The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner will be announced tomorrow evening at Lincoln Center in New York City. Colorado Wide Receiver/Cornerback Travis Hunter is expected to win the award, and while he is a deserving candidate, Boise State Running Back Ashton Jeanty deserves to win the prestigious award.
The other finalists in New York for the ceremony alongside Ashton Jeanty and Hunter are Miami Hurricanes Quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The media has seemingly crowned Hunter as the Heisman Trophy winner while seemingly tossing Ashton Jeanty’s historic season by the wayside. Here is the case for why the Boise State star should win the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman Case
The simplest argument for Jeanty to win the Heisman this year is the fact that he put together one of the best seasons for a running back in college football history. He had a whopping 2,497 rushing yards and is on the doorstep of history. Jeanty is only 131 rushing yards away from passing Barry Sanders for the most rushing yards in a single season. Sanders would win the Heisman Trophy in 1998, the season when he set the record. That is a piece of history the Heisman voters should take into account.
This prestigious award should go to the most impactful player in college football over the season, and that player was clearly Ashton Jeanty. He carried the Boise State Broncos to the No. 3 spot in the College Football Playoff and a first-round bye. Ashton Jeanty helped propel his team to a 12-1 season and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl while Hunter helped Colorado get to 9-3 and a berth in the Alamo Bowl.
Hunter is considered to be the prohibitive favorite for the award because he is a two-way player. He was both a wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes. He was not the best player at either position this regular season and did not help his team reach such heights. Jeanty led the nation in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and carries. Hunter was fifth in the nation in receptions, second in receiving yards, second in receiving touchdowns, and T-17 in interceptions.
Final Thoughts
It would be a shame if Ashton Jeanty’s historic season is discounted because of a player who played two positions this season and did neither nearly one nearly as well as Jeanty played running back. The bluster surrounding “Coach Prime” and the Colorado program has seemingly impacted the voter’s ability to think about the award objectively. While Hunter had a great season, Ashton Jeanty is deserving of the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
