It Sucks There’s Only One Heisman Trophy Winner This Year

I’ve never been a participation trophy guy, but the 2024 college football season has me tremendously conflicted on who should win the Heisman.

It seems like we have a two-man race between Boise State superstar running back Ashton Jeanty and Colorado two-way phenom Travis Hunter. Both players are critical pieces of their team’s success. Both players are deserving and will receive Heisman votes.

But there can only be one player that’s named college football’s most outstanding. 

On Sunday afternoon, the College Football Playoff selection committee will announce that the Boise State Broncos will appear in the playoffs. A major piece of their success is Jeanty, whose 2,497 rushing yards and remarkable stats are being compared to the legendary Barry Sanders.

Jeanty is just 131 rushing yards shy of Sanders’ single-season record. It was a remarkable season, and the future first-round NFL Draft pick was a major component in the Broncos making the playoff this year. His historic rushing pace has had him in the Heisman conversation for months, but he’ll have to overcome Boise State’s weak strength of schedule to win the award.

On the other hand, you have Hunter. Speaking of the first round of April’s NFL Draft, he projects to be one of the first players selected. He’s the college football version of Shohei Ohtani, being able to play both wide receiver and cornerback at the same time.

As important as Jeanty was to the Broncos, Hunter was to the Buffaloes, especially because of that ability to play multiple positions. Hunter joined Colorado with head coach Deion Sanders in the 2023 season. Remember, the Buffaloes were one of the worst teams in college football history when Coach Prime, Shedeur Sanders and Hunter arrived in Boulder. 

At the end of November, it looked like the ranked Buffaloes could have fought for a playoff berth of their own before being upset by Kansas. Regardless, it was an incredibly impressive season for a program seemingly on the rise, and a big part of that is Hunter.

Offensively, Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added a rushing touchdown as well. Defensively, he had four interceptions. Needless to say, when Hunter was on the field, which was almost always, it was a problem for opponents all over America.

Hunter is -2500 to win the Heisman, a massive favorite. Jeanty is +1000. It certainly feels like barring something wild from the voters, Hunter will be named the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner.

All signs indicate that this will be the first time since 2020 that a non-quarterback will win the Heisman, when Alabama’s DeVonta Smith was named the best player in the nation. Prior to that? Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015, followed by Mark Ingram in 2009.

Hunter or Jeanty are set to make history, becoming the first non-quarterback at a school other than Alabama to win the Heisman since Reggie Bush in 2005. Both players deserve it.

That’s why for the first time maybe ever, I find myself wishing there was a participation trophy.