Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith downplay Heisman race ahead of Playoff semifinal
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
As No. 1 Alabama prepares for its College Football Playoff semifinal vs. No. 4 Notre Dame, there’s talk of whether one of its stars will win the Heisman Trophy.
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith and quarterback Mac Jones have the best odds in the nation to capture the prestigious prize in many places.
However, while both are honored to be in the race, their sights are squarely on helping the Crimson Tide win another national championship.
“Most definitely,” Smith said about his priorities, via 247Sports. “Just that I’m only guaranteed one more game, and I’m more focused on that than an award.”
Jones echoes Smith’s sentiments and believes that the only hardware that matters is the CFP trophy.
“I don’t know. That’s kind of a weird question,” Jones said. “We don’t really even think about awards. You can’t sit there and be like, ‘Oh, we want this, we want that.’ I mean, me and Smitty’s main goals — we’ve literally talked about it before — is just to come in and be leaders and win a national championship. That stuff always takes care of itself.”
Smith has amassed 98 receptions, 1,511 yards, and 17 touchdowns. Jones has totaled 3,739 yards, 32 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions.
Both gave credit to the other when asked about their individual success.
“He’s the leader of the offense,” Smith said. “He controls everything, him and Landon (Dickerson). They’re the leaders of everything, so that’s what’ll make me happy.”
Jones is appreciate to have such a dynamic playmaker in the offense.
“He’s the most electric player in college football,” Jones said, via 247Sports. “He means the most to us here at Alabama football. You can watch the games and see that, what type of person he is with how he plays. I’ve been real excited just to be able to get him the ball this year. He came back to try and win a national championship and improve his draft stuff, and I feel like he’s done exactly that because he’s just got open and made explosive plays. It’s just a blessing to play with him.”
Kickoff for Alabama-Notre Dame is set for New Year’s Day at 1 p.m. (EST) and will be televised on ESPN.
