As we reach Week 13 of the college football season, the Heisman race is well underway. Lots of stars have shown their skills at the highest level, but four players in particular are in the front of the pack: Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Dillon Gabriel, and Cam Ward. All four of these stars have led their teams to significant wins, and have shown signs of future NFL greatness. For now, these players will make their final push for the College Football Playoffs and will look to display their greatness when the lights shine brightest.
- Cam Ward: Cam Ward is quickly hitting the scene as being among the best transfers of this season. The possible number-one pick has led Miami to a 9-1 season while recording 3,494 passing yards on the season. This has led Miami to be the highest-scoring offense in the country, a huge jump from last year. On the flip side, Ward led Miami to narrow wins against Virginia Tech and California, which would land the Hurricanes much farther down in the rankings. This paired with their recent loss to Georgia Tech could hurt Ward’s case in his game-winning ability. Ward will have to close the season strong to beat out some of the other contenders on this list.
- Dillon Gabriel: Dillon Gabriel, in his sixth year of college football is putting up big-time numbers and leading a highly successful number one seed Oregon Ducks. He has thrown for 3,066 yards with a 73% completion percentage so far this season. In week 11, on his second score against Maryland, Gabriel passed Case Keenum for the most passing touchdowns in College Football history. On the contrary, Gabriel had a subpar week against Wisconsin, where he threw one interception and no touchdowns in an unnecessarily close win. Will the judges look to Gabriel’s historic career, or his more recent success at Oregon? Either way, he has a great shot to hoist the trophy.
- Ashton Jeanty: Ashton Jeanty is on track to beat Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, putting up historic numbers all season long. Jeanty is a machine on the field, and never goes down on first contact, totaling 1,260 yards after contact. Furthermore, Jeanty has rushed for 1,734 yards this season, the first in the country. Not only does he have an impressive personal resume, he also has played a key role in Boise State’s 9-1 record. A Heisman win for Jeanty would also be a testament to Boise State’s program, as Jeanty would be Boise State’s first Heisman winner. On the other hand, Boise State’s schedule could be held against Jeanty, as their only top-25 competition came against Oregon, where he ran for 192 yards with three touchdowns. If he continues to produce once he faces difficult competition in the playoffs, he has a great chance to come out on top.
- Travis Hunter: The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the “most outstanding football player in the United States”. This perfectly fits the description of Travis Hunter. This two-way player has been dominating on both sides of the ball all year. This year he’s totaled 856 yards and 9 touchdowns on offense and has been a lockdown corner on defense. He’s also coming off of a monster week 12 win over Utah, where Hunter intercepted a tipped ball on defense, and caught five passes and one touchdown on offense. While Colorado had preseason doubters, they have all been silenced by their 8-2 record, now contending for a BIG 12 title. Leading his team to a BIG 12 championship and a trip to the playoffs could solidify his historic Heisman win.
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