Heisman Watch 2024: Latest Race Predictions Entering Week 13
With the 2024 college football season speeding toward the finish line, the list of Heisman Trophy candidates shows a clear delineation at the top.
Colorado's two-way star Travis Hunter continues holding steady in pole position, but Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami quarterback Cam Ward have separated from the rest of the pack and remain within striking distance of the top spot.
This could still wind up as a photo finish, but let's rank the top three candidates by their likelihood of capturing the crown.
3. Cam Ward, QB, Miami
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Cam Ward needs a strong closing stretch to muscle his way into the top two.
His Hurricanes lost their bid for a perfect regular season his last time out—a 28-23 loss to unranked Georgia Tech on Nov. 9—though it's hard to put that slip-up on his shoulders. He went 25-of-39 for 348 yards and three touchdowns (with no interceptions), marking the ninth time in 10 tries he has thrown for 300-plus yards and multiple touchdowns.
His production is legitimately absurd. Even after an idle week, he still paces FBS in passing yards (3,494) and passing touchdowns (32). He has also rushed for 182 yards and three scores. It's hard to knock those numbers.
Still, he faces an uphill climb from here. If he steers Miami to an ACC Championship and a College Football Playoff spot, he may steer some voters his way yet.
2. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
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The sheer quantity of Ashton Jeanty's stats is enough to put him in the Heisman race. The quality of them might be the reason he leaps to the top spot by season's end.
Boise State essentially runs a snap-ball, give-ball-to-Jeanty offense at this point. And it always works. He has handled 30-plus carries in five consecutive contests, tallying a staggering 11 scores along the way. All five of those outings were Broncos wins, by the way.
Boise State's lone defeat this season came back in Week 2 against now-top-ranked Oregon. That was a three-point nailbiter (37-34) in which Jeanty turned his 25 carries into 192 yards and three touchdowns. He's had six different games with at least three touchdowns and four with more than 200 rushing yards.
Jeanty has a non-zero chance of still chasing down Barry Sanders' FBS single-season records of 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns. It would take an incredible finish from Jeanty—he's at 1,893 yards and 26 rushing scores—but he's done incredible things throughout this season, so no one should rule it out.
1. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
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Travis Hunter, like the other two finalists listed here, is a megawatt offensive star. What separates him from his competitors—or anyone else in college football, for that matter—is that he's also a standout performer on defense, too.
There isn't a more dynamic talent in the sport. His last time out, Colorado's fourth straight win by the way, he had five receptions for 55 yards, a five-yard touchdown run, an interception, three tackles and a pass breakup.
If Hunter was doing all of the above on a team toiling near the bottom of the standings, then maybe the door would be ajar for someone else to swipe the trophy. But he's not. The Buffaloes hold a top-20 ranking and have a direct path (if they win out) to the Big 12 Championship and possibly the College Football Playoff.
So, he's not only a mesmerizing talent, he is also making his all-purpose abilities matter. He can't afford to coast with legitimate competition behind him, but this is clearly his award to lose.
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