The four finalists were announced for the 90th annual Heisman Memorial Trophy, with the show starting at 8:00 ET – it’s a great production, but you’re fine if you tune in at 8:50 – on ESPN.
Before that, there will be a show highlighting the top ten finalists, but it’s all about the main four guys.
It’s been a weird year for the Heisman. No quarterback broke away from the pack, all four finalists have been historic in their own ways, and three of them were former Pac-12 stars, and …
It’s all fun, it’s all pumping up these great players, and one of them will be a part of the exclusive club.
Why does each finalist deserve to win it?
2024 Heisman Trophy Finalists
Note: I have a Heisman vote and can not say what I really think or vote for. I am basing my opinion on how each finalist seems in general.
Dillon Gabriel, QB Oregon
Why Does Dillon Gabriel Deserve to Win the Heisman Trophy?
He was the veteran leader of the No. 1 team in the country and their best player. They had never lost in American history. Even though the College Football Playoff stats are not taken into account for the Heisman, he is only 794 yards behind Case Keenum as the all-time leader in college football passing yards.
Why Dillon Gabriel Won’t Win the Heisman Trophy?
He was tenth in the country in yards, 73%, 3,558 yards, 28 touchdowns, and six interceptions, but there were not any real “Wow” Heisman moments. He did make it all happen, but he might be more of a best-player-best-team kind of guy.
Will Dillon Gabriel Win the Heisman Trophy?
Maybe not, but he and Cam Ward will likely share the third spot on almost all ballots. Also, in the Big Ten Championship win over Penn State, he threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns, and in the other game against Ohio State, he threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Not bad, huh?
Travis Hunter, WR/CB Colorado
Why Does Travis Hunter Deserve to Win the Heisman Trophy?
He’s sixth in the nation in receiving yards per game and second in touchdown catches – that’s all. Consistent and explosive, he was the best receiver in the Big 12. As a corner, he was tied for fourth in the nation in passes defended with 15 and four picks. The guy never, ever seems to be off the field.
Why Travis Hunter Won’t Win the Heisman Trophy?
The fair: It is possible that he was not the best player on his own team; Shedeur Sanders was the one who made that team work. It makes even more sense to say that Cam Skattebo, a running back for Arizona State, was the most important player in the Big 12.
Not fair: His team did not even make it to the Big 12 Championship, let alone the CFP. Even worse, many people in the media will not vote for him because they do not like all the excitement in Colorado.
Will Travis Hunter Win the Heisman Trophy?
About 83% of the time, yes. Too many people will not vote for him because they do not like Coach Prime or his program, but he is a great college football player in every way—on the field, off the field, and in the classroom.
Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State
Why Does Ashton Jeanty Deserve to Win the Heisman Trophy?
No, he will not catch Barry Sanders’s record from 1988 for the best rushing season in college football—come on, everyone, the Wyoming bowl game is already in the running—but WHATEVER. Just the fact that his 2024 season is right up there with one of the best in American sports history is enough.
Jeanty has the most rushing and all-purpose yards in the country. He also led Boise State to the Mountain West Championship, the College Football Playoff, and the third seed.
Why Ashton Jeanty Won’t Win the Heisman Trophy?
Yeah, he ran for almost 2,500 yards and scored 30 times, but most of them were against Group of Five defenses. There wasn’t much happening as a receiver, there was a good chance Boise State was 12-1 and the No. 3 seed without him, and …
Will Ashton Jeanty Win the Heisman Trophy?
The negatives are all small things that do not matter. He torched No. 1 Oregon with 192 yards and three touchdowns, was the heart and soul of a great Boise State team, and is a real NFL prospect.
As at least the No. 2 pick, he will make it very, very close even if he does not win.
Cam Ward, QB Miami
Why Does Cam Ward Deserve to Win the Heisman Trophy?
Ward is second in the country in passing, averaging 343.6 yards per game. He is also fourth in the country in passing efficiency, and he has the most touchdowns in college football with 36. Not really, but he has scored four times on the ground.
Miami lost two games late, but Ward threw for a combined 697 yards and five touchdowns with no picks to Georgia Tech and Syracuse.
Why Cam Ward Won’t Win the Heisman Trophy?
The team did not make it to the ACC Championship, which was not his fault. But if Miami had been in the CFP, he would have been a big part of the whole thing.
The stats are fantastic, but they aren’t otherworldly. More than anything else, the Hurricanes were off the national TV radar for too much of the season – not enough massive games.
Will Cam Ward Win the Heisman Trophy?
No, but he’s a finalist. Dillon Gabriel will probably get the third spot only because his team is No. 1 and in the CFP.
