Heisman: Lawrence tops survey

Clemson and Alabama have been the premier programs in the College Football Playoff era. It should therefore come as no surprise the signature players for those two powerhouse teams enter the coming season at the forefront of the Heisman Trophy discussion.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence leads the initial USA TODAY Sports Network Heisman survey. He is followed by Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who Lawrence outdueled in the national championship game in January.

The survey includes official Heisman voters who work for USA TODAY and Gannett properties.

Lawrence is the only player named on all 21 ballots, picked first on 17 of them. Though he didn’t become the Tigers’ full-time starter until a month into the 2018 season, he finished his freshman campaign throwing for 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He did not finish in the top 10 in final Heisman balloting, a result that would almost certainly have been different if the votes had been submitted after the Playoff games.

Tagovailoa, last year’s runner-up in both the title game and the Heisman vote, was named on 20 of the 21 ballots in the survey with four first-place nods. He was the leading contender for much of last season before being slowed by injuries late in the year and was overtaken by Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray.

Nine players received mentions in the survey, eight of them quarterbacks. This is in keeping with the award’s recent history; a quarterback has claimed the statue eight of the last nine years and 16 of the last 18. But the lone exception, Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor, was voted third in the survey and at least has a chance to break the trend.

Another intriguing possibility among the quarterback candidates is Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. The graduate transfer from Alabama is on the radar with three mentions, and it is at least conceivable he could give the Sooners an unprecedented three Heisman winners in a row.