Ten of the last 12 Heisman Trophy winners have been quarterbacks, and a pair of quarterbacks — Jalen Milroe (Alabama) and Cam Ward (Miami) — are atop the odds sheet entering Week 6 of the college football season. However, a pair of non-QBs have also emerged as legitimate contenders for the award as the calendar flips from September to October and narratives around the sport take shape.
Two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter has been one of the nation’s most impactful receivers and also an elite cornerback. He’s on track to flirt with 100 receptions and already has two interceptions along with a forced fumble in overtime that clinched the Buffaloes’ Week 4 victory against Baylor. No one plays more snaps in college football, and his marathon man ethos only adds to his case.
Then, there is Ashton Jeanty. The Boise State running back faces an uphill battle as a Group of Five player in the running for an award that regularly goes to players representing the sport’s top brands. But he’s been otherworldly through four games with 845 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Jeanty is on pace to break all sorts of records and has firmly planted himself in the Heisman conversation
So who would be the Heisman winner if the season ended today? Our writers make their picks here for their September Heisman.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
I would like to start by pointing out we’ve played five full weeks of the season and there’s been a new favorite to win the Heisman after each week. There is no greater reflection of the diminishing human attention span than a Heisman odds board. Anyway, did you see what Jalen Milroe did against Georgia!? Surely there’s no way any other player in the country will be able to wrest it away from him as the season progresses! Seriously, Milroe has been consistently excellent this season, and he now has one of the most impressive individual performances of the year, and he did it against one of the top teams in the country. — Tom Fornelli
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
First to echo what Tom said, recent history suggests that the contender who played the best at the very end of the season tends to end up clinching the Heisman Trophy. All five Heisman winners from 2017-21 played in and won a conference championship game in the final hours before ballots were due, so if we are playing who “who would win if the season was over today” then there’s no question Milroe would emerge from a crowded pack that also includes Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Cam Ward and many more. But I also think Milroe is a great pick for the most deserving at this point, as well as a good pick to win it over the course of the season. Milroe is the leading returning vote-getter from last year’s Heisman Trophy race (6th place overall) and he’s clearly elevated his game in a way that’s pacing towards a statistical profile that will rank among the best in the country. — Chip Patterson
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty are incredible players who both deserve to be in New York, but now feels like a terrible time to bail on my preseason Heisman pick. I was optimistic about the step Jalen Milroe could take under Kalen DeBoer’s tutelage, but his performance so far this season has blown away even my wildest expectations. Milroe put together one of the great halves of the season against No. 2 Georgia and became the first player in the AP Top 25 era to post 300 yards passing, 100 yards rushing and two rushing scores. Compared to last year, Milroe’s completion percentage is up 7%, he’s averaging a full yard more per attempt, jumped from 3.3 to 5.3 yards per carry and has posted 18 total touchdowns in just four games. While his pace will be hard to maintain, Milroe is on track for 4,000 yards of total offense and 50 touchdowns, numbers that easily slot him next to other Heisman-winning quarterbacks. Most importantly, Milroe’s improvement in DeBoer’s offense has spurred Alabama to the top of the national championship odds. — Shehan Jeyarajah
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Milroe’s the obvious choice at this point, but that doesn’t make it a bad choice. His late 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ryan Williams, who made the play look a whole lot better with his after-the-catch prowess, to secure the win against Georgia is an early Heisman Trophy moment that will be right at the top of his highlight package when he takes the stage in New York. Carving a team like Georgia up for almost 500 total yards of offense and four touchdowns — by himself — in the biggest game of the year will stick in everyone’s memories for a while. And if he can do that against the Bulldogs, he can do it against anybody. The race is Milroe’s to lose at this point. With his dynamic ability, it’s hard to see him falling behind at any point. — Will Backus
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Travis Hunter hit the Heisman pose during Colorado’s 48-21 win over UCF in Week 5, and it’s hard to blame him. He was in the midst of yet another awe-inspiring performance as the Buffaloes improved to 4-1. Colorado’s two-way star is both an All-American caliber receiver and All-American caliber cornerback. He also has an incredible knack for producing highlight-reel plays in key moments. For example, he forced a fumble in overtime of a Week 4 win over Baylor to cement the victory. He also had a ridiculous touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of a tight Week 1 win over North Dakota State, just to name a couple examples of his clutch playmaking. Hunter ranks in the top-five nationally in receptions (46), receiving yards (561) and touchdown catches (6). He’s also made two interceptions and established his defensive terrain as a no-fly zone. The fact that Hunter is playing both sides of the football at such an elite level sets him apart from every other player in college football and makes him a sound Heisman pick through five games — David Cobb
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Jalen Milroe is (rightfully) going to be the popular pick to win the Heisman Trophy. I understand that picking Jeanty at this current moment is against the grain, but he has been putting up video-game-like numbers this season — a national-best 845 yards and 13 touchdowns on 82 attempts. He has far and away been the best running back in the country, and if Boise State makes a run to the College Football Playoff, he should get more consideration. Jeanty is electric to watch because he’s a home run threat capable of breaking multiple tackles on any given snap. It always takes multiple defenders to take him down, and I’m fascinated by the possibility of him making it to New York as a Heisman finalist. I’ve been vocal about Colorado’s Travis Hunter being the best player in the country, so as of right now, he or Jeanty would be my pick. It will take absurd stats to win the Heisman as a non-quarterback, and Jeanty can give it a run for his money. — Cameron Salerno
