The days of running backs regularly winning the Heisman Trophy are long gone.
Ten Heismans were won by running backs in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 24 years since then, only three running backs have won the award: Reggie Bush in 2005, Mark Ingram in 2009 and Derrick Henry in 2015.
The Heisman is an award dominated by quarterbacks. DeVonta Smith is the only other non-QB to win the award since Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne won it in 1999.
Simply put, it’s extremely unlikely that the Heisman Trophy will be won by a non-QB in 2024. And that QB will come from a power conference school. But if there is a player at any other position who is going to win the award in 2024, the best early-season candidate will come from a team looking to crash the College Football Playoff party.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty has put up an absolutely absurd stat line so far this season. In Week 1, Jeanty ran like he was playing the College Football 25 video game on the easiest difficulty setting. In a win over Georgia Southern, Jeanty had 20 carries for 267 yards and six touchdowns.
Oregon was a much tougher opponent in Week 2, and Jeanty still put up ridiculous numbers, rushing 25 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns against the Ducks, while Oregon needed a very late field goal to beat the Broncos, 37-34.
Jeanty’s nine touchdowns this season are by far the most of any skill position player in college football. UCF’s RJ Harvey has scored six TDs in two games this season, and no other player has more than five. Only 16 players in all of college football have scored more than three rushing and receiving touchdowns.
The junior is arguably the best running back in college football and is a big reason why Boise State has a great chance to reach the College Football Playoff if it wins the Mountain West. The Broncos were neck and neck with the Ducks late Saturday night, and Jeanty is performing without an explosive passing game to back him up. Boise State QB Maddux Madsen has thrown for 31 fewer yards than Jeanty has run on 71 pass attempts.
Jeanty has run the ball 45 times and is averaging over 10 yards per attempt.
Jeanty’s production will certainly slow down — it’s impossible to average 4.5 TDs per game over the course of an entire college football season. But 25-plus touchdowns this season isn’t out of the question. If he threatens the 2,000-yard mark and Boise State makes the playoffs, don’t be surprised if he’s a Heisman finalist by the end of the season.
Here are the other players atop the Heisman race after the first two weeks of the season.
The senior opened as the favorite to win the Heisman and has done nothing to show he won’t be a serious contender come season’s end. Beck tore apart Clemson’s defense in Week 1 and gobbled up Tennessee Tech in Week 2. As the best offensive player on what could be the best team in college football, Beck will be in hot water for the Heisman all season.
The Rebels QB’s stats also look like they’re straight out of a video game, though it’s worth noting that Ole Miss’s schedule is a lot easier than Boise State’s. In games against Furman and Middle Tennessee State, Dart has completed 87% of his passes for six TDs. He’s also rushed for two other scores.
The Longhorns QB attacked Michigan’s defense early and often in Texas’ 31-12 Week 2 win over the reigning national champions. Ewers finished the game completing 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns. The performance has Ewers the favorite for the Heisman at BetMGM, and he’s likely to remain there for at least a few more weeks.
The former Oklahoma QB passed Beck as the favorite for the Heisman this past summer, as he joined an offense that features a lot of short, high-percentage throws. Gabriel is completing 84 percent of his passes through two games and was 18 of 21 for 243 yards and two scores against Boise State. However, Oregon has dropped nine spots in the AP poll since the start of the season, and the offensive line isn’t as good as it was a season ago.
