Travis Hunter struck the Heisman pose. Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams linked on what shall be one in all 2024’s greatest performs. Ashton Jeanty created a kind of on his personal. Cam Ward made an unbelievable escape.
And that’s the whole thing of the illustration in The Athletic’s first weekly Heisman straw ballot of the 2024 season. Hunter, Colorado’s do-everything, play-every-play cornerback and receiver, leads the way in which, getting 19 of 25 first-place votes and totaling 67 factors. Milroe, the Alabama quarterback whose 75-yard landing cross to freshman receiver Williams delivered victory over Georgia after a 28-point lead had been squandered, got here in second (six first-place votes, 41 factors).
Nobody else obtained a first-place vote, however Jeanty’s nation-leading dashing exploits positioned him third with 30 factors. The Athletic follows the identical voting protocol as that of the Heisman: three factors for a first-place vote, two factors for a second-place vote, one level for a third-place vote.
Participant | Group | Pos | 1st | 2nd | third | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Travis Hunter |
WR/CB |
19 |
4 |
2 |
67 |
|
Jalen Milroe |
QB |
6 |
7 |
9 |
41 |
|
Ashton Jeanty |
RB |
0 |
11 |
8 |
30 |
|
Cam Ward |
QB |
0 |
3 |
5 |
11 |
|
Ryan Williams |
WR |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Ward, who has been spectacular for Miami and leads the nation with 18 landing passes, had his greatest second but Friday, eluding a number of would-be sackers and flipping the ball out of hassle for the important thing play in a comeback win over Virginia Tech. He was fourth and Williams, the Alabama freshman whose spin, hesitation and acceleration completed that electrical game-winner, obtained a vote.
ABSOLUTELY UNREAL SEQUENCE FROM CAM WARD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FyIy5cPnwJ
— ESPN (@espn) September 28, 2024
That’s an unique group for September. A yr in the past in our first ballot, 11 gamers acquired a minimum of one vote. However there’s nonetheless loads of time for others to play their approach into the dialog. Georgia’s Carson Beck could be in it had his wildly up-and-down evening at Alabama resulted in victory.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, Missouri receiver Luther Burden III, Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan and others have alternatives forward. How about that different absurdly gifted freshman receiver, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith? Eventual 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, presently carving up the NFL as a Washington Commanders rookie quarterback, had a single third-place vote in final yr’s preliminary ballot.
Daniels was the twelfth winner of the previous 14 to play quarterback, the exceptions being Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith in 2020 and Alabama working again Derrick Henry in 2015. Jeanty’s begin makes him a menace to grow to be the primary working again since Henry to win it. He leads the nation with 845 yards — at 10.3 per carry — and 13 dashing touchdowns.
A type of was a tackle-breaking 59-yard dash to the top zone in a Saturday win over Washington State that warrants one million replays, similar to the Milroe-to-Williams theatrics. As powerful as it could be to win a Heisman at Boise State, if Jeanty stays near this tempo all season he ought to a minimum of be in New York on Dec. 14 watching that play on the Heisman ceremony.
Ashton Jeanty made Washington State’s protection seem like a JV squad. I’ve by no means seen extra pressured missed tackles on a RB tape.
Simply watch these 5 clips. #RB1 pic.twitter.com/kVZGdYLBeR
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 29, 2024
And Hunter shall be a take a look at of voters’ willingness to stray from the norm of favoring the perfect quarterbacks on the perfect groups. He seems to be like the perfect participant in faculty soccer proper now. He’s a real two-way participant, not like the lone defensive participant to win the award, Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997. Hunter is tied for third nationally in receptions (46) and landing catches (six) and is eighth with 112.2 yards per sport.
In Colorado’s 48-21 win Saturday at UCF, he had a landing catch and a superb interception — dropping right into a zone, studying a brief cross, accelerating and diving for the decide — after which struck the pose. If the 4-1 Buffaloes maintain successful and he retains producing numbers and “wow” moments, that would show prophetic.
(Photograph: Chris Leduc / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)