Alabama

DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver since Desmond Howard to win the Heisman after leading Alabama to an undefeated season and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Heisman Winner

DeVonta Smith

WR | Senior | Alabama

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver in almost three decades to win the Heisman Trophy in 2020 after turning in one of the most impressive seasons ever by an NCAA pass-catcher.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior from Amite City, La., became Alabama’s third Heisman winner, joining running backs Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015). Smith won with 1,856 points, comfortably ahead of second-place Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence (1,187).

Smith attended Amite (La.) High Magnet School where he starred in both football and basketball. He enrolled at Alabama in 2017.

His 2017 freshman season was modest with only eight receptions and three scores. But his final catch of the season was the game-winner in the 2017 CFP national championship game. Smith had 42 receptions and six TDs as a 2018 sophomore and led Alabama as a 2019 junior with 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns on 68 receptions.

In a 2020 season delayed by Covid-19, Smith was a consistent source of production for an Alabama team that went on to win the CFP title.

In 11 games (including the SEC championship), Smith led the country with 98 receptions and 1,511 receiving yards – the most by any Heisman winner in either category, topping the previous record holder, 1991 winner Desmond Howard (950 receiving yards on 61 receptions).

Smith’s 17 TD catches – the second-most in a Heisman season behind Howard – and 137.4 receiving yards per game were both second-best nationally and his 8.9 receptions per game were tied for second best.

He posted four games with 11 or more receptions, including a career-best and SEC title-game record 15 against Florida, 13 at Mississippi and 11 each against Georgia and Mississippi State. He recorded seven games with over 100 yards receiving (all with at least 144 yards), including 231 yards on eight catches at LSU, 203 against the Bulldogs (which included a season-high four TDs) and 184 yards against the Gators.

Smith had six games with at least two TD receptions, three coming at LSU and two in the SEC title game. Smith also returned a punt for a TD for the first time in his career, going 84 yards at Arkansas in the regular-season finale.

With the Heisman calendar pushed back, Smith played in the CFP semifinals against Notre Dame four days before the Jan. 5, 2020 virtual Heisman ceremony, and helped the Tide beat the Irish with seven receptions for 130 yards and three TDs.

Six days after winning the Heisman, Smith helped Alabama win the CFP title with 12 receptions for 215 yards and three more scores, all in the first half (a finger injury forced him to miss the second half, but he was still named Offensive Player of the Game).

In addition to winning the Heisman, Smith also won the Maxwell, Walter Camp and Biletnikoff Awards and was the first receiver to be named the AP Player of the Year.

Smith was selected 10th in the 2021 NFL Draft and has turned in three strong seasons, amassing 240 receptions, 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns and helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl in 2023, securing seven receptions for 100 yards in the loss.

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Heisman Voting Results

Number of electors: 927 - Announced: January 5, 2021.

 PlayerClassPositionSchool1st2nd3rdTotal Points
1DeVonta SmithSRWRAlabama447221731,856
2Trevor LawrenceJRQBClemson2221761691,187
3Mac JonesJRQBAlabama1382482201,130
4Kyle TraskSRQBFlorida61164226737
5Najee HarrisJRRBAlabama164774216
6Breece HallSORBIowa State6102664
7Justin FieldsJRQBOhio State562148
8Zach WilsonJRQBBrigham Young362142
9Ian BookSRQBNotre Dame551338
10Kyle PittsJRTEFlorida071024

Three points are awarded for first place on a ballot, with two points for second place and one point for third place. Finalists in bold.

Heisman Voting By Region

Heisman voters are spread out across six regions, with roughly 145 per region.

Far West

 PlayerPoints
1Smith292
2Lawrence200
3Jones195
4Trask122

Southwest

 PlayerPoints
1Smith355
2Lawrence181
3Jones169
4Trask143

Midwest

 PlayerPoints
1Smith308
2Lawrence199
3Jones178
4Trask104

South

 PlayerPoints
1Smith324
2Jones232
3Lawrence167
4Trask155

Northeast

 PlayerPoints
1Smith293
2Lawrence188
3Jones184
4Trask104

Mid-Atlantic

 PlayerPoints
1Smith284
2Lawrence252
3Jones172
4Trask109

Statistics

DateOpponentResultRecYardsTDLongTCBYardsTDPRYardsTDKORYardsAll-Purpose YardsTotal TDs
09/26/20at MissouriW 38-198890231-12000000770
10/03/20Texas A&MW 52-2466312000000000631
10/10/20at Ole MissW 63-481316413611410002422202
10/17/20GeorgiaW 41-2411167234000000001672
10/24/20at TennesseeW 48-1777301600000000730
10/31/20Mississippi StateW 41-011203453000000002034
11/21/20KentuckyW 63-391442350002500001942
11/28/20AuburnW 42-1371712661902180001982
12/05/20at LSUW 55-178231365000000002313
12/12/20at ArkansasW 52-332201000031111001331
12/19/20+ FloridaW 52-46151842310001200142082
Heisman Stats9815111766311181991346176719
01/01/21++ Notre DameW 31-1471303341-501200001453
01/11/21++ Ohio StateW 52-24122153440002180162393
TotalsNational Champions13-011718562366461112371452215125

+ SEC Championship Game
++ CFP

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