Heisman Trophy Race Features Diverse Contenders in 90th Annual Ceremony
NEW YORK — Same iconic statue, very different race.
With two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren’t your typical Heisman Trophy contenders.
Veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are also contenders for college football’s most prestigious award. However, the 90th annual ceremony, set for Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City, offers a fresh perspective this year.
Breaking Tradition
None of the four finalists hail from the dominant Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners — two each from Alabama and LSU.
Jeanty, a standout for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho, is the first running back to be invited to the Heisman ceremony since 2017. After leading the nation with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, he joins quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State finalists.
Jeanty remarked, ‘The running back position has been overlooked for a while now. There have been many great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to carry on the legacy of the running back position is great. I feel as if I’m representing the whole position.’
Stars in the City
All finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and exploring New York City before the ceremony, receiving custom commemorative watches marking their achievements.
Hunter shared, ‘I’m not a watch guy, but I like it,’ while the players took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and posed with the famous Heisman Trophy.
A Unique Skillset
Hunter, a dominant player on both offense and defense, is a rarity in modern football. He had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns while also making significant contributions defensively. He recorded four interceptions, broke up 11 passes, and forced a crucial fumble against Baylor.
He stated, ‘I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways. It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you’ll be able to do it.’
Impressive Careers Ahead
Jeanty led Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship and is set for the playoffs. He won the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award, showcasing his outstanding performance. He has rushed for the fourth-most yards in FBS history, needing just 132 yards to break the record set by Barry Sanders in 1988.
Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon to a Big Ten title and passed for 3,558 yards, vying for the Heisman in hopes of joining Marcus Mariota as a Ducks player to win the award.
Ward, with 4,123 passing yards and a school-record 36 touchdown passes, aims to become another Miami player to secure the Heisman, following in the footsteps of Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta.
