Week 5 of the college football season solidified this Heisman race as one of the best in recent memory. A running back has a real opportunity to take home the award for the first time since Derrick Henry in 2015. The do-it-all Colorado star Travis Hunter is also making an early case for a trip to New York City.
But Vegas seems to disagree with most of the college football world, giving two quarterbacks the best odds to win the award in December. The Heisman is traditionally a QB award, but if there was ever a year to have a different position win it, it’s this year.
Heisman Rankings
1. Travis Hunter
46 receptions, 561 receiving yards, 6 TDS
16 tackles, 3 passes defended, 2 interceptions
The Buffaloes remind me of a basketball team in that they solely rely on two incredible talents to propel them to victory. There may not be two players more connected to a team’s success than Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Hunter has solidified himself as a top-five player at his position on both offense and defense. He’s a transcendent talent like Shohei Ohtani who can impact the game in multiple areas. This past weekend, Hunter showed everyone who the frontrunner should be when he hit the Heisman pose on after a spectacular diving interception against UCF. Oh yeah, and he added 9 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown on top of that. Admittedly, it will be tough to keep up this production over the course of the season, and voters may be turned off by Colorado’s record if they do worse than 9-3. But for now, he should be the true Heisman frontrunner.
2. Ashton Jeanty
82 carries, 845 rushing yards, 13 rushing TDs
Austin Jeanty burst onto the scene last season and was viewed by some as a dark horse to win the award this year. He’s lived up to those lofty expectations through four games and is set to shatter his numbers from last season. In just four games, Jeanty is one rushing touchdown shy of matching his total from last sophomore season (14). Last year, the Boise State phenom had 1,916 all-purpose yards; good for second in the nation. He’s currently on track for 2,592 this year. Jeanty is a very unique and physical runner for his size. At just 5’9, he weighs a whopping 215 pounds while still possessing breakaway speed. Last weekend, he abused Washington State’s defense with 259 yards on the ground and four scores in a blowout victory.
3. Jalen Milroe
964 passing yards, 72.9 cmp %, 10 passing TDs, 1 int
273 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs
Jalen Milroe was electric against Georgia, putting together the best game of his college career. 491 total yards and four touchdowns against one of the nation’s top defenses should position him firmly as the top quarterback in the Heisman rankings. With Alabama sitting as the number-one team in the country, he’ll have an excellent opportunity to keep building his resume against other SEC foes. When it’s all said and done, I won’t be surprised to see him take home the award if he plays well while Bama remains a top-three team. But for now, he is not the most outstanding player in the country.
4. Cam Ward
1,782 passing yards, 70.2 cmp %, 18 passing TDs, 4 ints
146 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
Cam Ward deserves his Heisman buzz, but it took a slight hit in my eyes after his performance against a mediocre Virginia Tech team. Ward had a rough game with two costly interceptions in the first three quarters. Fortunately, he made some Heisman-like plays to lead a late comeback. But let’s be honest, if that final call isn’t overturned in Miami’s favor, Cam Ward would have been a big reason for Miami getting upset at home.
***
Click here for more football content!
Want to join our team? Inquire about our openings.
Subscribe to the Fantom Sports YouTube!
Discover more from Fantom Sports Industries
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Comments are closed