Mayfield, Love, Jackson named finalists for AP Player of the Year
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambles past Kentucky defensive tackle Kordell Looney during the second half of a game in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 25.
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Stanford running back Bryce Love and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson are the finalists for The Associated Press college football Player of the Year.
The winner will be announced Thursday. The finalists are the same as those for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented Saturday.
Mayfield has led the No. 2 Sooners to the College Football Playoff, where they will play No. 3 Georgia in the Rose Bowl. Mayfield leads the nation in passer efficiency rating and has thrown for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Love is second in the nation in rushing at 164.2 yards per game on 8.32 yards per carry for the 15th-ranked Cardinal.
Jackson, last year’s Heisman winner, leads the nation in total offense at 411 yards per game.
The AP player of the year has been awarded since 1998. Last year’s winner was Jackson. Oklahoma has had three previous winners: quarterback Josh Heupel in 2001, quarterback Jason White in 2003 and quarterback Sam Bradford in 2008. Stanford’s only AP player of the year was Christian McCaffrey in 2015, one of five players to be AP player of the year but not win the Heisman.
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