Ohio State teammates quarterback Justin Fields and defensive end Chase Young have been named as Heisman Trophy finalists.
They'll join Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in vying for the award given to the nation's top college football player.
Burrow, a former Buckeye quarterback and Athens, Ohio native who transferred to LSU in the spring of 2018, is the clear front-runner to win the Heisman on Saturday night in New York City after a record-breaking season. The senior has led the Tigers to the top seed in the College Football Playoff.
Burrow would be LSU's second Heisman winner and first since running back Billy Cannon in 1959.
All three quarterbacks who are finalists this season started their careers at different schools and transferred. Fields spent his freshman season at the University of Georgia before coming to Ohio State earlier this year. He passed for 2,953 yards with 40 touchdowns and one interception and ran for another 471 yards and 10 touchdowns during Ohio State's 13–0 season.
Young already won the Bronko Nagurski Award this year, given to the nation's top college defensive player. Despite a two-game suspension earlier in the season, he was the nation's most dominant player on defense, recording 16.5 sacks and forcing six fumbles in just 10 games for the undefeated Buckeyes.
His best game came against then-No. 13 Wisconsin when he had four sacks and two forced fumbles in a 38-7 Ohio State victory.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Young joins a list of former Nagurski Award winners that includes Aaron Donald, Warren Sapp, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs and Champ Bailey.
Young said he took and repaid a loan from a "family friend," which Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said violated the NCAA's policy against preferential treatment for student athletes. Because of the suspension, Young was forced to sit out games against Maryland and Rutgers.
