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Penn State's Saquon Barkley not among Heisman Trophy finalists

The Nittany Lions' versatile running back was not one of the three selections. Two quarterbacks and a running back will be at Saturday's trophy presentation.

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley finished second in the nation in all-purpose yards, averaging 179.5 per game.
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley finished second in the nation in all-purpose yards, averaging 179.5 per game.Read morePatrick Semansky / AP

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley was not included among the three finalists for the Heisman Trophy announced Monday night.

The Heisman Trust named as finalists Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, last year's Heisman winner; Stanford running back Bryce Love; and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, considered the overwhelming favorite.

The winner will be revealed Saturday night at a ceremony in New York.

Barkley, a 5-foot-11, 230-pound junior from Coplay, Pa., had been considered a front-runner for the award in the first half of the season. He averaged more than 129 rushing yards in his first four games, including a season-high 211 yards against Iowa. He twice returned kickoffs for touchdowns, including a 97-yard return of the opening kickoff at Ohio State.

But Barkley's numbers tailed off in the second half. He endured a three-week stretch, starting with the loss to Ohio State, in which he rushed for a total of 142 yards in three games.

Considered to be a top-five pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Barkley finished second in the nation in all-purpose yards, averaging 179.5 yards per game, and 10th in kickoff returns with a 28.4-yard average. His 21 touchdowns placed him fifth in the nation in total TDs and sixth in scoring.

He also rushed for 1,134 yards, fourth in the Big Ten, and had four 100-yard rushing games.

Mayfield, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior, led Oklahoma to a No. 2 ranking and a berth in the College Football Playoff. He topped the FBS in passing efficiency, completing 71 percent of his passes for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions.

Love was second in the FBS in rushing with 1,973 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. Jackson, who can become only the second two-time winner of the Heisman, led the nation in total offense with an average of 411.0 yards per game.