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Alabama Football: Revisiting the 2020 Heisman season of DeVonta Smith

By Matt Melton

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 11: DeVonta Smith #6 of the Alabama Crimson Tide rushes for a 42 yard touchdown during the second quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Hard Rock Stadium on January 11, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 11: DeVonta Smith #6 of the Alabama Crimson Tide rushes for a 42 yard touchdown during the second quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Hard Rock Stadium on January 11, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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When compiling a list of the greatest wide receivers in Alabama football history, DeVonta Smith is a name that will certainly feature very highly among that group, and rightfully so.

A player who was one of the focal points of multiple memorable moments in an Alabama uniform, Smith’s time in Tuscaloosa was simply nothing short of special, which included one of the greatest careers, and single-seasons, the SEC has ever seen from a wide receiver.

Here is a look at the latter of those two, which resulted in Smith becoming not only Alabama’s, at the time, third Heisman Trophy winner, but also only the fourth wide receiver to ever win college football’s most prestigious individual award.

Revisiting the 2020 Heisman season of Alabama Football WR DeVonta Smith

To recap Smith’s 2020 senior season at Alabama, it is important to actually go back a year to his 2019 campaign as a starting point.

Smith had been one of the SEC’s top pass catchers in 2019, ranking No. 3 in the conference with 1,256 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns for an Alabama team that missed the College Football Playoff that season. At seasons end, Smith could’ve very easily declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, but instead decided to return to Alabama for his senior season.

As a senior, Smith would lead all of college football with 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, compiling numerous honors that included the Biletnikoff and Maxwell Awards, as well as the Heisman Trophy.

Of his 13 games played that season, in which Alabama went undefeated at 13-0 to win the national championship, Smith would have nine games with at-least 100-yards receiving, along with three 200+ yard games. Smith would also catch at-least one touchdown in 10 of those games, eight of which were multiple touchdown performances.

Speaking of performances, none stick out more for Smith than his three 200+ yard showings, which came against Mississippi State, LSU, and Ohio State in the national championship game.

  • Mississippi State – 11 receptions, 203 yards, 4 TD (season-high)
  • at LSU – 8 receptions, 231 yards (season-high), 3 TD
  • Ohio State (left game early due to injury) – 12 receptions, 215 yards, 3 TD

Is this the greatest season that college football has ever seen from the wide receiver position?

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