It’s hard to beat the quarterback advantage in the Heisman race. Quarterbacks touch the ball on every offensive play and must be record-breakingly productive for opponents at other positions to have a shot at the trophy. However Travis Hunter He found another way to get over the edge: Never leave the field.

colorado‘s two-way sensation takes the pole position, comfortably ahead of Oregon, at +100 through 11 weeks for the award Dillon GabrielHe leads a group of four competitors who broke away from the rest of the field in the overtime run.

Hunter has been by far the best player in college football this season, and his play has continued to be in the spotlight as Colorado is a contender for the Big 12 title. Hunter’s nine touchdown catches rank sixth-most in the nation. He is 11th in receiving yards (856) and sixth in catches (69). Then there is the other half of your resume; As a cornerback, he leads the Buffaloes in passes defended, making two interceptions and forcing a game-ending overtime fumble in Week 4.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hunter has allowed just 125 yards receiving this season and hasn’t thrown for more than 519 defensive snaps. He maintained top-line numbers on both sides of the ball despite playing 1,065 of Colorado’s 1,290 snaps. This is a literal resume.

But even though the prize is Hunter’s to lose, the top of the board is crowded. Thanks to captaining an undefeated Oregon team ranked atop the national polls, Gabriel has the next best odds at +350. But despite solid play and a counter-declaring game Ohio StateGabriel lacks the independent statistics and individual heroics that would attract voters’ attention. Being under center for an undefeated championship run takes it pretty far, but it’s not enough unless the run happens with someone else at point guard.

While Gabriel is the prototype of a Heisman quarterback candidate, Boise State‘s Ashton Jeanty A season running back (from the Mountain West at the time) was seriously considered. To get into the upper echelon of the Heisman race, running backs and receivers need to break records, and Jeanty (+400) has a chance to hit a big one. With 1,734 yards through nine games, the Boise State back has Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing title in his sights. There’s still a long way to go to get to 2,628 yards, but Jeanty is averaging 192.7 yards per game. Broncos With just a last-second loss on the Oregon field, it’s a safe bet that Boise State will make it to the Mountain West title game and make at least one playoff appearance (or bowl), which would give Jeanty five more games to overwhelm defenses. He only needed to average 178 yards per contest; It was an easy task for him. When the voting time comes, Jeanty may be one game away from being erased from history. Not a bad final nudge for voters.

Miami quarterback Camera Ward The last of the top four at +850 takes a step back after unranked loss to Miami Georgia Technology. Ward has the stats and flash; He leads the nation in passing yards and touchdowns and has engineered three miraculous comebacks for the Hurricanes. But while Ward has been on the Heisman team all season, the Yellow Jackets have pierced his air of inevitability. Getting past the other three would require a spectacular finish to the season with an ACC title.

2024 Heisman Trophy odds

Jalen MilroeA bumpy candidacy for Alabama takes it out of the mix again. A victory over LSU Milroe’s 185 rushing yards and four rushing scores moved him from +6600 to +1800 this week. After destroying him Georgia On defense in Week 5, Milroe was the Heisman odds leader. But with two losses at Alabama, the odds drifted lower until the Crimson Tide dropped the score. tigers To keep their play-off plans intact.

indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke He has better odds than Milroe at +1600, but is caught up in the wave of the Hoosiers’ surprise run. Indiana is undefeated and may have a chance at a conference title, but once the Hoosiers stumble, voters will drop Rourke. A loss to Ohio State might not knock Indiana out of the playoffs, but when the Hoosiers do that, Rourke’s Heisman chances go down.

Jaxson Dartgreat passing numbers ole miss Make sure it sticks to long fire rates at +2200 and Shedeur Sanders And Quinn Pitcher The last contestants to pray at +5000. Here’s how Ewers, once the favourite, will need to finish the season: NFL– caliber numbers and hoist a conference trophy to get close. Sanders played well enough to deserve these odds, but they are ceremonial. Hunter’s presence nullifies the Colorado point guard’s chances.

Hunter, Jeanty and Gabriel probably need to put the age-old Heisman debate behind them: Is a good position player on a good team better than a good quarterback on a best team?

(Photo by Travis Hunter: Stephen Garcia / Avalanche-Journal / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)