Regardless of most people wanting to wait to see how he performs versus Georgia, there are some media outlets who have started looking at Mac Jones as a Heisman Trophy contender.
He added on to his strong showing against Missouri with a massive outing in the Crimson Tide’s home opener versus Texas A&M. The redshirt junior quarterback was very accurate with the football, completing 20 of 27 passes for a career-high 435 yards with four touchdowns to one interception in a 52-24 win for the Tide.
Jones’ output in passing yards ranks fourth all-time in school history for a single game, and he is the lone signal caller in program history to total three career scoring passes of 85 yards or more.
His deep ball was a thing of beauty as he shredded the Aggies’ defensive secondary with a 78-yard bomb to John Metchie and a 87-yard toss to Jaylen Waddle. Jones propelled both wide receivers to career games, with Waddle tallying 142 yards (five catches) and Metchie bringing in 181 yards (five catches).
RELATED: Alabama football is set to battle Ole Miss and severe rain from Hurricane Delta this weekend
Through two games, the former four-star has 684 yards passing with six scores to one turnover.
He was one of seven players of the week for Alabama’s coaching staff, while being named Offensive Player of the Week via the Southeastern Conference for his performance.
Jones would also gain a weekly honor from a national outlet, as the Maxwell Club Foundation recognized him for his efforts versus Texas A&M.
According to Pro Football Focus, a website that dives into the analytics of college and professional football, it has Jones as one of five players on its Heisman watch list.
The 2020 Heisman Trophy race? pic.twitter.com/lQt0hAbgr4
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 6, 2020
Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), D’Eriq King (Miami), Zach Wilson (BYU) and Justin Fields (Ohio State) are on the list with Jones, despite Fields not taking a snap yet this season. The Big Ten is set to start its season on Oct. 24 after initially cancelling its season, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The conference will play eight games in eight weeks and hope for the best case scenario.
According to WagerTalk.com, Jones has 14-1 odds to win the Heisman. He will lead Alabama’s offense against Ole Miss this week.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
