The College Football season has had plenty of action after eight weeks. Unfolding into the spotlight are players that we expected to play at a high level, but also some surprise break outs. The battle for the Heisman Trophy is shaping out to be a very close race, and more than halfway through the season we have a pretty good idea of who the finalists will be.
Before the season started, there were some pretty heavy favorites to win the renown award. Big-name players on big-name teams, such as Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, and Travis Hunter, were all favorites to win.
However, a lot has changed since week 1. We’ve seen the emergence of players such as 17 year-old wide receiver Ryan Williams, true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, and most notably Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Now that Week 8 has concluded, the list of favorites has shifted significantly compared to previous odds.
With the best odds of winning the award at this time, Cam Ward of Miami has led his team to a perfect 7-0 thus far. Behind Ward, Ashton Jeanty of Boise State leads the country in rushing yards. In the mix are quarterback Dillon Gabriel of the #1 overall Oregon Ducks, Travis Hunter of Colorado (who is shaping out to possibly be the best two-way player we’ve seen in college football), and even quarterback Jalen Milroe and wide receiver Ryan Williams of Alabama.
WHO I BELIEVE SHOULD WIN THE HEISMAN:
In the history of college football, only twenty-six athletes have achieved the feat of rushing for 2,000 or more yards. Ashton Jeanty, after six games, has already rushed for over 1,200 yards. Because of his outstanding numbers, Jeanty is averaging a first down every time he takes a handoff. To add onto that impressive stat, he has 18 total touchdowns, ranking him second in all of college football just behind Army’s QB Bryson Daily. Jeanty is on track to rush for 2,496 yards, nearing Barry Sanders’ all-time record of 2,628 yards. The last time a running back won the Heisman was Derrick Henry in 2015 where he rushed for 2,219 yards on 395 attempts. Although the Heisman award is often awarded to a quarterback from a school in a Power 4 Conference, Ashton Jeanty deserves the trophy if he can continue his historic season.
Still, many players are having tremendous seasons as well. Cam Ward leads the country in passing yards with 2538 along with piloting Miami to a perfect record so far. Dillon Gabriel, in his first year at Oregon, has also led his team to an undefeated record and the #1 overall ranked team in the country. Tre Harris, a wide receiver from Ole Miss, leads the country in receiving yards with 987 on 59 receptions. It will be interesting to see how the season shapes out and which players will be standing tall going into the playoffs. We’re all excited to see which players continue to play well and see who wins the beloved Heisman Trophy.
