Heisman Trophy Frontrunners After School Soccer Week 12 | Deadspin.com

With two full regular-season weeks and Championship Saturday remaining, the 2024 Heisman Trophy race heads into crunch time with 4 front-runners vying for a spot in faculty soccer’s unique membership.

Quarterbacks of nationwide championship hopefuls predictably issue into the Heisman competitors, with Miami’s Cam Ward and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel among the many main quartet. However with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, a non-Energy 5 convention star, and Colorado two-way sensation Travis Hunter, this 12 months’s race provides extra intriguing storylines than among the quarterback-heavy lessons of finalists.

The next comes with the mandatory caveat that three video games can really feel like a lifetime within the pursuit of the Heisman. A present outsider may ship monster performances within the coming weeks and achieve floor among the many fickle voting inhabitants. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose staff is in School Soccer Playoff competition, is a reputation to recollect.

Primarily based on their resumes by way of Week 12, the Heisman favorites rank on this order:

4. Dillon Gabriel

In all places Gabriel’s gone—from UCF to Oklahoma and now to Oregon—he’s excelled. He’s eclipsed 3,000 yards passing for the fifth time in his profession and has finished so in 2024 whereas finishing a career-high 73.8 p.c of his makes an attempt.

As quarterback of the No. 1-ranked staff within the nation, Gabriel’s positioning as a Heisman contender is anticipated. However a part of the rationale the Geese are within the hunt for a nationwide championship additionally works towards Gabriel’s Heisman case.

Sharing the backfield with excellent ball service Jordan James and working in a balanced offense, Gabriel hasn’t needed to put up eye-popping numbers for Oregon to win. His 22 passing touchdowns and 6 dashing scores are spectacular however might not sway Heisman voters in an period when quarterbacks routinely put up 40 touchdowns.

3. Cam Ward

The qualities which may price Gabriel Heisman votes however assist make Oregon a nationwide title contender are the very issues that increase Ward’s Heisman candidacy. Miami’s within the hunt for the Playoff thanks in no small half to Ward’s particular person heroics.

In three consecutive one-score wins over Virginia Tech, Cal, and Louisville, Ward handed for 343, 437, and 319 yards with 10 mixed touchdowns. That exceptional stretch is the spine of Ward’s nation-leading numbers in passing yards (3,494), yards per recreation (349.4), and landing passes (32).

Ward’s numbers have been no much less spectacular in defeat. He racked up 348 yards and three touchdowns with out an interception in a loss to Georgia Tech.

The Washington State switch by means of Incarnate Phrase has come a good distance from operating the Wing-T in highschool. His is a superb story, however it isn’t the very best Heisman candidacy on this 12 months’s class.

2. Travis Hunter

There have been a handful of dual-role Heisman winners within the award’s illustrious historical past, however none have ever performed on either side of the ball as a lot—or as successfully—as Colorado extensive receiver-cornerback Travis Hunter.

Whereas spectacular, neither his 911 yards on 74 catches with 9 touchdowns nor his eight move breakups and three interceptions are Heisman-worthy on their very own. Mixed, nevertheless, Hunter is having an unprecedented season.

Hunter additionally advantages from hype, an simple think about any Heisman race. Numerous oddsmakers have the Buffs’ two-way star as the favourite by way of Week 12, media personalities like Shannon Sharpe have stumped for him, and Hunter used an look on Robert Griffin III’s podcast to tout his candidacy at fellow contender Ashton Jeanty’s expense.

Hunter’s logic was specious: he posited a hypothetical about what number of yards he’d have on 95 receptions (the variety of carries Jeanty had on the time). At his present tempo of 12.3 yards per catch, the reply to that may be a strong 1,169—virtually 700 yards shy of DeVonta Smith’s 1,856 when he turned the final receiver to win the Heisman in 2020.

And, making use of Hunter’s floor guidelines based mostly on utilization, the receiver/cornerback has been on the sector for 519 snaps—virtually precisely double the variety of carries Jeanty has logged for Boise State.

Hunter has a worthy Heisman case by itself deserves, however moving into the Jeanty debates invitations comparisons that objectively favor the BSU operating again.

1. Ashton Jeanty

It’s taken Ashton Jeanty 10 video games to surpass the complete-season dashing champions of the earlier 4 seasons. Though this rating relies on manufacturing by way of Week 12, it’s price noting that Jeanty will virtually actually surpass the two,000-yard mark in Week 13 with presumably two extra video games earlier than Heisman weekend.

Jeanty’s pursuit of Barry Sanders’ document is more likely to fall quick, although that solely serves to underscore simply how sensational Sanders was in 1988. Amongst different all-time nice seasons for operating backs, Jeanty has already outproduced Heisman winners like Eddie George and Reggie Bush and is properly on tempo to surpass Ricky Williams and Rashaan Salaam.

Lest anybody disparage Jeanty’s output on the extent of competitors, he rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns towards the nation’s No. 1-ranked staff, Oregon. In his worst recreation, he rushed for 128 yards. In distinction, Hunter had back-to-back video games (vs. Kansas State, at Arizona) of three receptions for 26 yards and two catches for 17 yards with no move break-ups or interceptions.

On this Heisman class—and amongst all operating backs since Sanders set an impossibly excessive bar for the place 36 years in the past—Ashton Jeanty stands out.