The two current favorites to win the Heisman Trophy are not quarterbacks.
Thanks to No. 1 Alabama’s loss at Vanderbilt and No. 4 Tennessee’s loss to Arkansas in Week 6, the new frontrunners aren’t players who primarily throw the football. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is the new BetMGM favorite at +225 ahead of Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter at +350.
Jeanty and Hunter have been playing college football on a different level in 2024. Jeanty rushed 13 times for 186 yards and three TDs in the first half of No. 21 Boise State’s 62-30 win over Utah State. The Broncos scored 49 points in the first two quarters and sat Jeanty for the second half.
Jeanty’s stats for the entire season continue to be cartoonish. He has 95 carries for 1,031 yards and 16 TDs through just five games. Not only is he averaging over 10 yards a carry, he’s the only back in college football with over 1,000 rushing yards. Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson ranks second in the country and he’s rushed for 260 fewer yards than Jeanty.
Hunter and Colorado were off in Week 6, but he’s been phenomenal as the only college football player who plays a significant role on both offense and defense. Hunter routinely plays over 100 snaps per game and has 46 catches for 561 yards and six TDs through five games. He also has 16 tackles and two interceptions on defense to go along with three passes defensed.
If either Hunter or Jeanty win the Heisman, the winner will become just the fifth non-QB to win the Heisman in the 2000s. Since Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne won in 1999, only USC RB Reggie Bush (2005), Alabama RB Mark Ingram (2009), Alabama RB Derrick Henry (2015) and Alabama WR Devonta Smith (2020) have won the award without playing quarterback.
The top quarterback on the board is now Miami’s Cam Ward. He led the Hurricanes on an incredible comeback in their 39-38 win over Cal late Saturday night. Miami was down 35-10 before outscoring Cal 29-3 to win the game with the help of a controversial non-call on a potential targeting.
Ward is +450 to win the Heisman ahead of Alabama QB Jalen Milroe at +1000. Milroe entered Week 6 as the betting favorite following Alabama’s win over Georgia in Week 5, but the Crimson Tide lost to Vanderbilt for the first time in 40 years.
Post-Week 6 Heisman favorites
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Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+225)
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Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter (+350)
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Miami QB Cam Ward (+450)
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Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+1000)
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Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+1600)
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Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (+1600)
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Texas QB Quinn Ewers (+2000)
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