Heisman Watch: Travis Hunter Leads the Heisman Trophy Race
We are in the final weeks of the college football regular season, and it's time to focus on the Heisman Trophy race.
We haven’t seen anyone like Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter since Desmond Howard, and we know Howard earned himself a Heisman Trophy. Hunter currently leads the way in the Heisman Trophy race, but two QBs on potential CFB Playoff Teams entered contention over the weekend.
Let’s take a look at the Heisman Trophy Watch ahead of Week 12 of College Football.
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Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter
Last week was another game where Colorado’s Travis Hunter was active on both sides of the ball. He led the team with 99 receiving yards and a touchdown on offense. Defensively, he didn’t record any stats, but he made a key defensive stop.
What makes him the most intriguing pick is that he can impact the game on both sides of the ball, which is helping Colorado succeed. After a massively disappointing 2023 season where they went 1-8 in the Pac-12, in their inaugural year in the Big 12, they are alone in second place at 5-1; the Buffaloes control their own destiny to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff if they can win the Big 12.
As long as Hunter plays a role, he should remain in the lead for this award, as he’s spectacular on both sides of the ball.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel
Let’s talk about those No. 1 Oregon Ducks. They played some close games out of the gate against Idaho and Boise State, but other than against then-No. 2 Ohio State, they’ve won every game by more than one possession.
That has a lot to do with QB Dillon Gabriel and his veteran leadership. In his sixth season, he has his best chance at claiming a Heisman Trophy and a National Championship. Last week, he easily rolled through Maryland and threw for three touchdowns. He has thrown for multiple touchdowns in nine games.
Gabriel is only 8th in passing yards in the country, but leading his team to 10-0 and the No. 1 spot in the nation will go a long way in the eyes of voters.
As long as Oregon keeps winning and claims a Big Ten championship, Gabriel will undoubtedly be a finalist.
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Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
There’s an argument to be made that Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is the most electrifying player in all of college football. He’s coming off a 209-yard rushing and 3-touchdown performance against Nevada, the third time he’s rushed for 200+ yards and 2+ touchdowns this season.
He is on track to have one of the greatest seasons for a running back of all-time. While it seems unlikely he will catch Barry Sanders’ single-season record of 2,638 rushing yards, the top five is possible. Still, he is putting up ridiculous numbers; his 23 rushing touchdowns are more than many teams have in total.
The level of competition will make voters hesitant to give Jeanty the award. The last Heisman winner to come from a non-Power Five conference was quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990, and it has never happened for a non-quarterback in the modern conference era.
The most important question is: could Jeanty put up these numbers against elite programs? One example is his performance against current No. 1 Oregon, where he ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
It seems unlikely that Jeanty will be able to catapult his way into a finalist position, though things could change is Boise State finds itself in the College Football Playoff on his back.
Miami QB Cam Ward
Miami QB Cam Ward took the biggest dip of the week and might have taken himself out of the Heisman Trophy race.
Though it was another excellent performance on the stat sheet for Ward — 348 passing yards and three touchdowns — his fumble on the potential game-winning drive ended Miami’s perfect season and most likely his shot at winning the Heisman.
There are still three games left and the conference championship to give Ward a chance to improve his outlook. Statistically, he is the best quarterback in the FBS, leading with 3,494 yards, 32 touchdowns, and an 89.6 QBR. If he can run the table and maintain his season averages, he’ll be right back in this race, or at least be a finalist.
Heisman Trophy Candidates: Longshots
These are players that had a significant performance last week, which boosted their chances to win the Heisman Trophy, though they’re still on the outside looking in.
Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke
QB Kurtis Rourke led the Indiana Hoosiers to another win, this time over Michigan, keeping their perfect record.
Indiana is on a bye this week, but then they’ll travel to the Horseshoe to take on Ohio State. A win and a big performance from Rourke could have the Heisman committee talking about Rourke in the mix, as it’s a huge opportunity for him to prove it.
What hurts Rourke the most is that his raw stats are nowhere near that of Gabriel or Ward, as he has only 2,410 passing yards and 21 TDs — less than both QBs in both categories.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
Alabama has been middling so far this year, and we haven’t seen the dominant and flashy Milroe we saw in the game against Georgia, but he made a big comeback. He led the Tide to an easy win over LSU in Death Valley. In that game, he only threw for 109 yards and no touchdowns, but he revitalized his ground game with 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
If Milroe can carry that over and find a way to compete in the SEC Championship, this performance will at least send him to New York in December.
The Heisman Trophy Watch: Wrap-Up
With each game, we get closer to the Heisman Trophy presentation on Saturday, December 14, and another week of surprises in the Heisman Watch.
While Colorado’s Travis Hunter has had an impressive season, the award is still up for the taking as of now, with a few players on his tail.
Come back to the Playbook week after week for more Heisman Watch updates, plus CFB DFS picks every week of the season for PrizePicks — the easiest way to get real money action on CFB.
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