Kedon Slovis, Graham Harrell talk USC QB's early 2020 Heisman buzz
Kedon Slovis wasn't necessarily expected to even play this fall, but he ended up setting USC records, becoming a national name and now, putting himself on the radar as an early 2020 Heisman Trophy candidate.
According to online betting site Bovada, Slovis is tied for the seventh-best odds to win the Heisman next fall at 12-to-1.
Ohio State QB Justin Fields (+250), Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence (+300), Alabama QB Mac Jones (+800), Auburn QB Bo Nix (+800), Georgia QB Jake Fromm (+1000), Oklahoma QB successor Spencer Rattler (+1000) are the only players with better odds, while Texas QB Sam Ehlinger has the same +1200 odds as Slovis.
"Yeah, someone sent it to me. I don't like to get caught up in that," Slovis said this week, in his typical humble, deferential manner. "All the awards and things are kind of silly I think because it's such a team-oriented game and I wouldn't be anywhere without the guys around me, so I don't get caught up in that too much."
USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell was more willing to indulge the hype, meanwhile.
"That would be good for business, right? That would be good for the program, it would obviously be great for Kedon and it would be good for my career, so I'm pulling for him," he said, drawing laughs from reporters. "... He's a special talent and with the guys around him, I don't blame them for giving him good odds. If you've got that kind of talent around him and a kid that's as humble as he is and as talented as he is and works like he works, I think he has as good of a shot as anyone. Hopefully next year we're in New York about this time -- that would be fun."
Added senior wide receiver Michael Pittman: "I'm not a gambling man, but if I was then I would bet on him."
USC would have to take a step forward into national contention to make that possible, but it's not out of the question given what Slovis showed as a true freshman.
Thrust into the starting role in the second half of the season opener, following JT Daniels' season-ending knee injury, and then missing almost two full games himself with a concussion, Slovis found his groove down the stretch while completing 71.8 percent of his passes for 3,242 yards, 28 touchdowns and 9 interceptions overall.
He finished with four 400-yard-plus passing performances in the last five games, including a USC single-game record 515 yards against UCLA. Throwing out his numbers from his relief effort in that season opener and his 2 pass attempts before his concussion vs. Utah, Slovis averaged 352 passing yards over his nine full games played. If that stat reflected his full season total, that would have ranked third nationally behind Washington State's Anthony Gordon and LSU Heisman winner Joe Burrow. (Slovis ranked eighth nationally in passing yards per game regardless at 294.7).
USC has an interesting situation at QB with Daniels set to return from injury and hoping to be back to compete in fall camp next year, but Slovis would seem to have a firm grip on the job with his performance these last couple months.
It was his play over that final stretch of the season that makes it easy to extrapolate and project him in that Heisman conversation next year, as he passed for 406 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT at Colorado, 264-3-3 vs. Oregon, 432-4-1 at Arizona State, 406-4-0 at Cal and 515-4-0 vs. UCLA.
"I think you've seen that the last few games, [me] just being more and more comfortable with what we're doing offensively and just the scheme as a whole," Slovis said.
While Slovis doesn't like talking about himself or his own accomplishments, he did talk this week about what it means to him to have Harrell locked into a contract extension after being courted by other programs.
Slovis said he never truly thought Harrell was leaving.
"I love playing for him and what he's done a lot for my development," he said. "I never asked him directly [if he was staying], but him being around every day kind of told me he wasn't going anywhere."
