B/R's 2024 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Wide-Open Race Entering Week 10
As the last month of the regular season kicks off in college football, the group of Heisman Trophy front-runners is well-defined.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Miami signal-caller Cam Ward headline the favorites. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter are alongside them, too.
Simultaneously, however, there is very little clarity in the race.
Every remaining week is destined to cause some little changes. And at this point, even the slightest difference could be a separating factor as November's action sets up conference championships in December.
The tiers are a personal view but consider a player's production, team success and more historical Heisman trends.
Tier 4: Worth Monitoring
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Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: A much-needed idle weekend is ahead for Alabama, which closed a frustrating month with a rout of Missouri. Milroe threw for 215 yards and rushed for 50 more yards with a touchdown. Bama will return in Week 11 at rival LSU.
Bryson Daily, QB, Army: Last season, 2-6 Army shocked 8-0 Air Force on the first Saturday of November. This year, Air Force is 1-6 and Army is 7-0. You think the coaching staffs at both programs might be mentioning that? Daily and Army had an open weekend to prepare for the rivalry.
Will Howard, QB, Ohio State: Howard's now-or-never moment is set to arrive in Week 10. Ohio State travels to undefeated Penn State, which has yielded only 5.7 yards per pass attempt this season. Howard's fading candidacy needs a jolt—in a win—on Saturday.
Tier 3: On the Radar
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Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: Cincinnati could not stop Sanders, who completed 25-of-30 passes for 323 yards and totaled three touchdowns in a 34-23 win. Colorado is idle in Week 10 then travels to Texas Tech in what might be CU's most difficult remaining game.
Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana: As expected, Rourke didn't play against Washington. The good news, however, is IU stayed undefeated anyway. Rourke may return at Michigan State, though. Ultimately, if the Hoosiers hit 10-0 before a trip to Ohio State on Nov. 23, that showdown would determine Rourke's upside in the Heisman race.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU: Last season, LSU entered November at 6-2, fell to Alabama and Jayden Daniels still won the Heisman. The record is identical again this season. Nussmeier isn't a prolific runner, though, and he just tossed three interceptions in a setback at Texas A&M. One more loss, and Nussmeier is definitely out of the running. Even now, he's trending more toward Tier 4 than Tier 2.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: Another game, another trip to the end zone for Smith. That makes him a perfect 7-for-7 this season. The main obstacle is Smith has tallied 35 catches for 623 yards, which is reasonably modest production when compared to other top receivers. Like his QB Howard, Smith needs a strong showing at Penn State.
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss: Dart is third nationally with 2,695 passing yards and leads the country at 11.0 per attempt. That doesn't not matter. He's also totaled only three touchdowns in four SEC games. That doesn't not matter, either. Ole Miss plays at Arkansas this weekend.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: Time to silence the critics! Allar has traditionally had subpar numbers opposite Penn State's best competition. Ohio State, meanwhile, has ceded 6.1 yards per throw and allowed four passing scores compared to five interceptions. Allar won't have a better opportunity to change the narrative.
Tier 2: Top Contenders
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Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson: Hopefully rested after an open date, Clemson is entering a stretch of five games in five November weeks. First up is Louisville, which has a vulnerable defense that surrendered 348 total yards and four touchdowns to Miami's Cam Ward. Klubnik needs a similar type of day to start closing the gap on the favorites.
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Beck also had an idle weekend to prepare for Saturday's clash with rival Florida. Although the Gators have struggled overall, their pass defense was solid in November. Beck won't be lacking in confidence after throwing for 315 yards and two scores in last year's game.
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Tier 1: The Favorites
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Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: UNLV made it more difficult on Jeanty, who needed 33 carries to finish with 128 yards and a touchdown. But, hey, the Broncos won again. Jeanty will remain a top contender if the Broncos keep marching toward a Mountain West championship. They're slated to host San Diego State on Friday night.
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: Hunter eliminated concerns about his health in the victory over Cincinnati, missing a single snap while blowing up the box score. He posted nine catches for a career-high 153 yards with two touchdowns, logged two tackles and broke up four passes. Pretty good! Hunter and CU head to Texas Tech in Week 10.
Cam Ward, QB, Miami: Florida State had a strong defensive game plan, and Miami's pass-catchers struggled to win against man coverage. That played a key role in Ward throwing for a season-low 208 yards. Still, the 'Canes cruised to a 36-14 blowout and Ward caught a trick-play touchdown. Miami is heavily favored but must respect Duke's defense, which is fifth nationally at 5.4 yards allowed per pass.
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: The nation's top-ranked team rolled over Illinois as Gabriel passed for 291 yards and three scores with one interception. He added a fourth touchdown on the ground. Gabriel has been a steady hand for the Ducks, who travel to Michigan this weekend.
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