It’s never too early for a poll or a nice topic to gather around the water cooler and debate. Sorry, we won’t discuss Flordia State’s free falling out of the Top 10 or Clemson not using the transfer portal. Instead, we will look at who the Week 1 Heisman frontrunners are. We polled the Last Word College Football writers and asked them to provide their way too early rankings based on one (or two) games. Before we get to the results, here are some numbers that help give context to the voting.
- 17: The number of players who received at least one vote. We had a good distribution from our conferences. The SEC and Big 12 led the way with five selections apiece; the Big Ten was next with four nominations, followed by the ACC with two nominations, and the Moutain West carried the G5 banner with one player nominated.
- 12: Some claim the Heisman has become an “unofficial” quarterback award. We will save that debate for another day, but the numbers show that the quarterbacks got plenty of love from our writers. Twelve quarterbacks received at least one vote this week.
- 1: Only one non-offensive player received a nomination this week, although Malakai Starks of Georiga had one of the more impressive highlights of the weekend.
Now that you have the numbers, here are the Top 5 players receiving votes this week and two honorable mentions for good measure.
Strike the Pose: Week 1 Heisman Poll
#5 Travis Hunter, ATH, Colorado Buffaloes
The only non-quarterback on our list. Hunter is a college football unicorn who plays cornerback and wide receiver for Colorado. He played a vital part in helping the Buffalos stave off a tough North Dakota State football team on Thursday night. The junior had a nice little start to the season, finishing with three tackles on defense, averaging almost 19 yards a reception, and catching three touchdowns in the win.
#4 Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss opened the season against FCS Furman on Saturday night. Dart and the Rebels wasted little time scoring early, often in a 76-0 rout of the Paladins. The Rebel quarterback was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week and finished the game, completing 22 of 27 passes for almost 500 yards and having five total touchdowns. Dart is in year three of Lane Kiffin’s system and has shown himself ready to continue to take the next step and lead the Rebels to greater things in 2024.
#3 Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon Ducks
Oregon and Gabriel may have battled complacency and preseason hype in their 24-14 win over Idaho. Gabriel threw early and often, completing 41 of 49 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns. As the season wears on, the Ducks will have to find more balance in the running game to provide more opportunities for Gabriel to put opposing teams away.
#2 Carson Beck, QB, Georgia Bulldogs
It looked like we were headed for another 10-7 game between Georiga and Clemson on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. The Bulldogs built a 6-0 halftime lead. But Beck would help lead Georgia to outscore Clemson 28-3 over the final two quarters to help cement Georgia as the clear #1 team after Week 1. Beck showed some big play ability and completed six passes for 20+ yards. He finished the day 22 of 33 with 278 yards and two touchdowns. Not bad for a first game, but we will need to see more as the season wears on.
#1 Cam Ward, QB, Miami Hurricanes
Miami had one of the biggest ACC and college football wins this weekend. They also had your Week 1 Heisman winner. The Hurricanes throttled Flordia 41-17 at the Swamp that heated Billy Napier’s seat in Gainesville. Ward was a big reason why Miami had so much success on Saturday. The one-time Washington State Cougar looked at home in Flordia. Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Clemson and Florida State’s struggles provide Miami with a path to win their first-ever ACC title. If they are to get there, Ward will be a big reason why.
Week 1 Heisman Honorable Mentions
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona Wildcats
Wildcat fans were thrilled when McMillan decided to stay in the desert rather than follow Jed Fisch to Washington this past offseason. The Junior lit up the scoreboard and the record books in the Wildcats’ 61-39 win over New Mexico. McMillan had ten receptions in the game and broke Arizona’s single-game receiving record with 304 yards and four touchdowns.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State Broncos
Another player who chose to stay at his school instead of entering the transfer portal in the offseason, Jeanty, played a key role in leading the Broncos to a 56-45 victory over Georgia Southern in Statesboro. He set a new school record with six rushing touchdowns. He had a career-high 267 rushing yards on 20 carries, including a 75-yard run that secured the Broncos” lead for good.
