What is Ashton Jeanty's path to winning the Heisman? Joel Klatt top 5 candidates

Joel Klatt

Senior College Football Analyst

What if I told you before the season that a Group 5 player would win the Heisman Trophy? It sounds wild, but it's entirely possible.

In the last episode of my podcast, The Joel Klatt Show, I broke down a handful of wild scenarios that could potentially play out by the end of the regular season. One of those wild but entirely possible scenarios is that a group of 5 players win the Heisman Trophy.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is now the betting favorite to win the Heisman. He averages 206 rushing yards per game. He has scored 16 rushing touchdowns in five games, which is simply a staggering number. Oh, he also manages almost 11 yards per carry!

If you haven't seen Jeanty yet, please do so. It's an absolute joy. He runs with strength. He's wild. He's fast. He has great balance.

Now some might point to Jeanty's level of competition. But he took off against Oregon and rushed for 192 yards on 7.7 yards per carry and three touchdowns against them Ducks in week 2.

Jeanty is everything you want in a running back. He truly is an NFL running back through and through. Not only is he the betting favorite to win the Heisman, but Jeanty is also on pace to break Barry Sanders' legendary record for most rushing yards in a season. Sanders ran for 2,628 yards in just 11 games at Oklahoma State. Jeanty is on pace to reach 2,681 yards. Granted, that's 13 games.

So what does Jeanty have to do to win the Heisman? Well, I think he needs to at least do something historically special, like break Sanders' record, for many voters to get over the fact that he's doing this against the Group 5 schedule.

Frankly, if that's an opinion voters have, then it's a valid one. Former Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon ran for 2,336 yards in 2014 and didn't win the Heisman. The award went to then-Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. That’s the bar I currently set for Jeanty.

I would have a hard time giving Jeanty my Heisman vote if he hadn't overtaken Gordon and maybe even Sanders to get over him doing this against a Group 5 schedule. I know he had the Oregon game there, but he doesn't play Oregon every week.

I'm not trying to diminish Jeanty's accomplishments to this point. He's a great running back and one of my favorite players in the country. His speed, balance and vision are all so good.

Ashton Jeanty records 186 rushing yards and THREE touchdowns in Boise State's win over Utah State

So let's get to my current Heisman list and see if Jeanty is ranked No. 1.

Smith's stats: 23 receptions, 453 receiving yards, 19.7 yards per reception, six receiving touchdowns (tied for fifth in the nation)

Similar to Jeanty, if you haven't seen Smith yet, check it out. He's an absolute show and I love this guy.

Of all the wide receivers Ohio State has gone through recently, Smith is on pace to be the best of them all. You can't cover him with one player – and he's a true rookie.

Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith makes an UNREAL one-handed touchdown catch against Michigan State

Regardless of his class status, he is indefensible. You can't defend him. He seems to reach with one hand every week. He has already scored seven touchdowns in five games.

Smith isn't the only true freshman who has hit the ground running this season. Alabama's Ryan Williams was spectacular. But with all due respect to Williams, Smith is the more imposing player of the two, which gives him an advantage here.

Ohio State freshman WR Jeremiah Smith provided another highlight-reel one-hander in the win over Iowa.

Milroe's stats: 73.4 completion percentage (eighth in the nation), 1,274 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, two interceptions, 283 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns (tied for seventh in the nation)

I know Milroe just lost to Vanderbilt, but like some of these Oklahoma quarterbacks under Lincoln Riley, he's going to have incredible numbers over the course of the season. This loss also shows the pressure Milroe is under to produce week in and week out because Alabama's defense isn't that spectacular. Whether in the air or on the ground, Milroe will be relied upon to a degree that others may not be, at least the really good teams.

Milroe averages 311 yards per game. His 20 total touchdowns are the second-most in the FBS, trailing another of my Heisman competitors. He'll need to continue winning shootouts, so there's a chance for Milroe to come to New York.

Alabama's Jalen Milroe has scored nine touchdowns this season, establishing himself as one of the game's best dual-threat quarterbacks.

Ward's stats: 69.2 completion percentage, 2,219 passing yards (most in the country), 20 passing touchdowns (most in the country), five interceptions, 161 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns

Ward has been rock solid so far. He is the only reason the Hurricanes have won their last two games and earned victories in both games. He was incredible against Cal, throwing for 437 yards and scoring three total touchdowns.

Ashton Jeanty and Jalen Milroe in Klatt's updated Heisman top five candidates

Ward's numbers for the season are among, if not the best, in college football. He leads the country in passing (2,219 yards), passing touchdowns (20) and total touchdowns (23). He obviously has two great comeback wins under his belt, further solidifying his Heisman candidacy.

Miami would have already suffered two losses without Ward, keeping its playoff hopes alive at the start of the season. I think he's the clear No. 3. When you watch him, his game jumps out from the tape. Not only are you thinking, “Ward is the best quarterback in the ACC,” but you’re also wondering if he’s the best quarterback in the country.

Miami (Fla.) QB Cam Ward leads the nation in passing yards (2,219) and passing touchdowns (20).

Jeanty's stats: 1,031 rushing yards (most in the country), 10.9 yards per carry (most in the country among eligible players), 16 rushing touchdowns (most in the country)

Jeanty is a phenomenal player. Like I said, I love watching him play.

The question burning in the back of my mind is whether there are other players in the country who could do what Jeanty does with this schedule or come close to it. You might say “no,” but there will be a bit of a pause.

Boise State's Ashton Jeanty rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the Broncos' win over Utah State on Saturday.

Hunter's stats: 46 receptions (third most nationally), 561 receiving yards (eighth-most nationally), 12.2 yards per reception, six receiving touchdowns (tied for fifth nationally), 15 total tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble, averaged 132 snaps per Game

With Hunter, however, there isn't the same break. Hunter does things we have never seen in the history of the sport. The uniqueness of what he does puts him at number 1 on my list of choices.

Of the traditional contenders, Jeanty would be No. 1. But Hunter is a unicorn and an incredible athlete who is the best player on both sides of the ball, which is a stunning thought.

At wide receiver, Hunter ranks third nationally in receptions (46). As a cornerback, he has two interceptions and plays 132 snaps per game.

Colorado's Travis Hunter makes an UNREAL interception and poses for Heisman

There's certainly a chance that Hunter's production will decline as the season progresses. He could tire in the second half of the year, potentially causing him to either rely less on wide receiver or give up his threat if a corner goes down. It's possible that teams choose to stop throwing in Hunter's direction, which would obviously hurt his chances of getting turnovers.

However, Hunter's impact on the game is so unique. It's not traditional at all. If we were making a traditional list, Jeanty would be No. 1. However, this is not a traditional season. We have a unicorn doing something we have never seen in the history of sports.

Hunter's No. 1 ranking isn't just because he plays on both sides of the ball. If his production drops on both sides of the ball, he will slip down my Heisman contender list. Right now, the production is there and he's arguably in the running for the Biletnikoff Award (best receiver in the country) and the Thorpe Award (best defensive back in the country).

So I'm giving myself some leeway to make some changes at the top. My top two right now include a player who could break records in the traditional sense and another player who is doing something we've never seen before in the sport.

This is truly an incredible year for the Heisman Trophy.

Colorado's Travis Hunter had a touchdown and an interception in his last game, a win over UCF.

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports' lead college football game analyst and host of the podcast.The Joel Klatt Show.“Follow him around @joelklatt And Subscribe to The Joel Klatt Show on YouTube.

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