Photo by the Heisman Trust
Heisman Watch
Ashton Jeanty takes the lead, Jalen Milroe stumbles, and Cam War and Jeremiah Smith keep on going after the Heisman in a week of upsets across college football.
Standouts from Week 6
Ashton Jeanty
The Heisman favorite is running wild on college football. Against Utah State he had 13 carries for 186 yards and three touchdowns. His numbers are so ridiculous that he may come the closest of any player to challenging the single-season rushing records set by Barry Sanders.
Cam Ward
Ward looked like his Heisman chances were going to take a serious hit as Cal was poised to upset Miami. Instead, Ward leading a furious comeback only helped his candidacy. He was 35 of 53 for a season-high of 437 yards and three total touchdowns.
Jeremiah Smith
Smith just has highlight after highlight, week after week for the Ohio State Buckeyes and this week was no different. He had four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown including another ridiculous one-handed grab.
Heisman Leaders
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, Running Back, Junior
Jeanty has 95 carries for 1,036 yards and 16 touchdowns and is on pace to challenge Barry Sanders’s records in a season of 2,628 rushing yards and 37 rushing touchdowns.
2. Travis Hunter, Colorado, Wide Receiver/ Cornerback, Junior
Hunter and the Buffs had the week off. That and Ashton Jeanty’s ridiculous play has Jeanty at #1 this week and Hunter at #2. These two will likely stay in the top five of this contest for the rest of the season. Hunter has 46 catches for 561 yards and six touchdowns on offense and 16 tackles, the passes defended, a forced fumble, and two interceptions on defense.
3. Cameron Ward, Miami, Quarterback, Senior
No quarterback in college football is playing better than Ward right now. He is 148 of 214 for a nation-leading 2,219 yards and 23 total touchdowns.
4. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Wide Receiver, Freshman
Smith is the best receiver in college football, hands down. He has 23 catches for 453 yards and seven total touchdowns.
5. Blake Horvath and Bryson Daly, Navy and Army, Quarterbacks, Junior and Senior.
Horvath has 47 carries for 450 yards and eight touchdowns rushing and is 30 of 44 for 637 yards and seven touchdowns passing for Navy. His 450 yards rushing are second among quarterbacks and 20th overall in college football this season.
Daly has 95 carries for 602 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing and is 17 of 30 for 380 yards and five touchdowns passing for Army. His 602 yards rushing is 11th overall and first among quarterbacks in FBS this season.
In the Race
Jalen Milroe, Alabama, Quarterback, Redshirt Junior
Jalen Milroe has a tough road to come back to Heisman contention. Being the quarterback for Alabama and losing to Vanderbilt is a devastating blow. Even if he claws his way back into the race, if there is anyone close to him this will hurt. It could be a tiebreaker in favor of his competition.
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, Running Back, Junior
Johnson is one of the best two running backs in the nation with only Ashton Jeanty being better at the moment. A tough Buckeye defense held him to 86 yards and a touchdown. This will be the only time in the regular season, maybe the rest of the season that Johnson doesn’t go over 100 yards rushing in a game. Through four games he has 82 carries for 685 yards and nine touchdowns.
Pitt’s Eli Holstein is a new name to keep an eye on in the race for the Heisman. He can throw and run and has Pitt leading the ACC. Other’s still on the radar are Shedeur Sanders from Colorado, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and if he beats Oregon, Ohio State’s Will Howard, and Texas’ Quinn Ewers. Another is from a G5 school and that’s San Jose State’s wide receiver Nick Nash.
