In the eyes of the oddsmakers, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence are the two decided favorites to win the 2019 Heisman Trophy.
Georgia is the only school to possess two candidates – junior quarterback Jake Fromm and junior running back D’Andre Swift – currently pegged among the top eight for college football’s top individual award. Fromm quickly performs the imaginary earmuffs when he’s asked about the Heisman, and it’s not exactly at the forefront of Swift’s thoughts, either.
“I’m focused on the team,” Swift said in a news conference Friday as the Bulldogs opened their fourth preseason under coach Kirby Smart. “We’ve got a great team, and we’re looking to see what our identity is going to be, but the team comes before anything else like the Heisman or anything like that.”
The Bulldogs went through their second preseason practice Saturday afternoon after going through Fan Day festivities in the morning at the Payne Indoor Athletic Facility. Georgia is scheduled to conduct a closed practice today.
Fromm is sixth-best bet for the Heisman, while Swift is eighth on a list that includes Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with the third-best opportunity and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the fourth-best chance. Fields backed up Fromm last season before transferring and attaining immediate eligibility.
Swift is coming off a sophomore season in which he rushed for 1,049 yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry. He was especially stout down the stretch, amassing 104 yards against Florida, 156 at Kentucky, 186 against Auburn and 105 versus Georgia Tech.
The 5-foot-9, 215-pounder from Philadelphia had an 83-yard touchdown run against Kentucky and a 77-yard score against Auburn.
“It was fascinating for all of us when you saw his run against Kentucky and some of the other runs he had,” Smart said Friday. “He had a nice cutback run at Missouri. He’s an incredible guy with the ball in hands, and we’ve got to find ways to do that.
“I’m certainly excited for him to be 100% and for him to play at a high level.”
Swift isn’t the veteran of the running back room, with senior Brian Herrien having arrived in 2016 and having rushed for 923 yards and 5.3 yards per carry in his career. The Bulldogs also possess sophomore James Cook, redshirt freshman Zamir White and true freshman Kenny McIntosh.
White was a five-star signee in 2018 who is coming back from a torn ACL suffered last August.
“He is so self-motivated, and I can’t wait to see what he can do,” Swift said. “There is so much talent in that room and a lot of unique guys. There is going to be a lot of competition.”
Snapping to it
Georgia is having to replace long-snapper Nick Moore, and the Athens Banner- Herald reported after Saturday’s brief viewing opportunity that Mercer graduate transfer Steven Nixon is vying for that role along with redshirt freshman Payne Walker and true freshmen William Mote and JC Vega.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.