Adoree’ Jackson Snubbed From Heisman Trophy Finalists

Heisman Trophy voters snubbed Adoree’ Jackson, leaving the USC cornerback-receiver-returner out of the 2016 finalist pool.

It appears it was too-little, too-late for USC’s “Why Not Adoree’?” Heisman campaign.

Adoree’ Jackson was not among the Heisman Trophy finalists announced on Monday afternoon after an exceptional junior campaign put him on the cusp of a trip to New York.

Voters settled on Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma’s Dede Westbrook as the five finalists for the most prestigious award in college football.

Jackson’s argument for a place among the finalists came on the basis of all-around excellence. As a cornerback, Jackson is one of three finalists for the Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back, and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He added four interceptions to his repertoire this season while replicating the lockdown coverage ability he has boasted since arriving at USC in 2014.

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On offense, Jackson’s participation was more limited this year, but he still scored a 55-yard touchdown on his lone reception of the season and ran the ball five times for 49 yards.

Finally, Jackson was one of the biggest impact players in the country on special teams, returning two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns this season.

His final performance against Notre Dame was a Heisman-esque moment, as he scored three touchdowns to help the Trojans trounce the Irish, including a punt return, a long receiving touchdown and a now-iconic kick return with a hurdle over the kicker to cap off the score.

With the Heisman now gone, Jackson will wait to find out whether or not he’ll take home silverware as a finalist for the Thorpe and the Paul Hornung Award, which goes to the nation’s top all-around player. Peppers and Westbrook are also in the running for the Hornung Award.