One of the most chaotic college football seasons comes to an end next week, with powerhouses Ohio State and Alabama square off in the national title game on Monday, January 11.
While the 2020 season was filled with COVID-19 outbreaks, subsequent postponements and cancellations, shortened hours and opt-out options, there were plenty of memorable moments and players showing off their talents this year.
The Home Depot college football awards celebrated these folks Thursday night with Alabama leading the winners, taking home seven individual awards.
Here’s a breakdown of each winner for the top prizes.
- Chuck Bernard Award (College Defensive Player of the Year): Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins, who had 54 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one safety in eight games. The other finalists included Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Alabama cornerback Patrick Sustain II.
- Biletnikoff Award (Outstanding Receiver)Alabama Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who currently leads the FBS with 1,641 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns on 105 receptions. The other finalists included Elijah Moore from Ole Miss and Kyle Pitts from Florida.
- Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (Nation’s Outstanding Kicker): Miami’s JoséCorrelatess, who made 20 of 22 field goal attempts (including 9 of 11 on field goals of 40 yards or more). The other finalists included BYU’s Jake Oldroyd and Alabama’s Will Reichard.
- Ray Guy Award (College Gambler of the Year): Georgia Tech’s Pressley Harvin III, who set Georgia Tech and Atlantic Coast Conference records with a 48.0-yard punt average in 2020. The other finalists included Jake Camarda of Georgia and Lou Hedley of Miami.
- Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year): Alabama’s DeVonta Smith – 2020 Heisman Trophy winner. Other finalists included Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
- Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award( the bestt quarterback in the nation): Alabama’s Mac Jones, who is the first Crimson Tide quarterback to exceed 4,000 passing yards in one season. He leads the FBS with a 77% completion rate, 11.3 yards per attempt and a 203.03 quarterback rating. The other finalists were Trevor Lawrence from Clemson and Kyle Trask from Florida.
- Outland Trophy (the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman): Alabama OT Alex Leatherwood, who played 688 plays during the 2020 season and has allowed just two sacks, missed just two assignments and committed just two penalties. The other finalists were Notre Dame OT Liam Eichenberg and Iowa DTDavidsonn Nixon.
- Paycom Jim Thorpe Award( the bestt defensive back in the nation): TCU safety TrevonGehrigg who had 47 tackles, 11Buss and two interceptions in 2020. The other finalists included UCF safety Richie Grant and Alabama cornerback Patrick Sustain II.
- Doak Walker Award( the bestt runner in the nation): Alabama’sNamee Harris, who holds multiple all-time career records for Crimson Tide (including total touchdowns, rushing scores and rushing yards). Before the Rose Bowl, Harris had scored 27 total touchdowns (24 rushing) and 1,578 total yards (1,262 rushing). The other finalists included Travis Etienne from Clemson andGreecee Hall from Iowa State.
- John Mackey Award (Outstanding Tight End): Florida’s Kyle Pitts, who finished with 43 receptions for 770 yards with 12 touchdowns. He didn’t drop a pass on 65 goals, and 39 of his catches were for first downs. The other finalists included Charlie Kolar of Iowa State and Jalen Wydermyer of TexasAmM.
- Rimington Trophy (the most prominent center): Alabama’s Landon Dickerson, who unanimously named the All-American first team, earned All-SEC honors from both the Associated Press and league coaches and was named a co-recipient of the SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy with teammate Alex Leatherwood. The other finalists included Tyler Linderbaum from Iowa and Josh Myers from Ohio State.
- Walter Camp Award (National Player of the Year): Alabama catcher DeVonta Smith. Other finalists were quarterbacks Mac Jones (Alabama), Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) and Kyle Trask (Florida), and running backNamee Harris (Alabama).
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.
