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Stan Becton | NCAA.com | October 3, 2024

Top 12 Heisman Trophy contenders after one month of college football

How the 12-team College Football Playoff works

We've made it through the first month of the 2024 college football season, and some front-runners have started to emerge for the sport's premier award — the Heisman Trophy. In the preseason, I listed the top contenders for the award, but now we have a clearer look after games played on the field.

The race for the 2024 Heisman remains wide open, but here are the players who have started to separate themselves from the rest.

The top four frontrunners

QB Jalen Milroe | Alabama

Jalen Milroe moved into the top spot amongst Heisman-contending quarterbacks after leading Alabama to a win over Georgia. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the win, completed 82 percent of his passes and accounted for 491 yards of offense. Milroe had his best performance of the season when the lights were brightest, putting him at the top or near the top of the Heisman race.

ROLL TIDE: No. 4 Alabama stops No. 2 Georgia's comeback effort, wins 41-34

WR/CB Travis Hunter | Colorado

Travis Hunter at wide receiver has 46 catches for 561 yards and six touchdowns. That's the fifth-most receiving yards and third-most receptions and receiving touchdowns. Hunter's on pace for 110 catches, over 1,300 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. As a wide receiver alone, those projected numbers are shy of DeVonta Smith's 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns that he had as the last wideout to win the Heisman. But Hunter doesn't play wide receiver only; he also plays defense.

Defensively, Hunter has three pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble. When Charles Woodson — the last defensive player to win — won the Heisman, he had seven interceptions. Hunter projects for just under five interceptions on the season, but he's blowing Woodson's receiving stats from his Heisman season out of the water.

Hunter has been spectacular on both sides of the ball, but the other issue he'll face in his award candidacy is his team winning. Colorado is currently 4-1, and according to ESPN's football power index, the Buffaloes are projected to win only, at best, eight total games. That means Hunter and Colorado would finish with four losses, something a Heisman winner hasn't had since 1969. Only Tim Tebow, Robert Griffin III, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels have won the Heisman with three regular-season losses in this century.

While the Heisman is an individual award and Hunter is spectacular individually on the field, history says he may face an uphill battle to win the award if Colorado doesn't exceed expectations.

QB Cam Ward | Miami (FL)

In Cam Ward's first year at Miami, "The U" is back to its winning ways with a championship-contending feeling not felt since the early 2000s. Ward has the second-most passing yards and the most passing touchdowns in the country after five games. He's the reason Miami is undefeated, and as long as it stays that way, he'll remain in contention for the Heisman.

However, while Ward is likely to put up the passing numbers down the stretch, he may struggle to have the marquee games that can lead to a Heisman moment with a regular season in a weakened ACC. That could be what keeps this year's Heisman race close.

STREAKING: College football's longest active regular-season win streaks

RB Ashton Jeanty | Boise State

Do you remember the Heisman race of 1997? I don't. I wasn't born yet. However, history shows that there was a spectacular offensive skill position athlete who was setting FBS records for touchdowns at a non-power conference school that was up for the award against a two-way superstar and two quarterbacks.

That athlete was Randy Moss at Marshall, and you might be getting deja vu from Ashton Jeanty this year at Boise State. Jeanty has 845 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 82 carries — an average of 10.3 yards a pop — in four games. That puts the Boise State superstar on pace for 2,535 rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns on the season. That's close to Barry Sanders' 1988 Heisman-winning season when he set FBS records with 2,628 rushing yards and beyond his 37 touchdowns. 

If Jeanty continues to dominate, he should be in the Heisman conversation like Randy Moss was in 1997.

Yet, unlike Moss, Jeanty will benefit from a College Football Playoff push thanks to the 12-team expansion this year. As long as Boise State keeps winning — which we know will require Jeanty to put up numbers — Jeanty's Heisman case remains alive.

TOP FINISHERS: Top three Heisman Trophy finishers each year since 1935

The quarterbacks that could make a push

QB Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss

A poor performance in a loss to Kentucky knocked Jaxson Dart from the upper echelon of Heisman contenders. However, Dart has a chance to bounce back from that game during the remainder of SEC play. Dart currently leads the FBS in passing yards, and we know that he'll continue to put up the numbers in Lane Kiffin's offense. A push for the SEC title can easily get Dart back in the conversation with the frontrunners.

QB Quinn Ewers | Texas

Quinn Ewers hasn't played in weeks due to injury, but in the last game he finished, he went into the Big House and took down Michigan. All reports say he'll be the starter when he's healthy, and that looks like it'll be the Red River Rivalry. In the next game after that, he'll face Georgia at home. Two big games for Quinn Ewers in his return could launch him back into the Heisman conversion.

PRELUDE: Examining Heisman Trophy winners' statistics the year before they won the award

QB Dillon Gabriel | Oregon

Oregon is undefeated and Dillon Gabriel is the starting quarterback. He has the numbers — backed by an 82 percent completion percentage — and he plays Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan. If Oregon keeps winning, he'll have the opportunity for multiple Heisman moments.

QB Nico Iamaleava | Tennessee

Nico Iamaleava has looked the part in his first season as the starter in Tennessee. He's led an explosive offense full of highlight-worthy plays. The Vols are ranked No. 4 in the country, and if Iamaleava can lead them to wins over Alabama and Georgia, he might be lifting the Heisman trophy when it's all said and done.

LEAGUE HIM: Every Heisman winner to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft

QB Miller Moss | Southern California

Miller Moss did not play his best in a loss to Michigan earlier this year. However, he bounced back with a four-touchdown outing against Wisconsin. Lincoln Riley has coached Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams to Heisman trophies — and all of those quarterbacks had one loss or more. Moss can't be counted out just yet.

WINNERS: College football teams with the most Heisman Trophy winners

Undefeated Sleepers

QB Kurtis Rourke | Indiana

Don't sleep on Kurtis Rourke as a potential Heisman candidate. He has Indiana undefeated entering October, and Rourke won't face a ranked opponent until November when he plays Michigan and Ohio State back-to-back weeks. Indiana could be undefeated entering those games. That could line up for Rourke's Heisman moment.

QB Eli Holstein | Pittsburgh

Could Eli Holstein follow in the footsteps of Kenny Pickett and become a Heisman finalist? Holstein has Pitt undefeated, and like Rourke from Indiana, he won't face a ranked opponent until November. 

Holstein has a 12-2 TD-to-interception ratio and is second on Pitt in rushing attempts. He'll get plenty of opportunities to put up numbers and the spotlight will shift his way if Pitt keeps winning.

CFP: How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work

QB Maalik Murphy | Duke

Duke is 5-0 and Texas transfer quarterback Malik Murphy is a big reason. He helped lead the Blue Devils back from a 20-0 second half deficit against North Carolina, threw a game-winning touchdown in overtime against Northwestern and led a fourth-quarter rally against UConn. Murphy has made big-time plays in big-time moments all season long. More of the same could lead to a late Heisman push.

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