Way-too-early candidates to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy
The 2023 Heisman Trophy was awarded less than 24 hours ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start looking ahead to next season and try to formulate what the landscape will look like.
A lot will change in the world of college football, with the playoff format expanding to 12 teams while Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA head to the Big Ten, and Oklahoma and Texas head to the SEC.
With all of that change will come new faces in new places. However, we can still expect a lot of the stars of the 2023 season to remain as stars in the 2024 season as well. With several top quarterbacks from this year returning for a final go-around at the collegiate level, it should be an interesting race for the Heisman Trophy, a bronze statue regarded as the most prestigious award in college football.
Here’s an early look at which players we believe will be strongly considered for the award before the season starts:
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel
2023 Stats: 12 Games | 266-for-384, 3,660 yards, 30 TD, 6 INT
Career Stats: 49 Games | 1,050-for-1,664, 14,865 yards, 125 TD, 26 INT
Analysis: Dillon Gabriel was among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy midway through the 2023 season at Oklahoma, and now that he is in a wide-open passing offense at Oregon, one of the best in the nation, he should be considered among the favorites to win the award in 2024. Don’t be surprised when you see billboards and Heisman campaign for Gabriel this summer as the season approaches.
Georgia QB Carson Beck
2023 Stats: 13 Games | 289-for-399, 3,738 yards, 22 TD, 6 INT
Career Stats: 24 Games | 325-for-457, 4,224 yards, 28 TD, 8 INT
Analysis: Carson Beck really came on as the 2023 season progressed, and he showed that he can be an elite player for the Georgia Bulldogs. While Kirby Smart and Co. didn’t find a way into the CFP this year, that will likely change in 2024 with Beck leading the way.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
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2023 Stats: 12 Games | 171-for-261, 2,718 yards, 23 TD, 6 INT
Career Stats: 24 Games | 205-for-321, 3,056 yards, 29 TD, 6 INT
Analysis: Though Jalen Milroe got benched early in the season after some struggles at Alabama, he quickly found his footing and became a dynamic playmaker for the Crimson Tide. I expect that to continue next season as he leads a championship contender.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers
2023 Stats: 11 Games | 248-for-351, 3,161 yards, 21 TD, 6 INT
Career Stats: 21 Games | 420-for-351, 5,338 yards, 36 TD, 12 INT
Analysis: Quinn Ewers shocked a lot of people when he announced that he would return for one more year in 2024, and he is likely to be among the Heisman favorites after a dynamic 2023 season, leading the Longhorns to the playoff.
Kansas QB Jalon Daniels
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2023 Stats: 3 Games | 56-for-75, 705 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
Career Stats: 25 Games | 365-for-574, 4,297 yards, 31 TD, 12 INT
Analysis: We didn’t get to see a ton of Jalon Daniels in 2023 because of injury, but when he is on the field, he is among the most dynamic players in the country, and we can expect to see that once again next season.
Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II
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2023 Stats: 13 Games | 258 rushes, 1,614 yards, 20 TD
Career Stats: 26 Games | 320 rushes, 1,922 yards, 22 TD
Analysis: Ollie Gordon was among the top 10 Heisman vote-getters in 2023 after being one of the best running backs in the nation, and we shouldn’t expect anything to change next season with another year under his belt.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
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2023 Stats: 13 Games | 213-for-287, 2,630 yards, 19 TD, 4 INT
Career Stats: 38 Games | 455-for-668, 5,865 yards, 46 TD, 11 INT
Analysis: Assuming that J.J. McCarthy chooses to return to Michigan for another season, he should be among the leading contenders for the Heisman, as he was near the top of the betting odds until late in the 2023 season. While his stats won’t blow you away, he is among the most efficient passers on one of the nation’s best teams.
QB Cameron Ward
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2023 Stats: 12 Games | 323-for-485, 3,736 yards, 25 TD, 7 INT
Career Stats: 25 Games | 643-for-982, 9,868 yards, 48 TD, 16 INT
Analysis: We still don’t know which team Cam Ward will be on next year, but regardless of where he ends up, you can assume that he is going to be among the leaders in the Heisman conversation. With the numbers that he was able to put up at Washington State, it’s clear that Ward has the talent to take even an average college offense to the next level.
Penn State QB Drew Allar
2023 Stats: 12 Games | 214-for-350, 2,336 yards, 23 TD, 1 INT
Career Stats: 22 Games | 249-for-350, 2,680 yards, 27 TD, 1 INT
Analysis: It wasn’t until late in the season that we really started to see Drew Allar’s arm start to thrive for the Nittany Lions, but he showed what he’s capable of when allowed to push the ball downfield. Allar is an efficient passer, and on one of the better teams in the nation, so he should be in the conversation.
Utah QB Cam Rising
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2023 Stats: 0 Games
Career Stats: 27 Games | 456-for-711, 5,572 yards, 46 TD, 14 INT
Analysis: Everyone is certainly forgetting about Cameron Rising. After he missed the entire 2023 season due to a knee injury, he announced his return for one final year in 2024, where he could be among the most dynamic quarterbacks in the Big 12 despite nobody talking about him.
QB Will Rogers
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2023 Stats: 8 Games | 142-for-237, 1,626 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT
Career Stats: 43 Games | 1,301-for-1,876, 12,315 yards, 94 TD, 28 INT
Analysis: We don’t yet know where Will Rogers is going to end up, but there is a lot of speculation that he will replace Michael Penix at Washington. We’ve seen what a dynamic passer can do in that offense, so it’s fair to assume that he should be among the Heisman candidates if he ends up there.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
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Career Stats: 11 Games | 29-for-430, 3,230 yards, 27 TD, 3 INT
Analysis: Shedeur Sanders could have entered the draft this season, but he opted for another year at Colorado, where he should be among the most electric players in the nation, assuming that his offensive line can keep him off the turf.
