Gone are the days when running backs regularly won the Heisman Trophy.
Ten running backs won the Heisman in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 24 years since, only three running backs have won the award: Reggie Bush in 2005, Mark Ingram in 2009 and Derrick Henry in 2015.
The Heisman has become a quarterback-dominated award, as DeVonta Smith is the only other non-quarterback to win it since Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne won it in 1999.
Simply put, it’s extremely unlikely that the Heisman Trophy will be won by a non-quarterback in 2024. And that quarterback will come from a school in a power conference. But if there is a player at another position who is going to win the award in 2024, the best early-season candidate comes from a team looking to crash the College Football Playoff party.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has put up some absolutely absurd stats so far this season. In Week 1, Jeanty ran like he was playing the video game College Football 25 on the easiest difficulty setting. In a win over Georgia Southern, Jeanty had 20 carries for 267 yards and six touchdowns.
Oregon was a much tougher opponent in Week 2, and Jeanty still put up ridiculous numbers. He rushed 25 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns against the Ducks, as Oregon needed a late field goal to beat the Broncos, 37-34.
Jeanty’s nine touchdowns this season are by far the most of any skill position player in college football. UCF’s RJ Harvey has scored six touchdowns in two games this season and no other player has more than five. Only 16 players in all of college football have scored more than three rushing and receiving touchdowns.
The junior may be the best running back in college football and is a big reason why Boise State has a great chance to make the College Football Playoffs if it wins the Mountain West. The Broncos faced the Ducks on Saturday night and Jeanty is playing without an explosive passing game to back him up. Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen has thrown for 31 fewer yards than Jeanty has rushed on 71 pass attempts.
Jeanty has run the ball 45 times and is averaging more than 10 yards per carry.
Jeanty’s production will surely decline — it’s impossible to average 4.5 touchdowns per game over an entire college football season. But 25-plus touchdowns this season aren’t out of the question. If he threatens the 2,000-yard mark and Boise State makes the playoffs, don’t be surprised if he’s a Heisman finalist by season’s end.
Here are the other players atop the Heisman race after the first two weeks of the season.
Beck, who opened as the betting favorite to win the Heisman, has done nothing to prove he won’t be a serious contender late in the season. Beck shredded Clemson’s defense in Week 1 and feasted on Tennessee Tech in Week 2. As the best offensive player on what might be the best team in college football, Beck is going to be at the center of the Heisman race all season long.
The Rebels’ QB’s stats also look like something out of a video game, though it’s worth noting that Ole Miss’ schedule has been much easier than Boise State’s. In games against Furman and Middle Tennessee State, Dart has completed 87 percent of his passes for six touchdowns. He’s also rushed for two other touchdowns.
The Longhorns quarterback attacked the Michigan defense early and often in Texas’ 31-12 Week 2 win over the defending national champions. Ewers finished the game 24-of-36 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns. The performance has made him one of the most popular players in the league. Ewers is the favorite for the Heisman at BetMGMand will probably remain there for at least a couple more weeks.
The former Oklahoma quarterback overtook Beck as the Heisman favorite over the summer by joining an offense that features a lot of short, high-passing performance. Gabriel is completing 84 percent of his passes through two games and was 18 of 21 for 243 yards and two touchdowns against Boise State. But Oregon has fallen nine spots in the AP poll since the start of the season and the offensive line isn’t as good as it was a season ago.
