Heisman Trophy Frontrunners After College Football Week 12

With two full regular-season weeks and Championship Saturday remaining, the 2024 Heisman Trophy race heads into crunch time with 4 front-runners vying for a spot in faculty soccer’s unique membership.

Quarterbacks of nationwide championship hopefuls predictably issue into the Heisman competitors, with Miami’s Cam Ward and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel among the many main quartet. However with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, a non-Energy 5 convention star, and Colorado two-way sensation Travis Hunter, this yr’s race presents extra intriguing storylines than a number of the quarterback-heavy courses of finalists.

The next comes with the mandatory caveat that three video games can really feel like a lifetime within the pursuit of the Heisman. A present outsider might ship monster performances within the coming weeks and acquire floor among the many fickle voting inhabitants. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose group is in School Soccer Playoff rivalry, is a reputation to recollect.

Based mostly on their resumes by way of Week 12, the Heisman favorites rank on this order:

4. Dillon Gabriel

In all places Gabriel’s gone—from UCF to Oklahoma and now to Oregon—he’s excelled. He’s eclipsed 3,000 yards passing for the fifth time in his profession and has carried out so in 2024 whereas finishing a career-high 73.8 p.c of his makes an attempt.

As quarterback of the No. 1-ranked group within the nation, Gabriel’s positioning as a Heisman contender is anticipated. However a part of the rationale the Geese are within the hunt for a nationwide championship additionally works in opposition to Gabriel’s Heisman case.

Sharing the backfield with excellent ball provider Jordan James and working in a balanced offense, Gabriel hasn’t needed to put up eye-popping numbers for Oregon to win. His 22 passing touchdowns and 6 speeding scores are spectacular however could not sway Heisman voters in an period when quarterbacks routinely put up 40 touchdowns.

3. Cam Ward

The qualities which may price Gabriel Heisman votes however assist make Oregon a nationwide title contender are the very issues that enhance Ward’s Heisman candidacy. Miami’s within the hunt for the Playoff thanks in no small half to Ward’s particular person heroics.

In three consecutive one-score wins over Virginia Tech, Cal, and Louisville, Ward handed for 343, 437, and 319 yards with 10 mixed touchdowns. That exceptional stretch is the spine of Ward’s nation-leading numbers in passing yards (3,494), yards per recreation (349.4), and landing passes (32).

Ward’s numbers have been no much less spectacular in defeat. He racked up 348 yards and three touchdowns with out an interception in a loss to Georgia Tech.

The Washington State switch by means of Incarnate Phrase has come a great distance from operating the Wing-T in highschool. His is a superb story, but it surely isn’t the perfect Heisman candidacy on this yr’s class.

2. Travis Hunter

There have been a handful of dual-role Heisman winners within the award’s illustrious historical past, however none have ever performed on either side of the ball as a lot—or as successfully—as Colorado huge receiver-cornerback Travis Hunter.

Whereas spectacular, neither his 911 yards on 74 catches with 9 touchdowns nor his eight cross breakups and three interceptions are Heisman-worthy on their very own. Mixed, nevertheless, Hunter is having an unprecedented season.

Hunter additionally advantages from hype, an simple consider any Heisman race. Varied oddsmakers have the Buffs’ two-way star as the favourite by way of Week 12, media personalities like Shannon Sharpe have stumped for him, and Hunter used an look on Robert Griffin III’s podcast to tout his candidacy at fellow contender Ashton Jeanty’s expense.

Hunter’s logic was specious: he posited a hypothetical about what number of yards he’d have on 95 receptions (the variety of carries Jeanty had on the time). At his present tempo of 12.3 yards per catch, the reply to that could be a stable 1,169—virtually 700 yards shy of DeVonta Smith’s 1,856 when he turned the final receiver to win the Heisman in 2020.

And, making use of Hunter’s floor guidelines primarily based on utilization, the receiver/cornerback has been on the sphere for 519 snaps—virtually precisely double the variety of carries Jeanty has logged for Boise State.

Hunter has a worthy Heisman case by itself deserves, however stepping into the Jeanty debates invitations comparisons that objectively favor the BSU operating again.

1. Ashton Jeanty

It’s taken Ashton Jeanty 10 video games to surpass the complete-season speeding champions of the earlier 4 seasons. Though this rating relies on manufacturing by way of Week 12, it’s price noting that Jeanty will virtually definitely surpass the two,000-yard mark in Week 13 with presumably two extra video games earlier than Heisman weekend.

Jeanty’s pursuit of Barry Sanders’ file is prone to fall brief, although that solely serves to underscore simply how sensational Sanders was in 1988. Amongst different all-time nice seasons for operating backs, Jeanty has already outproduced Heisman winners like Eddie George and Reggie Bush and is effectively on tempo to surpass Ricky Williams and Rashaan Salaam.

Lest anybody disparage Jeanty’s output on the extent of competitors, he rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to the nation’s No. 1-ranked group, Oregon. In his worst recreation, he rushed for 128 yards. In distinction, Hunter had back-to-back video games (vs. Kansas State, at Arizona) of three receptions for 26 yards and two catches for 17 yards with no cross break-ups or interceptions.

On this Heisman class—and amongst all operating backs since Sanders set an impossibly excessive bar for the place 36 years in the past—Ashton Jeanty stands out.