The Heisman Trophy favorite entering a season rarely win the award. That’s the burden on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence this year. Here are two props available to wager at Mybookie on Lawrence’s Heisman Trophy chances and Clemson’s 2020 college football season – assuming there is one – and an overview.
Trevor Lawrence Heisman Trophy Odds & Analysis For 2020 Season
- Heisman Trophy odds: Lawrence is +180 favorite
- Odds to win national title: Clemson is +230 favorite
Lawrence attended and played football for Cartersville High School in Georgia, where he was considered to be among the best quarterback prospects of all time. Via 247Sports, he was ranked not just the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2018 but the No. 6 overall recruit ever by that site.
From his sophomore year to his senior year, Lawrence led Cartersville to 41 straight victories, winning two state championships and numerous national high school player of the year honors. Lawrence finished with 13,908 passing yards and 161 touchdowns against 21 interceptions in his career and set state records for passing yards and passing touchdowns that were previously held by Deshaun Watson of Gainesville High.
Of course, Watson also went to Clemson and is an NFL star right now, and most expect Lawrence to be the top pick in the 2021 draft. His combination of size (6-foot-6), athleticism, accuracy and intelligence makes him a near lock for success at the next level.
Thanks to UGA coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs made a ferocious late run at Lawrence, finishing runner-up to only Clemson. When Lawrence was going through the critical early stages of the recruiting process, Mark Richt was still Georgia’s coach and his offensive coordinator was Brian Schottenheimer. Clemson and Dabo Swinney recruited Lawrence much harder at an earlier date while Richt’s staff was focused more on other QB targets.
As touted as Lawrence was, he began the 2018 season as the backup to Kelly Bryant, but when Bryant struggled fairly early on Lawrence took over and never looked back in leading Clemson to the national championship. In that title game upset of Alabama, Lawrence earned Offensive MVP after completing 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, becoming the first freshman starting quarterback to lead his team to a national title since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway in 1985.
Including a rout of Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Lawrence became the first quarterback in 40 years to beat two Top-5 opponents by 25 or more points in a single season. Lawrence would be named a Freshman All-American, ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year. He completed 259-397 passes for 3,280 yards with 30 touchdowns and four interceptions in 768 snaps in 15 games (11 starts), while also contributing 60 carries for 177 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He set school freshman records in passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins as a starting quarterback and finished having thrown 169 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, breaking Cullen Harper’s single-season school record of 143 in 2007.
Last year, Clemson rolled to the national title game again, only to lose to LSU and Heisman winner Joe Burrow. Lawrence did struggle some in that one, completing 18-of-37 passes for 234 yards while rushing 10 times for 49 yards and a touchdown in the 42-25 loss.
That ended Lawrence’s 25-game winning streak as a starter, tied for the sixth-longest winning streak by a starting quarterback at any point of a career, trailing streaks by Toledo’s Chuck Ealey (35 from 1969-71), USC’s Matt Leinart (34 from 2003-05), Miami’s Ken Dorsey (34 from 2000-02), Oklahoma’s Steve Davis (28 from 1973-75) and Winston (26 from 2013-14).
Overall, he completed 268-of-407 passes for 3,665 yards with a career-high 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 842 snaps over 15 games. He also had 103 carries for 563 yards and a career-high nine rushing touchdowns, as his 45 combined rushing and passing touchdowns tied Lamar Jackson for fifth-most in a season in ACC history. Lawrence’s 66 career touchdown passes are the most in ACC history through the first two years of a career.
Clemson opens the season Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech and will be more than a three-TD favorite at Mybookie.
