This year's Heisman Trophy ceremony could well have been a crowded affair, but the voters opted instead to pear down its finalists to three.

Among the snubbed players who will not be making the trip to Manhattan are Navy QB Keenan Reynolds, Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield, Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, and LSU running back Leonard Fournette.

The Heisman voters instead opted for a much more condensed group of three finalists: Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, Alabama running back Derrick Henry, and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey. And unlike the last few Heisman ceremonies, this one is expected to be close.

According to AL.com, Fournette weighed in on the Heisman race during a media session with reporters ahead of the annual College Football Awards show Thursday nigh, airing on ESPN. He would not say who he favors, but noted each was unique in what they can do on a field.

Henry: "He's big," Fournette said. "He's fast. He's like a machine to tackle. That's pretty much it. He has an outstanding [offensive] line and coaching. Same with me. And if you give him a hole, give him a crease, he's going to take it."

Watson: "He's a leader, man," Fournette said. "To take that team from last season to what they have now, it's a tremendous thing for a young man to do for a quarterback. And I know a lot of pressure is on him."

McCaffrey: "I know he broke the all-purpose yards [record]. That's a lot of yards in one season," Fournette said while smiling. "And they say he's shifty, he's fast. I'll get to meet him while I'm up here."

Early in the year, the Heisman seemed to be Fournette's to lose, but LSU's late-season slide is an example of how quickly things can turn even for a team as dominant as the Tigers were. During LSU's three-game losing streak, Fournette ran for 230 yards total, including a 31-yard effort against Alabama.

Even still, Fournette finished third in the nation in rushing behind Henry and McCaffrey. He is looking forward to next season and to his future in the NFL.

"Everybody was angry about the situation, especially my teammates," Fournette told reporters, according to ESPN. "But like I told my coaches, my parents and the players on my team, everything happens for a reason. It is what it is.

"At the end of the day, the best running backs in the NFL didn't win the Heisman."