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Top 12 Heisman Trophy contenders after a month of college football

ByVanessa

Oct 5, 2024 #Alabama, #boise-st, #Colorado, #Duke, #Heisman, #Indiana, #miami-fl, #Ole Miss, #Oregon, #Pittsburgh, #Southern California, #Tennessee, #texas
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 leading candidates for the sport's premier award – the Heisman Trophy – are emerging. In preseason I listed the top contenders for the award, but now we have a clearer overview of the games played on the field.

The race for the 2024 Heisman remains open, but here are the players who have begun to stand out from the rest.

The four front runners

QB Jalen Milroe | Alabama

Jalen Milroe moved to the top of the Heisman contending quarterbacks after leading Alabama to a victory over Georgia. He threw 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, placing him at or near the top of the Heisman race.

ROLL TIDE: No. 4 Alabama stops No. 2 Georgia's comeback attempt, winning 41-34

WR/CB Travis Hunter | Colorado

Wide receiver Travis Hunter has 46 catches for 561 yards and six touchdowns. That's the fifth-most yards and third-most receptions and touchdowns. Hunter is on pace with 110 catches, over 1,300 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. Because he is a wide receiver alone, these projected numbers are lower than DeVonta Smith's 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns 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 one forced fumble. When Charles Woodson — the last defensive player to win — won the Heisman, he had seven interceptions. Hunter projects to have just under five interceptions this season, but he dwarfs Woodson's receiving stats from his Heisman season.

Hunter was spectacular on both ends, but the other problem he will face in his bid for the award is his team's victory. Colorado is currently 4-1, and according to ESPN's Football Power Index, the Buffaloes are projected to win, at best, 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, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels have won the Heisman this century with three regular-season losses.

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

QB Cam Ward | Miami (FL)

In Cam Ward's first year in Miami, The U is back on the road to success, with a championship feel not felt since the early 2000s. Ward has the second-most passing yards and most passing touchdowns in the country after five games. He's the reason Miami is undefeated, and as long as that stays that way, he'll remain in the running for the Heisman.

Although Ward will likely improve his passing numbers as he moves forward, he will be hard-pressed to have the kind of elite games that can lead to a Heisman moment in a regular season in a weakened ACC. That could be why this year's Heisman race remains close.

STREAKING: College football's longest active regular-season winning streaks

RB Ashton Jeanty | Boise State

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

That athlete was Randy Moss at Marshall, and you may be experiencing Ashton Jeanty déjà vu at Boise State this year. Jeanty has recorded 845 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 82 carries – an average of 10.3 yards per pop – in four games. The superstar from Boise State has 2,535 rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns this 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 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 push into the College Football Playoff this year thanks to the 12-team expansion. As long as Boise State keeps winning – and we know Jeanty has to put up numbers – Jeanty's Heisman case remains alive.

TOP FINISHERS: Top three Heisman Trophy finishers every year since 1935

The quarterbacks who could make a push

QB Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss

A poor performance in a loss to Kentucky pushed Jaxson Dart out of the upper echelon of Heisman contenders. However, Dart has a chance to recover from this game as SEC play continues. Dart currently leads the FBS in passing, and we know he will continue to make a splash in Lane Kiffin's offense. A push for the SEC title can 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 the last game he finished he went to the Big House and beat Michigan. All reports say he will be the starter when healthy, and that looks like it will be for the Red River Rivalry. In the next game he will face Georgia at home. Two big games for Quinn Ewers in his return could put him back in Heisman contention.

FOREWORD: Examining the statistics of Heisman Trophy winners in the year leading up to the award ceremony

QB Dillon Gabriel | Oregon

Oregon is undefeated and Dillon Gabriel is the starting quarterback. He has the numbers – backed up by an 82 percent completion rate – and he's playing against Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan. If Oregon continues to win, it will have a chance at multiple Heisman moments.

QB Nico Iamaleava | Tennessee

Nico Iamaleava has looked good in his first season as a starter in Tennessee. He led an explosive offense full of standout plays. The Vols are ranked No. 4 nationally, and if Iamaleava can lead them to wins over Alabama and Georgia, he just might end up hoisting the Heisman Trophy.

LEAGUE HIM: Every Heisman winner will be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft

QB Miller Moss | Southern California

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

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 left Indiana undefeated in early October and Rourke won't face a ranked opponent until November, when he plays Michigan and Ohio State two weeks in a row. Indiana could be undefeated in these games. This could be 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 at Pitt, and like Indiana's Rourke, he won't face a ranked opponent until November.

Holstein has a 12:2 TD-to-interception ratio and is second to Pitt in rushing attempts. He will get plenty of opportunities to put up numbers and the spotlight will turn on him if Pitt continues to win.

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

QB Maalik Murphy | duke

Duke is 5-0 and Texas transfer quarterback Malik Murphy is a big reason. He helped put the Blue Devils back in front 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 been making big plays in big moments all season. More of the same could lead to a late Heisman push.

By Vanessa

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