Is Alabama's Derrick Henry the clear frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy?
The Alabama running back won the Maxwell Award on Thursday, beating out Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey. The award goes to the most outstanding player in college football.
The three players are the three finalists for the Heisman, which will be given out on Saturday. Henry also beat McCaffrey (and LSU's Leonard Fournette) for the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back. Watson won the Davey O'Brien Award, which is for quarterbacks. He was against TCU's Trevone Boykin and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield.
Henry finished the regular season with 1,986 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He set an SEC rushing record, breaking the previous mark set by Herschel Walker, a Heisman winner in his career at Georgia.
The Maxwell isn't always indicative of the Heisman, however. In 2013, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron won the Maxwell Award. Florida State QB Jameis Winston won the Davey O'Brien Award and went on to win the Heisman two nights later. The previous time the Maxwell and Heisman winners differed was in 2011, when Stanford QB Andrew Luck won the Maxwell and Baylor QB Robert Griffin III won the Heisman.
McCarron was the first Alabama player to win the Maxwell. Henry is also the first running back to win the Maxwell Trophy since 2002, when Penn State's Larry Johnson won. Henry won the Walter Camp Award on Thursday as well.
You can make a convincing case for either Henry, McCaffrey and Watson to win the Heisman this season. Henry has been the engine for No. 2 Alabama as the Tide won the SEC while McCaffrey has the most all-purpose yards of anyone in a single season in FBS history. Watson is the quarterback for the only undefeated team in the country and the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was presented with the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award on Thursday night after he was awarded it earlier in the week.
Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman beat TCU's Josh Doctson and Ole Miss' Laquon Treadwell for the Biletnikoff Award. Linebacker Tyler Matekevich became the first Temple player to win the Bednarik Award for best defensive player and also won the Bronko Nagurski Award.
Home Depot (coach of the year): Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Walter Camp Award (player of the year): Derrick Henry, Alabama
Maxwell Award (outstanding player): Derrick Henry, Alabama
Davey O'Brien (best quarterback): Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Doak Walker (best running back): Derrick Henry, Alabama
Jim Thorpe (best defensive back): Desmond King, Iowa
Bednarik (defensive player of the year): Tyler Matakevich, Temple
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm (outstanding senior):
Biletnikoff (best receiver): Corey Coleman, Baylor
John Mackey (best tight end): Hunter Henry, Arkansas
Outland (best interior lineman): Josh Garrett, Stanford
Lombardi (best lineman): Carl Nassib, Penn State
Rimington Trophy (best center): Ryan Kelly, Alabama
Bronko Nagurski (best defensive player): Tyler Matekevich, Temple
Butkus (best linebacker): Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Ted Hendricks (best defensive end): Carl Nassib, Penn State
Lou Groza (best placekicker): Ka'imi Fairbairn, UCLA
Ray Guy (best punter): Tom Hackett, Utah
Campbell Trophy (top-scholar athlete): Ty Darlington, Oklahoma
Broyles (top assistant coach): Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Disney Spirit Award (most inspiration player): Hank Goff, Concordia University
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