It’s just the first week of October, but already this is shaping up to be one of the most interesting Heisman Trophy race in recent years. You’ve got a two-way player in Travis Hunter, who is averaging 132 snaps per game and having an incredible impact in games as both a wide receiver and a cornerback. You’ve got a running back who turned down money and opportunities to play for power-conference programs to try to help Boise State get to the College Football Playoff for the first time. And then you’ve got a bunch of elite quarterbacks who make jaw-dropping plays on the regular.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is my frontrunner right now, coming off nearly 500 yards of offense and four touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s win over Georgia. It’s the best win in the country this season, and it would not have happened without a near-perfect first half from Milroe and that Milroe pass to Ryan Williams to retake the lead in the final minutes. First-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has clearly unlocked something new in Milroe in this offense, and we’re no longer seeing just an amazing athlete who can throw a beautiful deep ball. We’re seeing a great quarterback with serious pro potential.
A number of my peers in the media would argue with me for putting Milroe in the top spot this week. I’ve seen a lot of Week 6 Heisman rankings that highlight Hunter, and it’s easy to see why. He’s one of the best receivers in the country and one of the best cornerbacks in the country, and he does both things while essentially never coming off the field. That’s a ridiculous workload! It’s a workload I didn’t think Colorado would ask of him as the season went on, but it’s October, and he’s still an integral part of both the offense and the defense. Not only do I love the idea of a defensive player in the mix to win the Heisman, I love the idea of a two-way star who is doing something unprecedented earn a trip to New York City at the very least.
Could he bring a teammate? At least one coach thinks so. After singing Hunter’s praises after his game-winning forced fumble against Baylor, a head coach messaged me to say he was actually blown away by Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders — and that there were very few quarterbacks, if any, who could do what he did to win that game. What he does with a shake offensive line and the amount of hits he takes — it’s remarkable. The more Colorado wins, the more Heisman voters will be watching Sanders and Hunter. (Hell, they should be watching them no matter how many wins the Buffs have because they’re appointment television.) And that’s huge as the Heisman race heats up.
But don’t forget about Miami quarterback Cam Ward. I know he was unimpressive at times against Virginia Tech, but that’s how he plays. Sometimes he makes mistakes, and sometimes he dazzles. He’s been that quarterback dating back to Washington State, and the goal for the ‘Canes is to have significantly more highs than lows. And if he does that — and Miami continues to contend for the CFP — he’ll absolutely stay in this race and rise higher in the rankings.