Travis Hunter
What a year for Hunter. The former five-star recruit is truly a do-it-all player for the Buffaloes, who have a legitimate shot at the Big 12 Championship in their first season in the conference. Colorado is 8-2 and Hunter has played a massive part. On the offensive side of the ball, Hunter has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns, emerging as Shedeur Sanders’ top target.
Defensively, he has 23 tackles, 16 solo tackles, and three interceptions. Hunter had five grabs on Saturday in a win over Utah and an INT as well. He sat as a Heisman favorite before Week 12 but after showing out, Hunter’s odds improved even more. He’s now sitting at -500 odds at Sports Interaction to win the award. With just one game left in the regular season, it feels like a foregone conclusion Hunter will join the Heisman family.
Ashton Jeanty
What Jeanty is doing this year for Boise State is truly remarkable. While running backs may not have a ton of first-round value these days, the Broncos star has a real shot at being picked very high in next April’s draft. Jeanty leads the nation in rushing yards (1,734) and rushing touchdowns (23). He’s averaging a whopping 7.7 yards per carry and just ran for another 159 yards against San Jose State, including three touchdowns.
The reason Jeanty likely hasn’t surpassed Hunter in the Heisman odds is due to Boise State’s competition. Although they’re 9-1, the Broncos’ toughest game against a legitimate opponent was Oregon. However, they only lost by three and Jeanty ripped apart a solid Ducks defense, running for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns.
Jeanty is a star and will be at the next level as well. A running back hasn’t won the Heisman since 2015 though and that was Derrick Henry. Jeanty may not finish first in voting, but he still has a slim chance at online betting sites.
Cam Ward
Miami quarterback Cam Ward has broken all sorts of records this season and will likely lead the Hurricanes into the expanded College Football Playoff. He’s the NCAA leader in passing yards (3,494) and passing touchdowns (32). The signal-caller has also completed 66.8% of his passes and thrown just six interceptions.
But, Ward had a bye in Week 12, which didn’t help his Heisman case. Plus, Miami suffered their first loss in Week 11, getting upset by Georgia Tech. Yes, quarterbacks are usually the Heisman winners, but it’s hard to think Ward will capture the prestigious award over Hunter or Jeanty.
