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Top 12 Heisman Trophy contenders after a month of college football

Top 12 Heisman Trophy contenders after a month of college football
Top 12 Heisman Trophy contenders after a month of college football

 


We're through the first month of the 2024 college football season and some front-runners are starting to emerge for the sport's premier prize, the Heisman Trophy. In pre-season I listed the top contenders for the award, but now we have a clearer picture of the matches played on the field.

The race for the 2024 Heisman remains wide open, but here are the players who have started to separate themselves from the rest.

The four best leaders

QB Jalen Milroe | Alabama

Jalen Milroe moved into the top spot among Heisman-contending quarterbacks after leading Alabama to a victory over Georgia. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the win, completing 82 percent of his passes and accounting for 491 yards of offense. Milroe had his best performance of the season when the lights were brightest, putting him at or near the top of the Heisman race.

ROLLTIDE: No. 4 Alabama stops the comeback of No. 2 Georgia and wins 41-34

WR/CB Travis Hunter | Colorado

Travis Hunter at wide receiver has 46 catches for 561 yards and six touchdowns. That's the fifth-most receiving yards and the third-most receptions and receiving touchdowns. Hunter is on pace for 110 catches, over 1,300 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. As a wide receiver alone, these projected numbers are lower than DeVonta Smith's 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns he had as the last wideout to win the Heisman. But Hunter doesn't just play wide receiver; he also plays defense.

Defensively, Hunter has three pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble. When Charles Woodson, the last defensive player to win, won the Heisman, he had seven interceptions. Hunter projects just under five interceptions on the season, but he blows Woodson's receiving stats from his Heisman season out of the water.

Hunter has been spectacular on both sides of the ball, but the other problem he faces in his bid for the award is his team winning. Colorado is currently 4-1, and according to ESPN's Football Power Index, the Buffaloes are only expected to win a total of eight games. That means Hunter and Colorado would finish with four losses, something a Heisman winner hasn't had since 1969. Only Tim Tebow, Robert Griffin III and Lamar Jackson have won the Heisman this century with three losses.

While the Heisman is an individual award and Hunter is individually spectacular on the field, history says he faces an uphill battle to win the award if Colorado doesn't exceed expectations.

QB Cam Department | Miami (FL)

In Cam Ward's first year in Miami, 'The U' returns to his winning ways, with a sense of championship not felt since the early 2000s. Ward has the second-most passing yards and most passing touchdowns in the country through five games. He is the reason Miami is undefeated, and as long as it stays that way, he will remain in contention for the Heisman.

While Ward will likely put up the passing numbers down the stretch, he may struggle to make the big plays that could lead to a Heisman moment with a regular season in a weakened ACC. That could keep this year's Heisman race close.

STREAKING: The longest active winning streak in college football's regular season

RB Ashton Jeanty | Boise State

Remember the 1997 Heisman race? Not me. I wasn't born yet. However, history shows that there was a spectacular offensive skill position athlete who set FBS records for touchdowns at a non-power conference school who had a shot at the prize against a two-way superstar and two quarterbacks.

That athlete was Randy Moss at Marshall, and you might get a sense of deja vu this year from Ashton Jeanty at Boise State. Jeanty has 845 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns out of 82, good for an average of 10.3 yards per pop in four games. That puts the Boise State superstar on pace for 2,535 rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns on the season. That's close to Barry Sanders' Heisman-winning season in 1988, when he set FBS records with 2,628 rushing yards and more than his 37 touchdowns.

If Jeanty continues to dominate, he should be in the Heisman conversation like Randy Moss was in 1997.

But unlike Moss, Jeanty will benefit from a College Football Playoff push thanks to this year's 12-team expansion. As long as Boise State keeps winning, which we know Jeanty needs to put up numbers, Jeanty's Heisman case will stay alive.

TOP FINISHERS: Top three in the Heisman Trophy every year since 1935

The quarterbacks who could make a push

QB Jaxson Dart | Ole ma'am

A poor performance in a loss to Kentucky left Jaxson Dart out of the upper echelon of Heisman contenders. However, Dart has a chance to bounce back from that game during the remainder of SEC play. Dart currently leads the FBS in passing yards, and we know he will continue to put up the numbers in Lane Kiffin's offense. A push for the SEC title could easily put Dart back in the conversation with the frontrunners.

QB Quinn Ewers | Texas

Quinn Ewers hasn't played in weeks due to injury, but in his last game, he went into the Big House and defeated Michigan. All reports say he will be the starter when healthy, and it appears that will be the Red River Rivalry. In the next match he will take on Georgia at home. Two big games for Quinn Ewers in his return could put him back in the Heisman fold.

PRELUDE: Researching the statistics of Heisman Trophy winners the year before they won the award

QB Dillon Gabriel | Oregon

Oregon is undefeated and Dillon Gabriel is the starting quarterback. He has backed up the numbers with an 82 percent completion rate and he has played Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan. If Oregon keeps winning, he will have the opportunity for multiple Heisman moments.

QB Nico Iamaleava | Tennessee

Nico Iamaleava has played well in his first season as a starter in Tennessee. He led an explosive offense full of highlights that were worth watching. The Vols are ranked fourth in the country, and if Iamaleava can lead them to wins over Alabama and Georgia, he just might lift the Heisman Trophy when it's all said and done.

LEAGUE HIM: Every Heisman winner is selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft

QB Miller Moss | Southern California

Miller Moss didn't play his best in the loss to Michigan earlier this year. However, he bounced back with a four-touchdown performance against Wisconsin. Lincoln Riley has coached Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams to Heisman trophies and all of those quarterbacks had one or more losses. Moss cannot be counted yet.

WINNERS: College football teams with the most Heisman Trophy winners

Undefeated sleepers

QB Kurtis Rourke | Indiana

Don't sleep on Kurtis Rourke as a potential Heisman candidate. He has Indiana undefeated in October, and Rourke won't face a ranked opponent until November, when he plays Michigan and Ohio State in weeks. Indiana could be undefeated going into these games. That could be in line for Rourke's Heisman moment.

QB Eli Holstein | Pittsburgh

Could Eli Holstein follow in Kenny Pickett's footsteps and become a Heisman finalist? Holstein is undefeated by Pitt and, like Indiana's Rourke, he won't face a ranked opponent until November.

Holstein has a TD-to-interception ratio of 12-2 and is second behind Pitt in rush attempts. He'll get plenty of opportunities to put up numbers and the spotlight will shift his way if Pitt continues to win.

CFP: How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work

QB Malik Murphy | Duke

Duke is 5-0 and Texas transfer quarterback Malik Murphy is a big reason. He helped lead the Blue Devils back from a 20-0 second-half deficit against North Carolina, threw a game-winning touchdown in overtime against Northwestern and led a fourth-quarter rally against UConn. Murphy has done big things in big moments all season long. More of the same could lead to a late Heisman push.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2024-10-01/top-12-heisman-trophy-contenders-after-one-month-college-football

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