) each won the award before becoming the No. 1 overall picks in their NFL draft classes.

In 13 games, Hurts recorded 3,634 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He rushed for 1,255 yards and 18 scores.

Fields, who transferred to Ohio State after spending his freshman season at Georgia last year, threw for 2,953 yards, 40 touchdowns and one interception in place of Dwayne Haskins, who finished third in the Heisman voting in 2018 before departing for the NFL. Fields added 471 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Young is only the fourth defensive lineman in the award's history to be named a Heisman finalist, joining Steve Emtman (Washington, 1991), Warren Sapp (Florida State, 1994) and Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska, 2009). None of the previous three finalists finished higher than fourth in the voting.

Advertisement

Young led the country with 16.5 sacks and in tackles for loss per game (1.9). He is the first defensive player from the Big Ten to finish in the top four of Heisman voting since Michigan's Charles Woodson won the award in 1997.

The No. 2 Buckeyes will play No. 3 Clemson in the other semifinal game at the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28.

Latest Headlines