In what’s sure to be a controversial decision regardless of who ultimately wins it, the finalists for the most famous hardware in all of college sports were revealed Sunday evening on ESPN.
The 2015 finalists for the Heisman Trophy include a pair of running backs and one quarterbacks. The three finalists are also spread out among the ACC, Pac-12 and SEC.
Below are those finalists and their pertinent stats, presented in alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone:
Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (12-1, No. 2)
Season: 339 carries for 1,986 yards (5.9 ypc), 23 touchdowns; 10 receptions for 97 yards
Highlights: Henry leads the country in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. His yardage total broke the 34-year-old single-season SEC record set by Georgia great Herschel Walker in 1981.
Christian McCaffrey, RB/WR/return specialist/hot dog vendor, Stanford (11-2, No. 6)
Season:319 carries for 1,847 yards (5.8 ypc), eight touchdowns; 41 receptions for 540 yards, four touchdowns; 36 kick returns for 1,042 yards, one touchdown; 14 punt returns for 67 yards; 2-3 passing (66.7%), 39 yards, two touchdowns, 395.9 passer rating
Highlights: One of the most versatile players in the country, McCaffrey is also a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award. His 3,496 all-purpose yards broke the record set by Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders in 1988.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (13-0, No. 1)
Season: 287-413 (69.5%), 3,512 yards, 30 touchdowns, 11 interceptions; 163 carries for 887 yards (5.4 ypc), 11 touchdowns
Highlights: The triggerman for the only undefeated team in the country, Watson is 11th in the country in passing efficiency. He’s also third among quarterbacks in rushing yards (887) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (11).
As we have noted in the past, the number of finalists are determined by hitting an unspecified voting threshold. That number fluctuates as low as three (last year) and as high as six (2013).
Alabama has now seen 13 of its players finish in the top five of the Heisman voting since the first award was handed out in 1935, behind only Notre Dame (29), Ohio State (18), Oklahoma (17) and USC (16). Stanford has had 10 in the top five, tying Army, Miami and Texas for ninth-best ever.
The 2014 winner of the Heisman was Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. The 81st winner of the stiff-arm trophy will be announced Saturday night on ESPN late in a show that begins at 8 ET.
The 2015 #Heisman Finalists: @KingHenry_2 (@AlabamaFTBL), @cmccaffrey5 (@StanfordFball) & @shaunwatson4 (@ClemsonFB) pic.twitter.com/zP8iLrbJN5
— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) December 7, 2015