Officially, Heisman Trophy voters are starting to count down. Additionally, the oddsmakers predict that they will present the best two-way player in recent memory with the College Football Stop Individual Award.
Going into conference championship weekend, Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffaloes is the clear favorite to win the Heisman by a wide majority. The explosive wide receiver/cornerback would join USC running back Reggie Bush (2005), Alabama running backs Derrick Henry (2015) and Mark Ingram (2009), and Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith (2020) as the only other quarterback-less winner of this century.
However, the prize has not yet been determined.
Voters still have a weekend of crucial games to influence their votes, as they have till Monday to turn in their ballots. With a strong showing in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game, will the most talented rusher since Barry Sanders, Aaron Jeanty, flip the tide? Can the quarterback for the final club that hasn’t lost, Dillon Gabriel, have a transformative night in the Big Ten Championship Game?
The odds, provided by FanDuel, show how the race stands going into the last week of the regular season:
Travis Hunter, Colorado’s CB/WR (odds of -6,000)
The case against Hunter is closed. Hunter’s season is finished until the bowl game because the Buffaloes wasted a chance to go to the Big 12 Championship Game. However, the dynamic, two-way standout had a fantastic season, and his Heisman r sum is both exceptional and one-of-a-kind.
With 92 receptions, 1,152 receiving yards, 14 receiving touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown on offense, and 31 tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and one forced fumble on defense, Hunter dominated as he played in 84% of Colorado’s offensive and defensive snaps (1,422 of 1,696) this season.
In the 20th-ranked Buffaloes’ 52-0 season-ending thumping of Oklahoma State, he also made a memorable final impression by catching 10 catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns on offense and snagging one interception on defense.
In terms of receptions (fifth), receiving yards (fifth), and touchdown receptions (second), Hunter finished the regular season among the top five players in the country.
Although it wouldn’t be totally correct to call Hunter a defensive player, he would become the first defensive player to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997.
BOISE STATE’S ASHTON JEANTY, RB (+1,500)
Last week, in Boise State’s 34-18 victory over Oregon State, Jeanty extended his season-long dominance by hammering the Beavers for 226 yards and a touchdown.
It was Jeanty’s eleventh touchdown in 12 games this season and his sixth time surpassing the 200-yard rushing milestone.
Barry Sanders’ 1988 single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards is just two games away from being surpassed by the 5-foot-9 junior from Jacksonville, Florida, who has already carried for 2,288 yards this season, which is fifth-most in college football history. Jeanty is currently the 30th player in FBS history to exceed the 2,000-yard rushing mark in a season and leads the country in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns (28), and rushing yards per game (190.7).
This season, the Broncos, who are placed 10th (11-1) have only lost once. Voters in Heisman will have to reconsider supporting Hunter if Jeanty can lead Boise State over UNLV, ranked 20th, on Friday. In September, Oregon defeated them by a slim margin, 37-34.
OREGON, QB, DILLON GABRIEL (+5,000)
The Ducks defeated Washington 49–21 last weekend, casting off a lot of demons in the process. Gabriel, meanwhile, did little to support his campaign in Heisman.
The Ducks didn’t need him to be dominant to win, even though he was reliable and effective, completing 16 of 23 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. That has been a recurring trend throughout the season, particularly for the nation’s top team, which has a balanced offense and a dominant defense, in the closing minutes.
Nevertheless, Gabriel is still in the running because of his strong season-long performance and his ability to quarterback the top-ranked squad. Gabriel is tied for 18th place in throwing touchdowns (24) and has the third-best overall QBR (85.0) going into a big-ten championship game battle versus No. 3 Penn State. He is also ranked second in the country in completion percentage (73.5%) and 10th in passing yards (3,275).
Gabriel and four other quarterbacks have the same odds (+5,000) going into the weekend. Cam Ward of Miami, Kurtis Rourke of Indiana, Jalen Milroe of Alabama, and Shedder Sanders of Colorado are all theoretically still in the running for the Heisman Trophy. It’s difficult to imagine them overtaking the three favorites indicated above, though, considering their teams did not get to a conference championship game.
–The Oregon Ducks are covered by Joe Freeman. You can reach him at @BlazerFreeman or 503-294-5183. Get the Ducks Roundup email or listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast.
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