Heisman Watch 2020: Last-Minute Expert Predictions for Epic Race

Since 1935, the Heisman Trophy has been awarded to the top college football player in the nation on an annual basis. And although this season's ceremony is taking place later than usual (and will be modified due to the coronavirus pandemic), the award remains as prestigious as ever.

On Tuesday, the Heisman winner for the 2020 season will be announced in a virtual ceremony on ESPN, with coverage airing live from the network's campus in Bristol, Conn. Voting for the award concluded after conference championship weekend, which took place Dec. 19 due to the season starting late.

This year's four Heisman finalists are: Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.

Quarterbacks have won the last four awards, while a wide receiver hasn't received the honor since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991.

Here's everything else you need to know about Tuesday's ceremony, followed by the latest expert predictions for the award.

Heisman Trophy Ceremony Information

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 5

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN online

Latest Heisman Trophy Expert Predictions

Is Smith closing in on becoming only the fourth wide receiver to win the Heisman in the award's illustrious history? The voters on a recent ESPN panel believe that is the case.

In a poll of 14 voters, the panel predicted Smith as the winner after he received eight first-place votes from the experts. That was four more than Jones, who finished second in the panel's voting, while Lawrence placed third and Trask finished fourth.

It's taken special seasons for wide receivers to win the Heisman in the past, and that has certainly been the case for Smith during his senior year with the Crimson Tide.

"In a normal year, where he'd have gotten to pad some stats against nonconference opponents, he might have had a shot at the FBS record for receiving yards," ESPN reporter David Hale wrote. "But that's just the thing: Smith didn't pad his stats anywhere."

He's right. The 22-year-old put up big numbers as Alabama played a regular-season schedule against only SEC opponents, taking on the best the conference had to offer. He had at least 144 receiving yards in six of the Tide's first nine games, and he went over the 200-yard mark twice. He also had five games with multiple receiving touchdowns during that stretch.

In the SEC Championship Game (Alabama's final contest before Heisman voting concluded), Smith had a season-high 15 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns, helping his team win the conference title.

Smith also emerged as the Heisman winner in a poll conducted by The Athletic of its writers and editors. Just like the ESPN panel, Jones, Lawrence and Trask finished behind Smith, in that order. Smith had 30 first-place votes, which was 24 more than Jones in second.

CBS Sports conducted a straw poll in which it asked media members from around the country to submit a Heisman ballot, noting that the "sample size represents a small portion of the 900-plus Heisman voters, a group that includes past winners."

Smith finished first in that poll as well, earning 14 first-place votes. But it's worth noting that Lawrence edged Jones for second by receiving seven first-place votes to Jones' five.

So, if these various panels of experts are correct, Smith is going to become the third Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy. The previous two (Mark Ingram in 2009 and Derrick Henry in 2015) were both running backs, so with Jones falling short, there still will have never been a Crimson Tide quarterback to receive the award.