The AP Press 2020 College Football Player of the Year award winner is DeVonta Smith from Alabama. The senior is the first wide receiver to win the award since its inception in 1998.
After all the votes were in, Smith received 26 1st place votes and 114 points. His teammate, Mac Jones, finished second in the voting, followed by Trevor Lawrence and Kyle Trask. It was also the first time two teammates finished first and second overall in the voting.
AP College Player of the Year Winners (Since 2010)
| Year | Player | College |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeVonta Smith | Alabama |
| 2019 | Joe Burrow | LSU |
| 2018 | Kyler Murray | Oklahoma |
| 2017 | Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma |
| 2016 | Lamar Jackson | Louisville |
| 2015 | Christian McCaffrey | Stanford |
| 2014 | Marcus Mariota | Oregon |
| 2013 | Jameis Winston | Florida State |
| 2012 | Johnny Manzel | Texas A&M |
| 2011 | Robert Griffin III | Baylor |
| 2010 | Cam Newton | Auburn |
The AP is always announced before the Heisman Trophy Award ceremony. Smith is one of the four finalists, and 17 out of the last 22 AP Player of the Year winners have gone on to win the Heisman. He would be the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard did it in 1991. The Heisman will be announced on Tuesday, January 5th.
Stats and Records
During his career at Alabama, Smith has put up incredible numbers on the field and has broken several records. He is the SEC’s all-time leader with 40 career receiving touchdowns. He is the only receiver in SEC history with multiple career games totaling four or more receiving touchdowns. He is Alabama’s all-time leading receiver with 3,620 yards and is second in the SEC.
This season, Smith has caught 98 passes for 1,511 receiving yards and has scored 19 touchdowns. He also has won the Player of the Year awards from The Sporting News and CBS Sports.
DeVonta Smith Career Stats at Alabama
| Year | GP | Catches | Receiving Yards | Average/Catch | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 14 | 8 | 160 | 20.0 | 3 |
| 2018 | 14 | 42 | 693 | 16.5 | 6 |
| 2019 | 13 | 68 | 1,256 | 18.5 | 14 |
| 2020 | 11 | 98 | 1,511 | 15.4 | 17 |
| Career | 52 | 216 | 3,620 | 16.8 | 40 |
Big Numbers in Big Games
In the SEC Championship game, Smith caught 15 passes for 184 yards and scored 2 touchdowns against Florida. He had 8 catches for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns against LSU. He scored 4 touchdowns and had 203 receiving yards against Mississippi State. DeVonta has produced in Alabama’s toughest games this season.
Former 5-Star
In high school, Smith was a 5-star recruit from Amite high school in Louisiana. He was the 2016 MVP in the Lousiana Class 3A state championship game.
This Friday, on New Year’s day, Smith and his #1 Crimson Tide will play #4 Notre Dame in the college football playoffs.
