List of Early Favorites to Win the 2020 Heisman Trophy is Headlined by Host of Returning Quarterbacks

Trevor Lawrence celebrates during Clemson's game against South Carolina.
Trevor Lawrence celebrates during Clemson's game against South Carolina. / Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
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Joe Burrow won the 2019 Heisman Trophy last Saturday by a landslide, a fully deserved win for the LSU Tigers quarterback. Burrow had an incredible season for LSU, leading them to an undefeated season while amassing an impressive 4,715 passing yards and 48 touchdowns.

But with the dust settled, it's time to take a look at the early favorites to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy.

1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Trevor Lawrence throws the ball in the ACC championship game.
Trevor Lawrence throws the ball in the ACC championship game. / Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

After his brilliant freshman year, Clemson's star quarterback was the favorite heading into 2019, but a shaky start allowed Burrow to run away with the award. Lawrence still finished seventh in this year's voting, and his incredible close to the season puts him in strong contention for the 2020 award. Clemson went undefeated in the regular season for the second consecutive year and still hasn't lost a game with Lawrence under center. Lawrence threw 20 touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last six games. If he can continue to limit the turnovers in 2020, while keeping Clemson in contention for another national championship, Lawrence will be among the favorites in 2020.

2. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Justin Fields in the Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin.
Justin Fields in the Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin. / Justin Casterline/Getty Images

When Fields transferred from Georgia to Ohio State before the 2019 season, few knew what to expect from the five-star recruit. However, after throwing four touchdown passes in the first quarter of his Ohio State career, it immediately became clear that Fields is something special. He finished third in the 2019 Heisman voting after throwing for 2953 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just one interception in Ryan Day's dynamic offensive system. He also rushed for 10 touchdowns and 471 yards. If it weren't for otherworldly seasons from Burrow and fellow Buckeye Chase Young, Fields' season would've been closer to the top of the Heisman conversation in 2019. Next year, Fields will enter the season in that position.

3. Kedon Slovis, QB, USC

Kedon Slovis throws a pass against UCLA.
Kedon Slovis throws a pass against UCLA. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

At the start of the season, Kedon Slovis was an obscure backup to JT Daniels. By the end, he was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. Taking over after Daniels suffered an injury in Week 1, the true freshman immediately displayed remarkable ability and poise en route to a 3,242-yard season despite missing nearly two full games with a concussion. With USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell coming back in 2020, Slovis has a great opportunity to rise even higher.

4. Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma

Spencer Rattler warms up before Oklahoma's game against Texas Tech.
Spencer Rattler warms up before Oklahoma's game against Texas Tech. / Brett Deering/Getty Images

While Spencer Rattler hasn't played a snap of college football, his situation alone has him on the shortlist of 2020 Heisman hopefuls. The No. 1 QB recruit in the country heading into 2019, Rattler is set to be the successor to Jalen Hurts. Under Lincoln Riley, the Sooners have already produced two Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Hurts finished second in voting in 2019, further showing that anyone who plays quarterback in Riley's offensive system should be in contention for the Heisman.

5. Bo Nix, QB, Auburn

Box Nix throws a pass against Alabama in the 2019 Iron Bowl.
Box Nix throws a pass against Alabama in the 2019 Iron Bowl. / Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Bo Nix earned the right to call himself one of the best signal callers in the SEC after leading the Auburn Tigers to a 48-45 win over Alabama in 2019. Nix doesn't have the huge stat totals of others on this list, but the freshman showed impressive leadership in Auburn's three wins over ranked teams. With another year to polish his talents, Nix could be a dark-horse contender for the 2020 Heisman Trophy.


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Tristan Jung is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Tristan Jung also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username tristan1117. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.