Travis Hunter wins 2024 Heisman Trophy
The 2024 Heisman Trophy came down to the best running back season since 1988 and the best two-way performance since college football moved to the two-platoon system early in the 1960s.
In the end, voters favored the all-around brilliance of Colorado cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter over Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty's absurd production. The quarterback duo of Miami's Cam Ward and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel rounded out the four finalists for the award recognizing college football's top player.
| Player | 1st-place votes | Total points |
|---|---|---|
| Travis Hunter | 552 | 2231 |
| Ashton Jeanty | 309 | 2017 |
| Dillon Gabriel | 24 | 516 |
| Cam Ward | 6 | 229 |
Saturday's announcement made the Colorado star the first primarily defensive player to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997. Primarily is used loosely in this case, as Hunter played 713 snaps on defense this season, only slightly more than his 709 on offense.
Hunter was a superstar regardless of what unit was on the field, ranking second in the nation with 14 touchdown catches, fifth with 92 total catches, and sixth in receiving yards with 1,152. The former five-star recruit turned in highlight-reel grabs on the regular and was the most electric offensive player on the No. 23 Buffaloes ... and then he went over to play defense.
The other three Heisman finalists took a much-deserved rest when the defense hit the field, but Hunter turned into an All-American candidate at a second position. His 91.2 coverage grade by PFF ranked first nationally among all corners and his four interceptions tied for fourth at the position among Power 4 conference players. Those impressive numbers came despite the fact he was often matched up against the opposition's top weapon.
While the other three finalists would be strong candidates in any other season, Hunter's massive role in whether or not his team had the ball was the deciding factor.
Hunter's ability as a true unicorn in the sport is the only thing that kept Jeanty from being Boise State's first Heisman winner. It's borderline impossible to put up a better statistical season than the junior star turned in. He walked off the field eight days ago after the Mountain West Conference title victory just 131 yards shy of Barry Sanders' all-time record of 2,628 rushing yards in a single season.
His total of 2,497 rushing yards this season is a comical 831 more than the second-best runner, but his ability to break tackles reveals the most absurd stat of the season: Jeanty rushed for more yards after contact (1,889) than 61 teams and every player in the country rushed for in total.
Gabriel didn't miss a beat moving from Oklahoma to Oregon, somehow keeping the Ducks' offense humming despite the loss of NFL first-round quarterback Bo Nix in the offseason. Gabriel finished eighth in the nation in touchdown passes and passing yards, and his six interceptions on the year ranked second among quarterbacks with more than 400 attempts. However, the most important statistic for Gabriel is the 13-0 record he helped Oregon compile as it snatched the No. 1 seed for the CFP.
Ward's single season with Miami was full of explosive highlights as the Washington State transfer led the nation's top offense to a 10-2 mark. Ward topped all players in touchdown passes with 36 and finished second to Syracuse's Kyle McCord for passing yards. While the Hurricanes fell short of the CFP, the blame lays almost solely on the woeful defense. Ward won't be around in the playoff, but don't be shocked if he's the first quarterback taken in April's NFL draft.