The two current favorites to win the Heisman Trophy are not quarterbacks.
Thanks to No. 1 Alabama’s loss at Vanderbilt and No. 4 Tennessee’s loss to Arkansas in Week 6, the new favorites aren’t players who primarily throw the ball. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is the new BetMGM favorite at +225 ahead of Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter at +350.
Jeanty and Hunter have been playing college football at a different level in 2024. Jeanty rushed 13 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns. in the first half of No. 21 Boise State’s 62-30 victory over Utah State. The Broncos scored 49 points in the first two quarters and sat Jeanty for the second half.
Jeanty’s season-long stats remain cartoonish. He has 95 carries for 1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns in just five games. Not only does he average over 10 yards per carry, but he is the only running back in college football with over 1,000 rushing yards. Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson is ranked second in the country and has rushed for 260 fewer yards than Jeanty.
Hunter and Colorado were out in Week 6, but he has been phenomenal as the only college football player to play a major role on both offense and defense. Hunter routinely plays more than 100 plays per game and has 46 receptions for 561 yards and six touchdowns in five games. He also has 16 tackles and two interceptions on defense in addition to three passes defensed.
If Hunter or Jeanty win the Heisman, the winner will become the fifth non-QB to win the Heisman in the 2000s. Since Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne won in 1999, only USC RB Reggie Bush (2005), Alabama RB Mark Ingram (2009), Alabama RB Derrick Henry (2015) and Alabama RB Devonta Smith (2020) have won the award without playing quarterback.
The best quarterback on the board is now Miami’s Cam Ward. He led the Hurricanes to an incredible comeback in their 39-38 victory over Cal on Saturday night. Miami trailed 35-10 before outscoring Cal 29-3 to win the game with the help of a controversial no-call on a potential goal.
Ward is +450 to win the Heisman ahead of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe at +1000. Milroe entered Week 6 as the betting favorite following Alabama’s win over Georgia in Week 5, but the Crimson Tide lost to Vanderbilt for the first time in 40 years.
Post-Week 6 Heisman Favorites
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Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+225)
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Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter (+350)
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Miami QB Chamber Room (+450)
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Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (+1000)
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Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+1600)
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Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (+1600)
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Texas QB Quinn Ewers (+2000)
