7 Players On Heisman Trophy Watch Heading Into Week 3 Of The College Football Season

We’re only a couple of weeks into college football season, so while it’s hard to resist the urge to jump to any early conclusions, there’s also plenty of time for the tides to turn in the coming months.

As a result, it’s probably too soon to make any definitive claims when it comes to predicting who’s going to walk away with the Heisman Trophy when everything is said and done, but there are already a number of standouts who’ve begun to put together an impressive résumé.

It would probably be foolish to confidently state there’s currently one man to beat for the Heisman Trophy at this point in the college football season, and there will likely be guys on this list who end up dropping off a cliff as well as others who are currently absent but end up earning a spot as the year progresses.

However, based on what’s transpired heading into Week 3, it’s hard to count out any of these names.

Quinn Ewers—QB, Texas

Quinn Ewers was widely viewed as the best quarterback in the country heading into the 2024 season, and he’s lived up to that reputation based on how he’s played so far.

It may still be a bit too early to say Texas is Back, but the #2 Longhorns have gotten off to a 2-0 start that included a decisive win over a 10th-ranked Michigan team while Ewers has recorded 506 yards in the air and throw six touchdowns.

With that said, there are plenty of other QBs in the mix.

Nico Iamaleava—QB, Tennessee

Nico Iamaleava spent the bulk of the 2023 season backing up Joe Milton at Tennessee, but there was a ton of hype surrounding him heading into his first full year as a starter.

The #7 Volunteers are 2-0, and while there’s definitely still room for Iamaleava to grow based on the two interceptions he’s tossed, the dual-threat has thrown for 525 yards and five touchdowns while adding  71 yards and a score on the ground.

Carson Beck—QB, Georgia

Being the starting quarterback for the best college football team in the country usually helps when it comes to firming up your Heisman Trophy candidacy, and Carson Beck finds himself in that position as the man under center for the Georgia Bulldogs.

The QB had some big cleats to fill in the wake of the departure of Stetson Bennett, but he’s gotten off to a promising start for a 2-0 Georgia squad that heads into a showdown with Kentucky sitting at #1 with 520 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and a clean sheet in the interception column.

Jaxson Dart—QB, Ole Miss

Leading the country in passing yards is also a solid way to stand out from a crowded pack of Heisman candidates, and Jackson Dart is currently the man to beat when you consider he’s thrown for 759 yards in the air so far.

It’s obviously worth noting Ole Miss kicked off their season against two cupcake opponents, but the fact that he’s completed 87% of his passes and averaged 14.7 yards per throw is nothing to scoff at.

It’s very hard to imagine he’ll be able to sustain that pace against stiffer competition, but he’s gotten off to a scorching start.

Cam Ward—QB, Miami

Miami currently looks like the team to beat in the ACC after Florida State saw its season implode after just a couple of games, and if the Hurricanes end up winning the conference, Cam Ward is probably going to be a major reason why.

The Washington State transfer has recorded 689 passing yards (tied with Sheduer Sanders for the fifth-best in the country) while throwing six touchdowns and an interception (he also has 46 rushing yards and punched in a TD on his own).

As with the case with Dart, the Hurricanes kicked off the season with a couple of easy games while trampling over Florida and Florida A&M, so we’ll probably have to wait until conference play to see if Ward is the real deal.

Ashton Jeanty—RB, Boise State

The nature of the Heisman Trophy means quarterbacks tend to dominate the conversation when it comes to the top candidates, but there are some players at other positions who have shown they deserve to be part of the discussion.

That includes Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State running back who kicked off his season with a bang by running for 459 yards and punching the ball into the end zone nine times in his first two games,

The Broncos are sitting at 1-1 after a loss to Oregon in Week 2, and while they may not be national championship contenders, Jeanty could be contending for the Heisman if he’s able to keep delivering.

Travis Hunter—WR/CB, Colorado

Travis Hunter is definitely a bit of a dark horse for the Heisman as things currently stand, but it feels like he deserves to be in contention based on what he’s been able to achieve at Colorado.

Two-way players are a virtually extinct species in this day and age, but Hunter is seemingly immune to the fatigue that comes with playing more than 100 snaps per game; this season, he’s hauled in 17 passes for 272 yards and three TDs while also recording six tackles.

At the end of the day, his résumé may not be as impressive as other players who are more worthy of the Heisman Trophy, but it feels like he should at least be recognized as a finalist.