Heisman Trophy odds for Week 6: Why Travis Hunter’s stock keeps rising with his snap count
Who won the September Heisman Trophy?Â
Who cares? That is the honest answer. We all know by now that the best player through the first month of the season is not necessarily the one who will hold up the Heisman Trophy at the Dec. 14 ceremony.
The top four candidates through September, however, have created an early race that is better than the usual quarterback derby. This is a true cross-country competition.Â
The odds say Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe – who led the Crimson Tide to a thrilling 41-34 victory against Georgia in Week 5 – won the September Heisman.Â
Unless it was two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter, who has led the Buffaloes to a 4-1 record and is playing virtually every snap. Or maybe it was Miami quarterback Cam Ward, a two-time transfer who helped the Hurricanes jump to the front of the ACC championship race. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty also has a case after putting up eye-popping numbers and has the Broncos in position for a Group of 5 playoff berth.Â
Like we said, this isn’t just about the quarterbacks this year – even if those quarterbacks are damn good.Â
MORE: College Football Playoff outlook after Week 5
Current Heisman Trophy OddsMilroe, Hunter, Ward and Jeanty are the only four players with Heisman Trophy odds better than +1000, according to Caesars. A look at their odds heading into October:Â
PLAYERSCHOOLPOS.ODDSJalen MilroeAlabamaQB+165Travis HunterColoradoWR/CB+425Cam WardMiamiQB+550Ashton JeantyBoise StateRB+900Top Heisman Trophy candidatesHere is a closer look at the top four candidates in the Heisman Trophy race for 2024:Â
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama (+165)Â 2024 stats: 964 passing yards, 72.9%, 10 TDs, 1 INT
Milroe also has 273 rushing yards – 10th among FBS quarterbacks – and eight TDs – which is tied for the most with Navy quarterback Blake Horvath. Milroe has the signature game of the season in his favor against Georgia. He had 374 passing yards, 117 rushing yards, four total TDs and the game-winning pass to freshman Ryan Williams.Â
Milroe has been amazing with first-year coach Kalen DeBoer – and that is reflected in a 204.7 passer efficiency rating. The only other QBs with ratings better than 200 now are Utah’s Cam Rising (241.9), Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart (208.5) and Texas’ Arch Manning (200.4). Milroe and Dart are the only ones who have started in every game this season.Â
Milroe is the best player on the No. 1 team in the FBS heading into October, and that is a huge advantage in a race that favors quarterbacks and top teams. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (2021) won the award with that path in 2021. Milroe will have to prove it in SEC play, which includes matchups against No. 4 Tennessee, No. 9 Missouri, No. 13 LSU and No. 19 Oklahoma and a potential SEC championship game. He has the best path right now if this continues.Â
MORE: Picks against the spread for Week 6 Top 25 games
Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado (+425)Â 2024 stats: 46 catches, 561 yards, 6 TDs, 16 tackles, 2 INTsÂ
Let’s start with the stat that matters. Hunter has played in 662 snaps while splitting time between receiver and cornerback with a handful of special teams snaps. That snap count – which will be an absurd total at the end of the season – is the heart of Hunter’s case.Â
Hunter isn’t just producing plays. He is producing game-changing plays – like the late TD catch against North Dakota State in the forced fumble near the goal line in overtime against Baylor.Â
He ranks fifth in the FBS in receiving yards, and he has the same number of interceptions as Michigan’s Will Johnson and Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts. The impact on the Colorado football team cannot be overstated, and he is the most viral player among the four because of everything he does on – and quite frankly, off – the field.Â
We said the same things about Hunter in September last season, and Colorado folded with a 4-8 season. Is it different in 2024? That question might get answered in an Oct. 12 showdown against Kansas State. That is the late-night entertainment on the best college football Saturday to date. If Hunter continues to make an impression in those games and the Buffaloes stay in the Big 12 hunt, then it might be difficult to turn away the two-way superstar who has the popular vote so far.Â
Cam Ward, Miami (+550)Â 2024 stats: 1,782 passing yards, 70.2%, 18 TDs, 4 INTsÂ
Ward has “The U” back in the College Football Playoff conversation, and he has been impressive since the 41-17 victory at The Swamp in Week 1.Â
The Heisman weighs heavily on QB stats – and Ward has those. He leads the FBS in TD passes and he has been sensational throwing the football down field. According to Pro Football Focus, Ward is 19 of 32 for a FBS-best 59.4% completion percentage on passes of 20 yards or more. That has been good for 599 yards, eight TDs and no interceptions. He also has 166 rushing yards and two TDs on 6.6 yards per carry – better totals than each of the last two seasons at Washington State.Â
That combination of cool, well-timed play-making could push Miami to the top of the ACC, which they have not accomplished since joining the conference in 2004. Heisman winners Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) were part of loaded Hurricanes’ national champion teams. The difference with Ward is he is without a doubt the best player on this team.Â
No. 22 Louisville is the only remaining ranked team on the schedule. That could work against Ward in November.Â
MORE: Miami among five teams that can prove themselves in October
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State (+900)Â 2024 stats: 82 attempts, 845 yards, 10.3 ypc., 13 TDs
The 10.3 yards per carry is the most-absurd statistic of the bunch for Jeanty, who has impressed through four games with the Broncos. There is not a more-exciting running back in the FBS right now. According to PFF, Jeanty has FBS-best marks in yards after contact (588) and missed tackles forced (44).Â
He is averaging 212 yards per game and Jeanty is on pace for 2,535 rushing yards and 39 TDs – which would be in the neighborhood of Barry Sanders’ legendary 2,628-yard, 39-TD season in 1988. Given how running backs have been pushed back in the Heisman discussion, Jeanty is going to have to hit those marks to have a chance.Â
If the Broncos were in the Mountain West Conference championship game, then Jeanty could have the chance to break that record and put the Broncos – the highest ranked Group of 5 team right now – in the College Football Playoff. At that point, he would have a shot at the Heisman Trophy.Â
When is the Heisman Trophy Ceremony?The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 14, 2024; one week after the conference championship games. The ceremony will be televised on ESPN.
