(Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Saturday Spotlight
The 2024 Heisman Trophy Preview
1. Ashton Jeanty (Boise State): No, he doesn’t play for a Power Four conference and quite frankly, that doesn’t mean a thing to me because when you’re productive, you’re productive. Ashton Jeanty was the best Running Back in the country and it wasn’t even up for debate. I remember watching Boise State’s first game of the year against the Oregon Ducks and how he singlehandedly put that team on his back and took over in a losing effort. After that, the Boise State Broncos won every single game and Ashton was a large part of those wins. He has gradually climbed the ladder since his Freshman year when he rushed for 821 yards on 156 carries. Last year, he broke out rushing for 1,417 yards and this season, he was even better. Ashton’s ability to burst through lanes along with the vision and push-through contact are what have made him so special this year. He’s only 5’9 but runs as if he were a 6’2 power back. He follows his blockers, eludes tacklers and there he is in the endzone.
2. Travis Hunter (Colorado): He was the number one player entering the 2022 season and had committed to Florida State before flipping his commitment to play for the Jackson State Tigers and he became the first five-star recruit to sign with an HBCU. When Deion announced he was taking the job in Boulder, Travis followed him and the rest is history. We haven’t seen a two-way player at the college level since the Charles Woodson days and Charles is the only defensive player to have won the Heisman. Travis did it on both sides of the football as a defender and offensive weapon. As a receiver, Travis has lateral quickness and plays smaller meaning he’s low and plays with that center of gravity to make people miss in the open field. He was also Shedeur Sanders’ top target in the passing game. Anytime Shedeur needed number 12, he answered the call. On defense, Travis also held his own on the defensive side of things. His ability to read and react is phenomenal and he’s a ball hawk with the ability to track the ball, and then make a play on it. Travis was Colorado’s leading receiver with 1,152 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns.
3. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon): I was excited for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks when he transferred to play for them from Oklahoma. This was a hand-and-glove fit as far as I was concerned. Dillon’s Heisman case rests on the fact that he has been the best player on the number-one-ranked team in the country. Oregon was the number one ranked team to finish out the regular season and they are also the number-one ranked team in the College Football Playoff. Dillon completed 297 of his 406 pass attempts this year with 28 touchdown passes and six interceptions along with one game where he threw more than one interception. He was phenomenal in the Big Ten title game against Penn State throwing four touchdown passes. Although he’s not known as a mobile Quarterback, Dillon can attack a defense with his feet when opportunities present themselves. He finished the year with seven rushing touchdowns.
4. Cam Ward (Miami): He was flirting with the NFL Draft in 2023 but decided to return to school for another year and it ended up being the best decision he made. Cam used his final year of eligibility with the Miami Hurricanes in 2024 and was the catalyst behind Miami’s offensive attack. He powered them with over 4,000 yards of offense and threw 36 touchdown passes. The Hurricanes were the highest-scoring offense in the nation this year averaging 44 points per game and scored at least 38 points in all but one game this season. His ability to scramble and keep plays extended with his feet while throwing on the run amazed me. It didn’t matter where he moved the pocket, he would throw a dart and the ball would get to his intended receiver. Cam finished this year with the second-most passing yards behind Syracuse’s Kyle McCord.
Prediction: First, congratulations to all four of these young men for being selected as finalists for the most prestigious award in all sports. Ashton Jeanty is my pick to win the Heisman and will become the first non-quarterback since DeVonta Smith to win the prize. No player meant more to their team than number two for the Boise State Broncos. This is an MVP award and no player was more valuable to their team than Ashton. He finished his 2024 campaign with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns on the season. He put together the best season I’ve seen from a Running Back since Derrick Henry with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2015. In each game Ashton played, he had over 125 yards rushing, and on the year, he recorded six 200-yard rushing games including 209 yards rushing in the conference championship win over UNLV. Boise State wouldn’t be the third seed in the College Football Playoff without the efforts of number two. What a year he had and he will be rewarded for it.
