The hoopla of the College Football Playoff has taken up so much attention that it’s hard to believe that the Heisman Award winner will be crowned this Saturday. It’s a fun field this year with the chance that there will be a non-QB winner. Of course, there are some quarterbacks in the four man-field, but also a running back that turned heads this year and the next coming of Deion Sanders who was coached by none other than Deion Sanders. In a fun twist, two of the four finalists are still playing in the CFP and have bye weeks thanks in part to their big performances this year. Here are the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists, as well as my vote for who should strike the Heisman pose forever.
Travis Hunter: Colorado – WR/CB
Travis Hunter has had Heisman hype all season long. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Vegas odds have him as -2000 to win the award. If you aren’t familiar with betting, let’s just put it like this: Vegas is saying that Hunter has already flown to New York, grabbed the trophy, and put it on his mantle at home. He was great on offense as a wideout, 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. On defense, he was sensational as well, 32 tackles, 11 deflections, four interceptions, and a forced fumble at corner.
Ashton Jeanty: Boise State – RB
Ashton Jeanty has put together one of the best running backs seasons that we’ve seen in the last decade in college football. He rushed for 2,497 yards this season. That places him fourth all-time for most rushing yards in a college football season. On top of that, he added 29 touchdowns. History doesn’t give running backs much of a chance here, however. Barry Sanders, who had the most rushing yards in a season, is the only one of three running backs ahead of Jeanty to win the Heisman back in 1988. More recently, Melvin Gordon finished second in 2014.
Dillon Gabriel: Oregon – QB
Dillon Gabriel followed the path of Bo Nix. He transferred from a powerhouse program in the South to go play for Oregon in the Pacific Northwest and put up Heisman numbers. Gabriel helped lead the Ducks to a Big Ten title in their first year in the conference and they earned the number one seed in the College Football Playoff. Gabriel had 3,558 yards, 28 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Let’s compare those passing yards alone to Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman. Daniels had 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Cameron Ward: Miami – QB
Cam Ward had one heck of a season at Miami. It was good enough for the Associated Press to name him the Player of the Year. Ward made Miami the highest-scoring offense in the nation. He had 4,319 total yards, 343.6 passing yards per game and 41 total touchdowns. They are eye-popping numbers but given where Miami ended up this year and their disappointing finish he doesn’t stand much of a chance.
My Heisman Vote:
Ashton Jeanty. He made that offense tick, and he helped Boise State get the third-seed in the CFP.
My Prediction:
It’s Hunter’s award. He’s had the hype all season long and that means a lot to voters. What Hunter did on both sides of the ball is undeniable.