Making the Case for Every 2024 Heisman Trophy Finalist
The four finalists in the 2024 Heisman Trophy race are settled, and they are exactly who B/R readers should have expected.
Colorado's Travis Hunter is the expected winner of college football's top individual award. Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, meanwhile, was a no-brainer pick after a prolific season.
After them, the last two players are at least debatable.
To the very end of the regular season, however, we listed Miami's Cam Ward and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel as the likely finalists. That was not a personal opinion; rather, it was based on established trends from Heisman Trophy voters throughout the last decade.
In short: The old guard absolutely loves a power-conference quarterback on a successful team.
So, that quartet will be headed to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation on Saturday, Dec. 14. Before the ceremony, we're making a case for each finalist—even as I'll readily acknowledge that Hunter and Jeanty will probably be runaways for first and second.
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
1 of 4
Miami's legitimate run toward the College Football Playoff only happened because of Cam Ward.
A transfer from Washington State, he elevated the 'Canes from an inefficient, unthreatening offense in 2023 to the most prolific unit in the country this year. Miami stands atop the country in both points (44.2) and yards (583.3) per game entering the postseason.
Ward rewrote the school's record books, shattering the previous marks with 4,123 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. He added four scores as a runner and caught a touchdown, too.
Miami improved from 7-6 last season to 10-2 in 2024—along with 3-5 in the ACC to 6-2—practically all because of Ward.
Ward changed the trajectory of the program. There are worse ways to determine voting for an award winner.
Two losses in November kept the Hurricanes out of the ACC Championship Game and the CFP. That, ultimately, is what presumably will prevent from Ward having a compelling case to bring home the program's first Heisman Trophy since 1992.
Nevertheless, his impact at Miami is undeniable.
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
2 of 4
Based on production, Dillon Gabriel's appeal is mild.
Ward totaled 4,319 yards and accounted for 41 touchdowns in 12 games, whereas Oregon's QB had a 13th contest yet finished with 3,750 yards and 35 scores. That's not a favorable comparison for Gabriel, and Ward already doesn't have a strong argument.
But, again—for well beyond a decade—Heisman voters have always loved a good quarterback on a winning team.
You cannot find an equal to Oregon, the nation's last undefeated squad, the Big Ten champion and the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff. Gabriel, in that sense, is the undeniable option.
However, my aim is avoiding a disingenuous take.
Gabriel, like Ward, is not going to win. The hype around Hunter and Jeanty is fully warranted, and those two front-runners separated themselves from the chasing group in late November.
The ultimate goal for Oregon—a national title—is still in play, and Gabriel has a real chance to set national records in career passing yards and touchdowns. Falling just short of a Heisman Trophy in 2024 will not diminish what's been an amazing run for Gabriel.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
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The only thing stopping Ashton Jeanty from becoming a legendary outlier is the rarest player in college football history.
Seriously, what a season from the Boise State running back.
Jeanty has followed up his 2023 second-team AP All-American campaign with a truly absurd year. While propelling the Broncos to a 12-1 record with a second consecutive Mountain West championship, he scampered for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Perhaps the best way to describe Jeanty's excellence is by noting that the nation's second-leading rusher—North Carolina's Omarion Hampton—has 1,660 yards. That would be 837 yards behind Jeanty.
Eight-hundred thirty-seven. That's a video-game disparity.
Jeanty put together seven performances of 200-plus yards and six outings with three-plus touchdowns. He totaled exactly 200 yards and three scores in Boise's narrow loss at Oregon early in the season, so this wasn't simply an elite player beating up lesser competition.
My expectation is Jeanty will comfortably end as the runner-up. If he hoists the Heisman, though, I would hardly argue.
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Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
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We have never seen a player like Travis Hunter, and that statement is not hyperbole. We've never seen this.
Sure, the 1997 Heisman Trophy went to Michigan two-way star Charles Woodson. Let's be clear, though; Woodson was an elite cornerback who notched 246 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on offense with another score as a punt returner.
Incredible talent. That production isn't in the same universe.
Hunter locked down wideouts, ceding just 205 yards and one touchdown in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. Quarterbacks actively avoided his side of the field, yet Hunter had four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He forced a clutch fumble in an overtime win against Baylor, too.
As a receiver himself, he ranked fifth nationally in catches (92), sixth in yards (1,152) and second in touchdowns (14). Hunter also rushed for a 15th score and helped Colorado ascend from 4-8 to 9-3.
He should be a first-team All-American on offense and defense—not as a novelty, but because he completely deserves it.
That just does not happen. That's a Heisman winner.
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