The list of 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists features one running back, two quarterbacks and a wide receiver/cornerback hybrid, one of the more unique positional group of contenders the award has ever seen.
While the famed trophy given to college football's most outstanding player is historically given to quarterbacks — not unlike the NFL's MVP award — players at other positions have taken it home. This year, Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter and Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty will be looking to do just that over Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel and Miami QB Cam Ward.
On a team level, all four of the Heisman candidates' squads finished the regular season with at least nine wins, but only Jeanty's Broncos (12-1) and Gabriel's Ducks (13-0) will compete in the College Football Playoff.
Statistically, though, this isn't an easy race to judge. There's four different positions represented among the finalists, including two by one player — making the voters' decisions less about direct numbers comparisons and more about which player they think provided the most value to their squad, and to college football, in 2024.
There was just one occasion of two Heisman Trophy finalists going head-to-head this season; Boise State fell, 37-34, to Oregon in early September, with Gabriel totaling 243 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Jeanty, meanwhile, had 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his squad's loss.
Between the two non-quarterbacks, Hunter ranked sixth in college football with 1,152 receiving yards and second with his 14 receiving touchdowns. On the other hand, the rushing race wasn't even close for Jeanty, as his 2,497 yards on the ground led college football by over 800 yards. The Boise State star was also tied for first in the country in rushing touchdowns with 29.
On the quarterback front, Ward's 4,123 passing yards ranked second in the nation, trailing only Syracuse's Kyle McCord. Ward led the sport in passing touchdowns (36), while Gabriel finished eighth in both passing yards (3,558) and passing touchdowns (28).
Here's a full look at how each Heisman Trophy finalist compared in the stat columns this season.
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Heisman finalists stat comparison 2024
Travis Hunter stats
Receiving
Games | Receptions | Receiving yards | AVG | TDs |
12 | 92 | 1,152 | 12.5 | 14 |
Defense
Games | Total tackles | Solo tackles | Passes defended | Sacks | Forced fumbles | INTs |
12 | 31 | 20 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Ashton Jeanty stats
Rushing
Games | Carries | Rushing yards | YPC | TDs |
13 | 344 | 2,497 | 7.3 | 29 |
Receiving
Games | Receptions | Receiving yards | AVG | TDs |
13 | 20 | 116 | 5.8 | 1 |
Dillon Gabriel stats
Passing
Games | Completions-Attempts | Completion percentage | Passing yards | AVG | TDs | INTs | Rating |
13 | 297-406 | 73.2% | 3,558 | 8.8 | 28 | 6 | 166.6 |
Rushing
Games | Carries | Rushing yards | YPC | TDs |
13 | 63 | 192 | 3.0 | 7 |
Cam Ward stats
Passing
Games | Completions-Attempts | Completion percentage | Passing yards | AVG | TDs | INTs | Rating |
12 | 293-435 | 67.4% | 4,123 | 9.5 | 36 | 7 | 171.1 |
Rushing
Games | Carries | Rushing yards | YPC | TDs |
12 | 58 | 196 | 3.4 | 4 |
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