Who will be the next Heisman Trophy winner?
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty and Miami QB Cam Ward are the four finalists for the 2024 Heisman. And the odds are incredibly high that neither quarterback is the winner.
Hunter and Jeanty are the two clear favorites for the prize. If either player wins Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), he will become only the fifth non-quarterback to win the Heisman since the turn of the century. Only Alabama WR DeVonta Smith (2020), Alabama RB Derrick Henry (2015), Alabama RB Mark Ingram (2009) and USC RB Reggie Bush (2005) have captured the award in the 2000s without being a quarterback.
Here’s a quick look at why each of the four finalists was chosen to attend the ceremony in New York. Their odds of winning are from BetMGM.
Miami QB Cam Ward (+25000)
Ward stayed in college after flirting with the NFL Draft after the 2023 season and it turned out to be a good decision. The former Incarnate Word quarterback began his college career at the FCS level before transferring to Washington State ahead of the 2022 season. Ward spent two seasons at Washington State before spending his final season in Miami.
The senior has paced Miami’s offense with over 4,000 yards passing and 36 passing TDs this season. Miami led all of college football in scoring with 44 points per game and scored at least 38 points in all but one game this season. That game was a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech that ended Miami’s hopes for the ACC title and the College Football Playoff.
Ward has the second-most passing yards in college football, behind Syracuse QB Kyle McCord, and leads the nation in passing TDs by one ahead of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+25000)
Gabriel’s Heisman case rests on him being the best player on the best team. Oregon is the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and the only undefeated team at the highest level of college football. The former UCF and Oklahoma QB is in his first season at Oregon and his presence has made for a seamless transition from Bo Nix after Nix set the record for single-season completion percentage in 2023.
Gabriel is 297 of 406 passing for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. He has thrown just six interceptions and has thrown more than one interception in just one game this season. He was fantastic in the Big Ten title game as Oregon tore through Penn State’s defense. Gabriel was 22 of 32 passing for 283 yards and four touchdowns.
Although he doesn’t run much, Gabriel can also beat his opponents with his legs. He has seven rushing wins this season, including a big one in Oregon’s one-point win over Ohio State in October.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+1000)
Jeanty is the only Heisman finalist to play for one school during his college career. After rushing for 821 yards on 156 carries as a freshman, Jeanty broke out in 2023 with 1.47 yards and 14 rushing TDs to go along with 43 catches for 569 yards and five receiving TDs.
This year he was even better. Jeanty is having a historic season and could become the leader of college football with a big performance in the Fiesta Bowl. Jeanty has rushed 344 times for 2,497 yards and 29 scores this season. He averages a whopping 192 yards per game, while opposing defenses know he is the best player on the field.
Heading into the playoff, Jeanty’s season ranks fourth on the all-time rushing list, behind Barry Sanders (2,628 yards through 11 games in 1988), Melvin Gordon (2,587 yards through 14 games in 2014) and Kevin Smith ( 2,567 yards through 14 games in 2007). Jeanty will be playing in his 14th game in the College Football Playoff, but his performance this season would make him a shoo-in for the award in many other years.
Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter (-2500)
Hunter’s two-way ability is why Jeanty only has an outside shot at the Heisman. Colorado’s standout defensive back and wide receiver are the prohibitive favorite for the award, thanks to his stellar season in which he played nearly every offensive and defensive snap. Hunter missed parts of two games due to a shoulder injury, but was otherwise a consistent presence on the field for Colorado.
Hunter is Colorado’s leading receiver with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 TDs. Only four players have more catches than Hunter, five have more receiving yards and only one, San Jose State’s Nick Nash, has more receiving TDs.
None of the players ahead of Hunter in these categories play defense. Hunter is Colorado’s top defensive back and has four interceptions and 11 passes defensed. He is also eighth on the team with 32 tackles. His ability to be a star in both attack and defense is why he is the most likely player to win the award on Saturday night.
