With every FBS team having played three games (or more), we’re officially a quarter way through the 2024 regular season. Already, we’ve seen performances worthy of the accolade for the most outstanding player in college football, but who are the current frontrunners to land the Heisman Trophy after Week 4?
Who Are the Leading Heisman Trophy Contenders in 2024?
- Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)
- Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
- Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
- Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
- John Mateer, QB, Washington State
- Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
- Nico Iamaleava, QB, Tennessee
- Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
- Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
- Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)
The Miami Hurricanes haven’t started 4-0 since 2017, but they’re the pace-setter in the ACC right now, with a 52.2% of winning the conference this season. While an influx of transfers in recent seasons combined with the stellar recruiting of head coach Mario Cristobal has built the foundations for this success, there is no doubt where the wins are coming from: quarterback Cam Ward.
Heading into Week 5, the former Washington State Cougar’s QB leads the nation in passing touchdowns (14) and ranks second for passing yards per game (359.8) and total passing yards (1,429) while sitting fourth nationally with 11.7 yards per attempt. All these numbers mean nothing compared to the actual on-field product, which is about as mesmerizing as any we’ve seen in recent seasons.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Let’s just get this out there right from the get-go: Travis Hunter is an alien. He is unique. He is unprecedented. While there have been players who have contributed on both sides of the ball during their college careers — like the only primary defensive winner of the Heisman Trophy, Charles Woodson — no one in the modern era has been able to perform to the level Hunter is.
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As a receiver, the Colorado All-American leads the Big 12 with 37 receptions and five touchdowns. He’s yet to drop below 100 receiving yards in a single game during the 2024 college football season and sits sixth in the country with 472 receiving yards. If that wasn’t enough, Hunter’s high-level blend of athleticism and intuitiveness makes him an even better college cornerback.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Ashton Jeanty is the best player in college football right now. The Boise State Broncos running back is an unstoppable force who, if Heisman Trophy voters have anything about them, shouldn’t be judged by the conference that he plays in but on his obvious talent and ludicrous numbers that he’s put up so far in the 2024 season.
Jeanty leads the nation with 195.33 rushing yards per game, tallying 586 yards through just three matchups this season. He’s less than 100 yards behind total rushing yard leader Kaleb Johnson — more on him shortly — with a game less played, and given he’s had no less than 100 yards in any encounter this year, it’s fair to say he’ll lead the way sooner rather than later.
Don’t forget that Jeanty put up 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns on an Oregon Ducks defense that hasn’t allowed more yards than that to its other two opponents in 2024 combined.
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Like it or loathe it, the Heisman Trophy became a quarterback-dominated award as the passing game gained prevalence in the modern era. As such, any compilation of the frontrunners for the award for the most outstanding player in college football wouldn’t be complete without the passers at the very forefront of the sport. In 2024, few are more front and center than Jaxson Dart.
Ole Miss has morphed into a legitimate SEC contender with their high-powered offenses under Lane Kiffin, but Dart has added an extra element of excitement with his play in 2024. He leads the nation in passing yards per game (388.5 YPG), total passing yards (1,554), and passing yards per attempt (13.1) while sitting in the top 10 nationally for completion percentage and touchdowns.
John Mateer, QB, Washington State
Stats are fun. They can be used to illustrate the story being told on the field, while advanced stats can be a greater indicator of quarterback success than basic means such as those you’ve read about above. John Mateer’s name can be found scattered among the top half of several metrics that fall under both basic and advanced statistics, but there’s something more to him than that.
John Mateer for Heisman is starting to become a reality 👀
(@SSN_Wazzu / @olcrimson)
pic.twitter.com/zXr94BLv0p— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) September 21, 2024
You can’t measure what Mateer means to Washington State with metrics, statistics, and pure numbers. The Cougars quarterback has overcome adversity and opinion to power a 4-0 program that might have a legitimate shot at a College Football Playoff place despite playing in a Pac-12 conference attempting to rebuild itself. He puts the “outstanding” in “most outstanding player.”
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
That an Iowa Hawkeyes offensive player is even in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy four weeks into the 2024 college football season tells you everything you need to know about Johnson. The much-maligned unit has scored 15 total touchdowns in a 3-1 campaign to date. Their star running back has nine of them. Put simply, Johnson is the Iowa offense.
The Hawkeyes’ running back leads the Big Ten, a bruising, run-it-down-their-throat conference in attempts (82), rushing touchdowns (nine), total scrimmage plays (89), and rushing yards (695). That final number also leads the nation. He’s speedy, elusive, and stubborn. His contact balance would withstand a demolition attempt, and he has the vision of a fighter pilot.
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