Heisman Watch 2024: Examining Odds and Highlights for Finalists

Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty reeled off highlight play after highlight play throughout the college football regular season.

Hunter and Jeanty are expected to claim all of the first-place votes when the Heisman Trophy voting results are released on Saturday.

Hunter is the runaway favorite, according to the oddsmakers, to capture the most prestigious individual award in college football.

Jeanty put together one of the best rushing seasons in FBS history, but he may come up short because of Hunter's play on both sides of the ball.

Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward are the other two Heisman finalists, and while each quarterback had a solid campaign, neither player is expected to receive any first-place votes.

Updated Heisman Odds

Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

BOULDER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 29: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field on November 29, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Travis Hunter (-2000; bet $2,000 to win $100)

Ashton Jeanty (+800; bet $100 to win $800)

Dillon Gabriel (+25000)

Cam Ward (+50000)

Travis Hunter

Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

BOULDER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 29: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes runs with the ball during the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field on November 29, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Hunter put himself in the Heisman conversation from the first game of the season.

Colorado's two-way star began the season with a ridiculous end-zone catch against North Dakota State.

That was just the first of many standout plays made by the wide receiver and defensive back during Colorado's second season under Deion Sanders.

The Big 12 Conference put out a four-minute reel of all the standout plays Hunter made at both positions.

As a wide receiver, Hunter produced 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns off 92 receptions. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in seven of his 12 games.

Hunter is widely expected to garner most of the first-place votes and win the Heisman on Saturday, but there is an outside chance Jeanty's season looked more impressive in the eyes of some voters.

Ashton Jeanty

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SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 16: Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) moves around a Spartan player during the game between the San Jose Spartans and the Boise State Broncos on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at the CEFCU Stadium in San Jose, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jeanty is the only threat to Hunter leaving New York without the Heisman on Saturday.

The Boise State running back went over 100 rushing yards in all 13 of his games this season and finished with consecutive 200-yard performances.

Jeanty had countless runs throughout the season in which he broke through the line of scrimmage and scampered into the end zone for long touchdowns.

In eight games, Jeanty turned in a long run of at least 60 yards, and he scored in all but one of Boise's games.

He produced one of the best seasons we'll ever see from a college football running back, but it may not be enough to take enough first-place votes from Hunter.

Jeanty should show up at the top of a handful of ballots. He should be the only player outside of Hunter to earn first-place votes.

Dillon Gabriel

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 07: Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) passes the ball during the Big Ten Championship Game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on December 07, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Dillon Gabriel produced a respectable season at the helm of the top-ranked team in the country.

Gabriel helped move Oregon to 13-0 with 283 passing yards and four touchdowns in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The left-handed signal-caller finished with 3,558 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He only threw six interceptions for the top-ranked Ducks.

However, Gabriel's numbers do not measure up the rushing totals produced by Jeanty and Hunter's performances on both sides of the ball.

Gabriel will finish third at best in the Heisman voting, which is rare for the quarterback of the top-ranked team in the country. Usually quarterbacks in that situation are front and center in the Heisman discussion.

Cam Ward

Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

SYRACUSE, NY - NOVEMBER 30: Miami Hurricanes Quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up prior to the College Football game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Syracuse Orange on November 30, 2024, at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Cam Ward built up a Heisman case in the first two-thirds of the season.

However, his case for the award came crashing down with Miami's College Football Playoff hopes. The Hurricanes lost two of their final three regular-season games.

Ward opened the season with six straight 300-yard performances, including a standout showing against Virginia Tech on September 27.

Ward posted a 4,123-yard season through the air, but his performances were not good enough to eliminate some poor showings from Miami's defense down the stretch.

Unlike the other three finalists, Ward will not participate in the College Football Playoff, and he probably will not play a role in Miami's bowl game with the NFL on the horizon.

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