Colorado receiver/cornerback/flawed Heisman poser/presumed Heisman winner Travis Hunter has achieved perfection in The Athletic’s Heisman Trophy straw ballot.
Of the 27 writers and editors who voted this week, all 27 voted Hunter first, giving him the utmost potential 81 factors. Two first-place votes for Ashton Jeanty and one for Cam Ward within the earlier ballot switched this week to Hunter, who wrapped up his Colorado season with three landing catches, an interception and two cross break-ups in a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State.
Hunter “clinched the Heisman,” coach Deion Sanders stated afterward, and whereas that might not be formally true, Hunter couldn’t have gone out with a stronger closing assertion — aside from the truth that his Heisman pose nonetheless wants work to raised emulate the trophy itself. In all seriousness, it might have helped him with naysayers centered on crew success for the Buffaloes to get the assistance essential to make the Massive 12 title recreation. They didn’t.
And the truth that Jeanty will get to play Friday for No. 11 Boise State (11-1) in opposition to No. 22 UNLV (10-2) within the Mountain West title recreation for a nationwide Fox viewers at the least offers him the ultimate phrase. It must be the operating again efficiency equal of “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Like, how about 341 yards to succeed in 2,629 on the season and break Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA speeding document? Would that do it?
Perhaps? Jeanty misplaced floor within the straw ballot this week after going for 226 yards and a landing in a win over Oregon State so … the bar is excessive. The pathway to vary hearts and minds is slim. The nation’s main rusher bought 25 second-place votes and two third-place votes for a complete of fifty factors.
The Athletic follows the identical voting protocol as that of the Heisman: three factors for a first-place vote, two factors for a second-place vote, one level for a third-place vote.
| Participant | Crew | Pos | 1st | 2nd | third | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Travis Hunter |
WR/DB |
27 |
0 |
0 |
81 |
|
|
Ashton Jeanty |
RB |
0 |
25 |
2 |
52 |
|
|
Tyler Warren |
TE |
0 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
|
|
Dillon Gabriel |
QB |
0 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
|
|
Cam Ward |
QB |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
Cam Skattebo |
RB |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
|
|
Kaleb Johnson |
RB |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
|
LaNorris Sellers |
QB |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
In any case, Jeanty is aware of he’s going to New York and ought to be a lock to come back in second by a protected margin. There’s no apparent third place this yr, which is able to make the voting and the variety of candidates invited to New York attention-grabbing.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward fell from 15 factors to 6 within the ballot after Saturday’s loss at Syracuse, dropping him to fifth place behind Penn State tight finish Tyler Warren (eight factors) and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (seven factors).
That additionally means no ACC title recreation platform for Ward whereas Warren and Gabriel will face one another for the Massive Ten championship in Indianapolis, because of Ohio State’s stunning loss to Michigan to let the Nittany Lions sneak within the again door.
The ballot’s rising No. 6 vote-getter, Arizona State operating again Cam Skattebo (5 factors), additionally will get a chance to make his case when the shocking Solar Devils tackle Iowa State for the Massive 12 title.
Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (two factors) is the third operating again among the many eight vote-getters. That’s the identical because the variety of quarterbacks — and there’s a brand new quarterback, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, choosing up a third-place vote.
Sellers won’t make it to New York this yr. However that’s a touch of issues to come back in 2025 when he ought to be excessive on the record of preseason hopefuls for the award.
(Photograph of Ashton Jeanty: Brian Losness / Imagn Pictures)