College football season is just around the corner, which means it's time for our way-too-early Heisman predictions for the 2024 season.
The Heisman Trophy has been criticized recently for being awarded to the best quarterback in the country rather than the best player regardless of position. In the last 20 years, only four non-quarterbacks have won the award: DeVonta Smith in 2020, Derrick Henry in 2015, Mark Ingram in 2009, and Reggie Bush in 2005.
However, this could be a year when we see a non-quarterback hoist the trophy at the end of the season.
Here are our six favorites to win the Heisman Trophy in 2024:
- Dillon Gabriel (Oregon Ducks - QB)
It was a surprise when Gabriel announced he would be leaving Oklahoma in the offseason, where he passed for 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions this past season. Former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was in the Heisman conversation in 2023, and under head coach Dan Lanning, expect Gabriel to have similar success this season.
- Jalen Milroe (Alabama Crimson Tide - QB)
Milroe has the makeup of a Heisman winner. With his combination of speed and size, he is fascinating to watch and demands the attention of college football fans. He has dazzling speed and great arm strength, along with the ability to be a great pocket passer in 2024. He led his team to the College Football Playoff in 2023 and looks to do the same this season.
- Travis Hunter (Colorado Buffaloes - WR/CB)
Hunter is a true playmaker and game-changer, traits typical of Heisman winners. In 2023, Hunter won the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in the FBS. On offense, he had 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, Hunter had 30 tackles, three interceptions, and five pass breakups. Despite missing three games due to injury, Hunter logged the most snaps of any player in the country.
- Ollie Gordon (Oklahoma State Cowboys - RB)
If a running back wins the award in 2024, it will surely be Ollie Gordon. Despite an arrest earlier this month, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has no plans to suspend Gordon to start the season. Gordon had six straight games in 2023 with over 100 yards rushing. Against Cincinnati, he had 271 yards, and against West Virginia, he had 282 yards on the ground. He also led the FBS with 1,614 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.
- Quinn Ewers (Texas Longhorns - QB)
Ewers led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff in 2023 and looks to do the same in 2024. He threw for nearly 3,200 yards last season, along with 21 touchdowns, only six interceptions, and a completion percentage of 70.7%, all while playing in only 11 games. The Heisman Trophy is often given to the player who has big games late in the season. Last year, Quinn put on a stellar display in the Big 12 Championship with over 450 yards passing and four touchdowns against Oklahoma State.
- Luther Burden III (Missouri Tigers - WR)
Burden III might be the best wide receiver in college football in 2024, and his stats from last season support that. As a sophomore, he was 10th in the FBS in both receiving yards (1,197) and receptions (83) in his first season playing slot receiver. Burden had six games with over 100 receiving yards, including 158 on nine catches in a 33-31 win against Florida.
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