As Alabama prepares for the national championship game, several Crimson Tide players were honored with individual awards during the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday.
As expected, DeVonta Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner, won the Fred Biletnikoff Award (best receiver), while quarterback Mac Jones (Davey O’Brien), left-back Alex Leatherwood (Outland) and fullback Najee Harris ( Doak Walker) were also honored for their outstanding seasons.
Here is a list of individual awards whose winners were announced on Thursday:
Davey O’Brien Award: Jones, a first-team Associated Press All-American, threw for 4,036 yards with 36 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, who finished ahead of Jones in the Heisman Trophy poll, and Florida’s Kyle Trask were also finalists.
Fred Biletnikoff Award: It was fitting that Smith, who was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard won it when he played for Michigan in 1991, also took home the Biletnikoff. The other two finalists, Ole Miss’ Elijah Moore and Kyle Pitts of Florida, were also finalists. Smith got 105 passes for 1,641 yards with 20 touchdowns while the championship game has yet to play.
Doak Walker Award: Harris ran for 1,387 yards (6.1 yards per carry) with a nation’s best 24 touchdown. He combined 303 yards in Alabama’s last two wins, against Florida in the SEC Championship (178) and Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals (125). The Iowa State Breece Hall, the country’s leading rusher, and Clemson’s Travis Etienne were also finalists.
Foreign trophy: Leatherwood is the third member of the Crimson Tide to win the Outland since 2016, joining Quinnen Williams (2018) and Cam Robinson (2016). Leatherwood is one of the prospects from left in the NFL Series, and Liam Eichenberg of Notre Dame and Daviyon Nixon of Iowa. Last season’s winner, Oregon’s Penei Sewell, picked before the season.
Chuck Bednarik Award: Tulsa’s Zaven Collins won the award for the country’s leading defender ahead of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah of Notre Dame and Patrick Surtain II of Alabama. In eight games, Collins finished with 53 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and four interceptions. Collins was also honored with the Bronko Nagurski Award two weeks ago.
Lou Groza Award: Jose Borregales, Miami, was named the country’s leading kicker after an almost perfect season. He converted 20 of 22 field goals – including 2 of 2 from more than 50 yards – and all 37 attempts to convert extra points. Will Reichard of Alabama and BYU Jake Oldroyd were the other finalists.
Ray Guy Award: Georgia Tech’s Pressley Harvin III made history as the first African-American to win the award, awarding the country’s best player. He averaged 48.0 yards per point and 18 of his 45 points were put off within the opponent’s 20-yard line. He knocked out Georgian Jake Camarda and Lou Hedley of Miami.