Joe Burrow's unique path to the Heisman Trophy will never be forgotten, especially in Louisiana and Ohio.
Burrow went from Ohio State backup to mostly unwanted transfer (whoops, Nebraska), and then from solid, unspectacular signal-caller to having the greatest season by a quarterback in SEC history. He joins Billy Cannon as LSU's only Heisman winners.
There was zero drama Saturday night in New York, as Burrow won the Heisman by the largest margin in history. Given the inevitability of this year's winner, some who watched the ceremony might have started thinking about the 2020 race.
With that in mind, here's a way-too-early look at next season's top Heisman Trophy contenders. Although many non-seniors haven't formally made their NFL draft decisions, players widely expected to depart aren't included. If a player has unique circumstances that affect his draft decision, like injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama, I included him.
The good news for those not appearing below: Burrow appeared on few if any of these lists a year ago.
Let's get to 12 candidates for the 2020 Heisman:
Ohio State QB Justin Fields
He had Heisman-worthy numbers in 2019, and after finishing third to Burrow, will be among the top candidates for the award next fall. The Georgia transfer arrived with incredible fanfare but also some concerns, as he had struggled with accuracy and interceptions in Athens. But Fields blossomed under Ryan Day and the Ohio State coaching staff, completing 67.5% of his passes for 2,953 yards with 40 touchdowns and, most impressively, only one interception. Fields also gained 473 rush yards and 10 touchdowns, and repeatedly converted key third-down situations.
"He just extends plays," said a defensive coordinator who faced Fields. "All of a sudden, you get everybody covered, you're blitzing, it doesn't matter."
His ability to read defenses should only get better in 2020, as his lone weakness is holding on to the ball too long at times.
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
A slow-ish start amid unrealistic expectations knocked Lawrence out of the 2019 Heisman race, but he could be the favorite to win in 2020. He enters his second College Football Playoff with 6,452 career passing yards, 64 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. Like Clemson, Lawrence has looked dominant since the North Carolina escape on Sept. 28, completing better than 72% of his passes in six of eight games, with 26 touchdowns and only three interceptions (none since Oct. 19).
"It really was not a huge change," Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott told me. "He's just found a way to maybe get rid of two, three of those bad decisions that maybe he made, trying to force balls. It's not a situation where we can look at the second half of the year and see a total change. Outside of a few of those decisions, he's been very consistent all year."
Imagine how good Lawrence will be in Year 3.
Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa is undecided about entering the NFL draft, a virtual certainty before a major hip injury last month. His post-surgery prognosis is good, but whether he makes a full recovery from such a unique and devastating injury remains to be seen. If Tagovailoa is back with the Tide in 2020 and at or near 100%, he will have a great chance to win his first Heisman. His numbers the past two seasons are incredible: 6,806 pass yards, more than 16 yards per completion, 76 touchdowns, nine interceptions. Although Alabama is expected to lose top receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, Tagovailoa should once again be able to put up eye-catching numbers, as long as he can effectively execute an RPO-heavy scheme.
LSU WR Ja'Marr Chase
Burrow's departure to the NFL leaves Chase as LSU's most nationally recognizable offensive star. Like Burrow, Chase blossomed in the scheme crafted by Joe Brady and Steve Ensminger, recording 73 receptions for 1,498 yards and 18 touchdowns, an unfathomable average of 20.5 yards per reception. Chase led the FBS in receiving yards, receiving yards per game and receiving touchdowns, tying Reidel Anthony's single-season SEC record for scoring catches. Earlier this week, he won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver. Chase will be working with a new quarterback in 2020, most likely Myles Brennan, but will be the centerpiece for Joe Brady's downfield passing attack.
USC QB Kedon Slovis
If there's a Burrow-like story in next year's batch of Heisman contenders, it might be Slovis. Few knew about him when he signed as an unheralded recruit out of Arizona who had former NFL star Kurt Warner as his high school offensive coordinator. But Slovis relieved the injured JT Daniels in USC's opener, and went on to pass for 3,242 yards and 28 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He set a USC single-game record with 515 pass yards against UCLA in the regular-season finale, as four different receivers eclipsed 100 yards. Slovis is a great fit in the offense run by coordinator Graham Harrell, who likely will return for his second season at USC. Although top wideout Michael Pittman Jr. departs, Slovis will be throwing to Amon-Ra St. Brown, possibly Tyler Vaughns and other talented targets in 2020.
Clemson WR Justyn Ross
A wide receiver hasn't won the Heisman since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991, but between Chase and Ross, there are two very strong candidates in 2020. After a breakout performance in last year's playoff, Ross put together a strong sophomore season, recording 55 receptions for 742 yards (13.5 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns. He forms arguably the nation's best wide receiver tandem with Tee Higgins, who is expected to enter the 2020 NFL draft. Ross will be Clemson's primary wideout next fall, which will help his national profile. The concern is that he'll also be competing for attention with Lawrence. But if Ross can replicate his playoff production this year, he'll be a name all the voters will know well entering the 2020 season.
Texas QB Sam Ehlinger
You might have forgotten that Ehlinger was a genuine Heisman contender through the first seven games of the 2019 season. He had 21 touchdown passes, only three interceptions and had completed at least 66% of his passes in all but one contest. His struggles down the stretch were difficult to pinpoint, lowlighted by a four-interception disaster at TCU. But Ehlinger has the skills, experience and platform to be a factor in the 2020 Heisman race. He will be working with a new offensive coordinator (yet to be named), and must show the combination of accurate passing and tough running that defined his game in 2018 and early this past season. Ehlinger also must help get Texas back into the Big 12 title mix, as quarterbacks on teams that aren't contenders likely won't challenge for the Heisman, even with gaudy numbers.
Oklahoma QB (Insert Name Here)
Spencer Rattler has thrown a grand total of eight passes as a college player, appearing in only two games for the Sooners. Tanner Mordecai has attempted a whopping 26 passes as Jalen Hurts' backup this fall. But both are Oklahoma quarterbacks, and lately, that's been enough to enter the Heisman mix. Sooner QBs won the Heisman in 2017 (Baker Mayfield) and 2018 (Kyler Murray), and Hurts was a finalist this year after transferring from Alabama. As long as Lincoln Riley is coaching OU, his quarterbacks will have a chance to put up huge numbers for an annual playoff contender. ESPN rated Rattler as the nation's No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 29 overall player in the 2019 class. Mordecai rated as ESPN's No. 151 overall recruit in 2018 but brings a bit more experience to the competition.
Houston QB D'Eriq King
Any legitimate Heisman contender from the Group of 5 must have enough name recognition going into a season to have any chance. King has this for two reasons: incredible production when on the field, and a decision to employ the redshirt rule after Houston's 1-3 start and preserve a final year of eligibility in 2020. People know the name D'Eriq King, and they'll be watching to see how he performs next fall, whether he's in a Houston uniform (as he says he will be) or with another team as a transfer. King is an electric player, recording 2,982 passing yards, 674 rushing yards and 50 total touchdowns in 2018, while being named a Maxwell Award semifinalist. After a year to learn coach Dana Holgorsen's offense, he should produce some huge numbers in 2020.
Alabama WR/returner Jaylen Waddle
The Tide almost certainly will lose both Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, pegged No. 4 and No. 13 on Kiper's latest Big Board. Leading receiver DeVonta Smith could return despite being draft-eligible, but Waddle could have a bigger national profile in 2020. He's not only a big-play threat at receiver, averaging 17.3 yards per reception during the regular season with six touchdowns, but he's arguably the most electric returner in college football. This season, Waddle averaged 24.95 yards per punt return, more than four yards better than any other FBS player this season. His 474 punt return yards led second-place Jalen Reagor by 162 yards. Howard's return numbers played a big role in his 1991 Heisman, so if Waddle can replicate his production with increases in receiving numbers, he should have a chance.
Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwell
I wanted running backs on the list, but the top underclassmen are expected to turn pro, and superstars like Jonathan Taylor, Chuba Hubbard and J.K. Dobbins weren't even Heisman finalists this year. It's harder than ever for a running back to win the Heisman, but Gainwell is worth watching after an incredible redshirt freshman year. Gainwell finished the regular season ranked fourth nationally in yards from scrimmage (1,957), eighth in rushing yards (1,425), 12th in yards per carry (6.42) and ninth in all-purpose yards (150.5 yards per game). He's a highlight machine, tying for third nationally in plays of 20 yards or longer (23). If Gainwell performs well in the Cotton Bowl against Penn State, he'll have some name recognition entering 2020, which is critical for any Group of 5 candidate, especially a non-quarterback.
LSU CB/returner Derek Stingley Jr.
Ohio State's Chase Young showed that defensive players can contend for the Heisman if they produce big numbers at high-profile programs. Stingley in 2020 could be among the top players on a defending national championship team (at the very least, a defending SEC champion). ESPN's top cornerback and No. 18 overall recruit in the 2019 class lived up to the hype as a freshman, recording six interceptions, first in the SEC and tied for fifth nationally, and 15 pass breakups. Stingley is third nationally in passes defended per game (1.6), and tied for third on LSU's single-season list (21). He also brings the return component, averaging 9.7 yards on punt returns. Stingley could be the most nationally recognizable LSU defensive back since Tyrann Mathieu, the "Honey Badger," another in-state product who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011.