Each month, The Franchise’s own Heisman voters, Dylan Buckingham and Ryan Chapman, will give their thoughts on the Heisman race and who’s in the hunt. Presented by Bob Moore Nissan. At Bob Moore Nissan in Norman! We’re calling all the right plays with deals you cannot pass up!
Tracking the Path for the Four Heisman Trophy Finalists
The finalists for the 2024 Heisman Trophy are set.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami quarterback Cam Ward all got invites to New York City for this weekend’s ceremony. Hunter and Jeanty are considered the betting favorites for the prestigious award in Las Vegas, but all four players charted unique paths to earn their spots as finalists.
Gabriel is the signal caller for the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, as he led the Oregon Ducks through a perfect 12-0 regular season campaign before beating Penn State to capture the program’s first Big Ten title in Oregon’s first year in its new league. The former UCF and Oklahoma quarterback set a career-high with a 73.2 percent completion percentage while totaling 3,558 yards through the air, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Gabriel also added 192 yards and seven additional scores on the ground. He shined against the best competition this year, too. Gabriel finished 23-for-34 passing with 341 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Ducks’ win over Ohio State, adding another score on the ground. He then threw for four passing touchdowns and 283 yards this past weekend against Penn State as Oregon wrapped up its bye in the College Football Playoff.
Hunter excelled on both sides of the ball this year for Colorado. He finished with 1,152 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, as well as intercepting for passes, getting credited with 11 passes defended, forcing a fumble and chipping in 32 total tackles. Hunter caught a touchdown and pulled down an interception in three games this year — contests against Colorado State, UCF and Oklahoma State — and he closed the campaign with a 10-catch performance for 116 yards and three scores along with his pick against the Cowboys in the regular season finale.
Jeanty’s spectacular season spurred Boise State to their first appearance in the CFP. In 13 games, he rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 scores, adding 20 catches for 116 receiving yards and one touchdown catch. Against Oregon in Week 2, Jeanty rushed for 192 yards and three scores on 25 carries, and he closed the year with back-to-back 200-plus yard rushing performances, including a 209-yard showing in the Mountain West Championship Game against UNLV.
Ward made the most of his only season at Miami. He completed 67.4 percent of his passes, throwing or 4,123 yards and 36 scores while only tossing seven interceptions. Ward also ran for four touchdowns and 196 yards. Ward threw for a season-high 437 yards in Miami’s dramatic comeback victory over Cal on Oct. 5, but the Hurricanes fell just short of a CFP bid after dropping contests to Georgia Tech and Syracuse in November.
The Heisman Trophy Ceremony will air on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
