Power ranking 2024 Heisman Trophy candidates by odds: Does Hunter or Jeanty have the edge?
The 2024 Heisman Trophy race has been one of the most hotly-contested debates of the college football season. For the first time in a long time, it feels as though the quarterback position has taken a back seat to other positions, primarily receiver and running back.
Each of the two favorites, Colorado two-way player Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, have tremendous cases for the award, but neither is on a team expected to make a deep run in the College Football Playoff, if they even make the playoff to begin with. Fortunately for each of them, the CFP does not start until after this year's Heisman ceremony.
Still, with conference championship weekend between now and then, there is opportunity for other hopefuls to make a case for the award, but it will take a monumental effort on college football's biggest stages.
Power Ranking 2024 Heisman candidates:
*All odds via BetMGM
The favorites:
- 1. WR/DB Travis Hunter, Colorado (-10000)
Travis Hunter sits alone in this tier because of his overwhelming odds to win the award. While many people will point at Hunter's lack of elite talent in any one area of his game, it's hard to deny his success on both sides of the ball. He's been the best player on a ranked Colorado team all season on both offense and defense. That's something we've never seen before, and it's enough to have him way out in front of the Heisman oddsboards.
The contenders:
- 2. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (+2500)
- 3. QB Cam Ward, Miami (+25000)
- 4. QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+25000)
That's right. According to BetMGM, these four are the only players still capable of winning the Heisman Trophy. Everyone else is off the board. While that could change after conference championship weekend, the race right now is essentially down to four people with Hunter and Jeanty out in front by a mile.
Of this group, Jeanty is the only one really worth betting on currently. Many people believe he deserves the award as is, although his odds would beg to differ. Regardless, unlike Hunter, Jeanty will have an opportunity to bolster his case for the hardware playing in the Mountain West championship game. Furthermore, Boise State is much more likely to wind up part of the 12-team College Football Playoff than Colorado is. While those games obviously won't factor into the selection, it should help Jeanty's case. That said, it would take a Herculean 300-yard, four-touchdown performance against UNLV to take the Heisman away form Travis Hunter at this point if these odds are to be believed.
When is the 2024 Heisman ceremony?
The Heisman finalists will be announced on Monday, Dec. 9. The actual ceremony will be on Saturday, Dec. 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN).
The College Football Playoff begins Dec. 20.