Tide's DeVonta Smith First Receiver Named AP Player Of The Year

Tuscaloosa AL

29 December, 2020

12:30 PM

Description

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama receiver and Heisman Trophy frontrunner DeVonta Smith was named The Associated Press college football player of the year on Tuesday, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award and the first player in program history to earn the distinction. Click here to subscribe to our daily email newsletters and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices for free. You can also support local journalism by donating as little as $5 a month to become a supporting member or by downloading our free Patch mobile app. Smith received 26 first-place votes and 114 points to finish ahead of quarterback Mac Jones, another Heisman finalist who received nine first-place votes and 67 points. For the first time, the award saw teammates occupy the top two spots in voting. The news comes after Smith has been named to multiple All-American lists and was honored as the SEC's Offensive Player of the Year earlier this month. Heading into the College Football Playoff Semifinals following an undefeated regular season and SEC Championship win, Smith put up eye-popping numbers during truncated 2020 campaign, snagging 98 catches for 1,511 yards and 19 touchdowns. The star receiver also holds both the SEC and Alabama career records for receiving touchdowns with 40. Click here to learn more about Smith's accolades and career accomplishments. No. 1 Alabama (11-0) will face No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1) on Friday in the Rose Bowl Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game is set for 3 p.m. kickoff and will be broadcast on ESPN. AP Player Of The Year Voting: DeVonta Smith, Alabama - 114 (26 first-place votes)Mac Jones, Alabama - 67 (9).Trevor Lawrence, Clemson - 49 (9).Kyle Trask, Florida - 44 (3).Kyle Pitts, Florida - 5.Travis Etienne, Clemson - 3 (1).Javonte Williams, North Carolina - 3 (1).Zach Wilson, BYU - 3.Najee Harris, Alabama - 2.Ian Book, Notre Dame - 2.Zaven Collins, Tulsa - 1.Breece Hall, Iowa State - 1.