It’s official as can be: Colorado’s Travis Hunter will be the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner.
That is the result of my annual straw poll of Heisman voters — who were granted anonymity in exchange for their ballots — conducted this week. Those ballots have room for three spots, and seven players received at least one vote in our straw poll.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was No. 2 followed by Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Four other players also received votes. Jeanty goes into the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal needing 132 yards to break Barry Sanders’ 36-year-old record for rushing yards in a season.
Gabriel, meanwhile, is coming off a season-high four touchdown passes against Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The former UCF and Oklahoma QB was arguably the difference this season in the Ducks finishing the regular season as the nation’s only undefeated FBS team.
CBS Sports surveyed 29 Heisman voters. While that represents only 3% of the 928 total voters, the straw poll has correctly picked the Heisman winner across the last four seasons.
Hunter remains the favorite going into Saturday’s ceremony in New York to become the first true two-way player to win the Heisman since Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung in 1956.
Colorado’s superb cornerback/wide receiver averaged 119 players per game in two seasons with the Buffaloes. Twice he played more than 160 snaps in a game. Those numbers count special teams and penalties.
Hunter has already expressed his desire to play both ways in the NFL. The professionals prefer that players specialize, but Hunter might be that unicorn who can play on both sides of the balls at the professional level. To his advantage, there are less plays in the NFL to begin with.
To his further advantage, he is a workout and recovery warrior.
Hunter was named the No. 1 choice on 28 of those 29 ballots obtained by CBS Sports. He was among the top two choices on 27 of 29. His 76 total points were 87% of the points available. His teammate, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, was named on only one of the ballots (one third-place vote).
2024 Heisman Trophy odds
As of Wednesday, via BetMGM
Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado: 1-25Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: 10-1Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: 25-1Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL): 25-1
