Heisman Trophy 2024: Why Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward are finalists for the award

Heisman Trophy 2024: Why Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward are finalists for the award

Who will be the next Heisman Trophy winner?

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty and Miami QB Cam Ward are the four finalists for the 2024 Heisman. And there’s an incredibly good chance that none of the quarterbacks are the winner.

Hunter and Jeanty are the two clear favorites for the award. If either player wins Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), he would become just the fifth non-quarterback to win the Heisman since the turn of the century. Only Alabama WR DeVonta Smith (2020), Alabama RB Derrick Henry (2015), Alabama RB Mark Ingram (2009) and USC RB Reggie Bush (2005) have won the award in the 2000s without being a quarterback.

Here’s a quick look at why each of the four finalists were chosen to attend the ceremony in New York. Your odds of winning come from BetMGM.

Ward stayed in college after flirting with the NFL Draft after the 2023 season, and it turned out to be a good decision. The former Incarnate Word quarterback began his college career at the FCS level before transferring to Washington State prior to the 2022 season. Ward spent two seasons at Washington State before playing his final season of eligibility at Miami.

The senior has led Miami’s offense this season with over 4,000 passing yards and 36 passing TDs. Miami led all of college football with 44 points per game and scored at least 38 points in all but one game this season. That game was a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech that helped end Miami’s hopes of the ACC title and the College Football Playoff.

Ward has the second-most passing yards in college football behind Syracuse QB Kyle McCord and leads the country in passing TDs by one, ahead of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

Gabriel’s Heisman case rests on being the best player on the best team. Oregon is the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and the only undefeated team at the highest level of college football. The former UCF and Oklahoma QB is in his first season at Oregon and his presence has made for a seamless transition from Bo Nix after Nix set the single-season completion percentage record in 2023.

Gabriel has completed 297 of 406 passes for 3,558 yards and 28 TDs this season. He has thrown just six interceptions and has thrown more than one interception in just one game this season. He was fantastic in the Big Ten title game when Oregon broke through Penn State’s defense. Gabriel was 22 of 32 passing for 283 yards and four touchdowns.

Although he doesn’t run much, Gabriel can also hit opponents with his legs. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season, including a big touchdown in Oregon’s 1-point win over Ohio State in October.

Jeanty is the only Heisman finalist to play for one school in his college career. After rushing for 821 yards on 156 carries as a freshman, Jeanty broke out in 2023 with 1.47 yards rushing and 14 rushing TDs, as well as 43 catches for 569 yards and five receiving TDs.

This year he was even better. Jeanty is having a historic season and could become college football’s single-season all-time leader with a great performance in the Fiesta Bowl. Jeanty has completed 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 scores this season. He averages an incredible 192 yards per game, even though opposing defenses know he’s the best player on the field.

Heading into the playoffs, Jeanty’s season ranks fourth on the all-time rushing list behind Barry Sanders (2,628 yards in 11 games in 1988), Melvin Gordon (2,587 yards in 14 games in 2014) and Kevin Smith ( 2,567 yards in 14 games in 2014). 14 games in 2007). Jeanty will be playing in his 14th game in the College Football Playoff, but his performance this season would make him a candidate for the award in many other years.

Hunter’s two-way ability is the reason Jeanty only has an outside shot at the Heisman. Colorado’s standout defensive back and wide receiver is the prohibitive favorite for the award, having played nearly every offensive and defensive snap in his standout season. Hunter missed parts of two games with a shoulder injury, but was otherwise a constant presence on the field for Colorado.

Hunter is Colorado’s leading receiver with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. Only four players have more catches than Hunter, five have more receiving yards and only one, San Jose State’s Nick Nash, has more receiving TDs.

None of the players ahead of Hunter in these categories play defense. Hunter is Colorado’s top defensive back and has four interceptions and 11 passes defensed. He is also eighth on the team with 32 tackles. His ability to be a star on both offense and defense is why he is the player most likely to win the award on Saturday night.

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