The Maxwell Football Club and the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee announced today that Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been named as a finalist for both the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien Award, respectively.
Lawrence becomes the second Clemson player ever to be named a finalist for the Maxwell Award, presented annually to college football’s player of the year, joining Deshaun Watson (2016). He is also joins Watson as the only finalists in school history for the O’Brien Award, presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback, an award Watson earned for both the 2015 and 2016 campaigns.
Additional information is included below from award organizers.
Abridged release via the Maxwell Football Club
Maxwell Football Club Executive Director Mark Wolpert announced the 2020 finalists for the 84th Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year.
The lists includes a field of three candidates as determined by the semifinalist voting process which ended Dec. 20.
All finalists are listed in alphabetical order by player’s school with position and class designated.
2020 Maxwell Award FinalistsMac Jones, QB, AlabamaTrevor Lawrence, QB, ClemsonDeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Jones has led the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide to an 11-0 (11-0 SEC) record and an SEC title this fall. He has authored one of the most prolific seasons by a quarterback in recent history, throwing for 3,739 yards and 32 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions. He added one rushing touchdown and has a passer rating of 202.3.On Saturday night he led Alabama to a 52-46 win over Florida in the SEC Championship Game, passing for 418 yards and five touchdowns.
Lawrence capped off a stellar 2020 season by leading the Tigers to a 34-10 win over Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game Saturday night. He passed for 322 yards and two touchdowns in the contest and added 90 yds on the ground, earning Clemson a spot in the College Football Playoff against Ohio State. His 412 yards of total offense against Notre Dame were second-most in ACC Championship Game history, and he became the first starting quarterback ever to win three ACC Championship Games. For the season Lawrence has passed for 2,753 yards, 22 touchdowns, and has a passer rating of 172.7. He has a 34-1 career record as a starter at Clemson.
Smith returned for his senior season in Tuscaloosa and has made the most of the opportunity posting 98 receptions for 1,511 yds and 17 touchdowns. His per game receiving yard average is an eye-popping 137.3 yds per game and he has also chipped in with one rushing touchdown and one return touchdown. One of the top route runners in college football, Smith is devastating after the catch and he is now the all-time leading receiver in Alabama history.
Last season, the Maxwell Award went to LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. Winners of the 84th Maxwell Award and the 26th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on January 7, 2021.
Voting for both of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Tuesday December 22 and close on Saturday January 2, 2021. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA Head Football Coaches, Sports Information Directors and selected national media.
via the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee
FORT WORTH, Texas (Dec. 22, 2020) – Alabama’s Mac Jones, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Florida’s Kyle Trask have been selected as the three finalists for the 2020 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. The honorees were named based on the results from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee’s balloting as well as social media fan votes courtesy of the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote.
All three players are first-time finalists for the award. Jones is seeking to become the Crimson Tide’s first-ever winner, while Lawrence would join fellow Tiger Deshaun Watson (2015, 2016) and Trask would be the third Gator, following Danny Wuerffel (1995, 1996) and Tim Tebow (2007).
Jones, a junior, has connected on 250 of 327 passes (.765) for 3,739 yards and 32 touchdowns against four interceptions. He leads the nation in passing efficiency (202.4), total quarterback rating (95.6) and completion percentage. The native of Jacksonville, Fla., also ranks second nationally in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.
The 6-3, 214-pound Jones also is among the national leaders in points responsible for (5th, 198) and total offense (6th, 339.1). He has topped the 300-yard passing mark seven times, including four 400-yard games. He has guided the Crimson Tide to an 11-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
Lawrence is 198-for-286 passing (.692) for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns, while also rushing for 211 yards and seven scores. He ranks seventh in FBS in total offense (329.3) and eighth in total QBR (85.6). The product of Cartersville, Ga., also is listed nationally in passing yards (10th), passing efficiency (11th, 172.7), touchdown passes (12th) and points responsible for (12th, 174).
In nine games, the 6-6, 220-pound junior passed for more than 300 yards five times with a pair of 400-yard games. Clemson (10-1) is 9-0 in contests started by Lawrence and is the second seed in the College Football Playoffs.
Trask, a senior from Manvel, Texas, has completed 285 of 409 passes (.697) for 4,125 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading the country in both yards and passing scores. In addition, he ranks first in points responsible for (278) and is second in total QBR (90.4).
In 11 games, the 6-5, 240-pound signal caller has nine 300-yard passing efforts, topping the 400-yard plateau five times, and had seven tilts with at least four touchdown passes. His 379.5 total yards of offense per game ranks third nationally. Trask has steered Florida to an 8-3 overall record and the No. 7 ranking in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, first issued in 1981, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious quarterback award. The Foundation’s national selection committee is comprised of journalists, broadcasters, commentators and former winners.
The Davey O’Brien Fan Vote instituted a change to its format in 2020, as fans voted for their favorite quarterback’s post from the Davey O’Brien official accounts via three social media platforms—Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The top five vote getters on those platforms each received bonus committee member votes. The bonus vote recipients and there vote totals, were Notre Dame’s Ian Book (6.5), Trask (5.5), Coast Carolina’s Grayson McCall (3), Jones (2.5), Ole Miss’ Matt Corral (1.5), Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder (1.5), Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler (1) and UCF’s Dillon Gabriel (1).
The next step in the process will be to select the award’s winner from the three finalist quarterbacks. Final round fan voting is now open and will close on Wednesday, Dec. 30. National selection committee voting will take place through Dec. 30.
The winner is to be announced live on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, on the 30th annual The Home Depot College Football Awards, which will be held virtually from 7-8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.
