A Heisman Trophy race not like any in current reminiscence ended Saturday night with Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter, successful probably the most prestigious particular person award in faculty soccer.
Hunter edged Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty by 214 votes, the closest race since 2009, when Alabama’s Mark Ingram beat Stanford’s Toby Gerhart by 28 factors.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed third, adopted by Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Hunter, a cornerback, is the primary defensive participant to win the award since Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997 — besides the Colorado unicorn is greater than a defensive participant: He’s an elite receiver, too, which makes Hunter the primary full-time starter on offense and protection to ever win the Heisman.
Earlier within the week, Hunter grew to become the primary participant in main faculty historical past to win each the Chuck Bednarik Award (greatest defensive participant) and the Biletnikoff Award (greatest receiver).
He joins the late Rashaan Salaam (1994) as the one Buffaloes gamers to win the Heisman. CU is considered one of 20 faculties with a number of Heisman winners.
Hunter’s presence on prime wasn’t the one refreshing side of the 2024 race.
It’s the primary time since 2015 — and solely the second time this century — {that a} quarterback didn’t end within the prime two within the voting.
One other anomaly: The highest-two finishers play for faculties within the Mountain Time Zone.
Jeanty, who led Boise State into the School Soccer Playoff, is averaging a surprising 192.1 speeding yards per recreation and has 837 extra yards on the bottom than his closest competitor (North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton).
One other notable side of the Heisman voting: No gamers from the SEC completed within the prime 10.
I submitted the next poll on Dec. 9:
1. Hunter. The junior was named first-team all-Huge 12 at receiver and cornerback. He’s second within the nation in landing catches (14) and fifth in passes defended (15). Merely put, now we have not seen a participant like Hunter in our lifetime.
2. Jeanty. Boise State’s phenom wants 132 yards to interrupt Barry Sanders’ single-season mark of two,628 yards, one of many sport’s sacred information. He has 12 runs of a minimum of 50 yards; nobody else has greater than 4. And in his three video games towards ranked opponents, Jeanty averaged 176.3 yards per recreation.
3. Arizona State operating again Cam Skattebo. The manufacturing has been stellar (1,568 yards speeding, sixth nationally), however Skattebo’s important function in ASU’s gorgeous transformation into Huge 12 champion made his season particular.
Initially Revealed: December 14, 2024 at 6:45 PM PST
