A Heisman Trophy race unlike any in recent memory ended Saturday evening with Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter, winning the most prestigious individual award in college football.
Hunter edged Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty by 214 votes, the closest race since 2009, when Alabama’s Mark Ingram beat Stanford’s Toby Gerhart by 28 points.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel finished third, followed by Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Hunter, a cornerback, is the first defensive player to win the award since Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997 — except the Colorado unicorn is more than a defensive player: He’s an elite receiver, too, which makes Hunter the first full-time starter on offense and defense to ever win the Heisman.
Earlier in the week, Hunter became the first player in major college history to win both the Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player) and the Biletnikoff Award (best receiver).
He joins the late Rashaan Salaam (1994) as the only Buffaloes players to win the Heisman. CU is one of 20 schools with multiple Heisman winners.
Hunter’s presence on top wasn’t the only refreshing aspect of the 2024 race.
It’s the first time since 2015 — and only the second time this century — that a quarterback didn’t finish in the top two in the voting.
Another anomaly: The top-two finishers play for schools in the Mountain Time Zone.
Jeanty, who led Boise State into the College Football Playoff, is averaging a stunning 192.1 rushing yards per game and has 837 more yards on the ground than his closest competitor (North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton).
Another notable aspect of the Heisman voting: No players from the SEC finished in the top 10.
I submitted the following ballot on Dec. 9:
1. Hunter. The junior was named first-team all-Big 12 at receiver and cornerback. He is second in the country in touchdown catches (14) and fifth in passes defended (15). Simply put, we have not seen a player like Hunter in our lifetime.
2. Jeanty. Boise State’s phenom needs 132 yards to break Barry Sanders’ single-season mark of 2,628 yards, one of the sport’s sacred records. He has 12 runs of at least 50 yards; no one else has more than four. And in his three games against ranked opponents, Jeanty averaged 176.3 yards per game.
3. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo. The production has been stellar (1,568 yards rushing, sixth nationally), but Skattebo’s essential role in ASU’s stunning transformation into Big 12 champion made his season special.
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Jon Wilner
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