What a wild week of college football it was. In this week’s edition of the Heisman Trophy rankings, we had a lot of movement in the top five. And while it is just about halfway through the college football season, it’s never too early to think about who could make the trip to New York.
1. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
There is a new No. 1 this week, and his name is Ashton Jeanty. I don’t see how he can’t be the frontrunner right now. Jeanty is the most dominant rusher I have seen since Derrick Henry in college football. Jeanty has rushed for 1,031 yards through FIVE games. To put some perspective in play here, the past three leading rushers in college football, Ollie Gordon II, Brad Roberts and Lew Nichols III, have averaged 448 yards through five games. Jeanty leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with 16, and he is on track to have a historic year. Furthermore, the past three halfbacks who have won the Heisman Trophy — Henry, Mark Ingram and Reggie Bush — averaged 552 yards through five games in their Heisman seasons. The frontrunner continues his historic season on Saturday when the Broncos travel to Oʻahu to face Hawaii.
2. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Travis Hunter was listed as my favorite last week. The Buffaloes didn’t play, and yet Hunter moved down the list. However, this isn’t his fault, as Jeanty is having a historic start to the season. Hunter is still the jack of all trades on the gridiron. He is a high-caliber player as a WR/CB and displays his value to the Buffaloes whenever he touches the field. Hunter is a likely top-five pick in the upcoming NFL draft and will be back on the field on Saturday when the Buffaloes take on the Kansas State Wildcats.
3. Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The Miami Hurricanes survived another nail-biter this past week. While the team itself has been incredibly inconsistent, Cam Ward has been the outlier. Mario Cristobal was very aggressive this past Saturday, as the Hurricanes went through 53 times. Ward was excellent, completing 35 passes for 437 yards and three touchdowns. Ward has been impressive to start the season and has put himself firmly in the race for the Heisman Trophy. The Hurricanes have a buy this week but will resume action next week when they travel to Louisville.
4. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Down go the Tide, and so does Milroe on this week's edition of the Heisman rankings. Milroe had a decent game against the Vanderbilt Commodores, as he threw for 310 yards and added two touchdowns. However, the big-time players have to make plays down the stretch. The Tide and Milroe weren’t given a chance due to poor defensive play from the Tide, which ultimately led to the slide for Milroe this week. Milroe and the Tide look to bounce back this week when they host South Carolina. I talk more about Alabama's loss in this week's CFP predictions.
5. Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
Dillon Gabriel and the Oregon Ducks have found their stride just in time for a primetime matchup for the top spot in the Big Ten. Gabriel looked good for the Ducks despite the two interceptions he threw and has a chance this upcoming week to bolster his stock even more when the Buckeyes come to Eugene. A win of this magnitude could put Gabriel up toward the top of the conversation for the Heisman Trophy for the first time in his six-year college career.
As we move closer to December, these five players have separated themselves from the field. Stay tuned weekly for my thoughts on this year’s Heisman Trophy race and the College Football Playoff.
Elms' Essentials: Week 12
