2024 Heisman Finalists: Heisman Ceremony Preview & Where to Watch

The college football regular season has concluded, and now we prepare for the 2024 college football bowl games and the first 12-team College Football Playoff. Before we get to that, we focus on the awards, concluding with the premier award in college football — the Heisman Trophy.

There have been a lot of great players this year in college football, and it must have been difficult choosing the exact winner, but below we have the four Heisman Finalists.

We’ll take a look at each Heisman Trophy finalist and explain why they are deserving of the award — with two in particular standing above the rest.

After the Heisman Trophy, you can watch these players compete in bowl games and the CFB Playoff. PrizePicks is the easiest way to get real money action throughout the bowl and CFB Playoff show. All you have to do is pick more or less on player stat projections — like yards or receptions — and win real money if your picks are correct.

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When is the 2024 Heisman Ceremony?

The Heisman Trophy winner is announced during the Heisman Ceremony. The 2024 Heisman Ceremony will air on Saturday, December 14 at 8 p.m. ET. Watch the Heisman Ceremony on ESPN, or streaming on WatchESPN and ESPN+.

2024 Heisman Finalists

Here are the four 2024 Heisman finalists, in order of who is likely to receive the most votes for the Heisman Trophy award.

Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter had one of the most exceptional seasons in college football. Not only did he start on both sides of the field, but he also posted impressive numbers. 

The Colorado star played full-time at both wide receiver and cornerback, finishing top six nationally in receptions (92), receiving yards (1,152), receiving touchdowns (14), and passes defended, while ranking No. 1 in PFF coverage grade.

Not only is Hunter the most likely to win the Heisman Trophy, but he’s also a finalist for several other postseason awards on both offense and defense. This is why experts are projecting him to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty had one of the greatest regular seasons of all-time for a running back, racking up 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. Jeanty had six games with over 200 yards rushing this season. He’s just 131 yards away from breaking Barry Sanders’ all-time single season record and could easily surpass it, as he has rushed for over 130 yards in 11 games.

Some might diminish his accomplishments because he’s playing with an extra game, but it’s worth noting that he didn’t play eight full quarters this season due to his team holding large leads.

Others might argue that he didn’t compete in a Power Four conference, but these numbers are incredible in any context. Let’s not forget that Jeanty rushed for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns against Oregon, which has one of the top rushing defenses in the nation.

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Miami QB Cam Ward

Things were looking great for Miami QB Ward heading into the final part of the season. Miami was undefeated, ranked No. 4 in the nation, almost guaranteed a playoff spot, leading the ACC as the top-scoring team, and had the best chance to win the Heisman.

Then, the last three weeks happened. Ward fumbled a pivotal possession in a loss against Georgia Tech, and Miami fell to Syracuse with their playoff hopes on the line. Despite this, Ward still finished as the best statistical quarterback in the country. 

Ward ranked No. 1 in passing touchdowns (36), No. 2 in passing yards (4,123) and total offense (4,319), and No. 3 in yards per attempt (9.5).

If Ward had continued his trajectory, he would undoubtedly have had one of the best chances of winning the Heisman.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel

Oregon QB Gabriel was on the most successful team of all the candidates, leading Oregon to a 13-0 record, a Big Ten title, and the overall No. 1 seed in the CFB Playoffs. Whether at Central Florida, Oklahoma, or Oregon, Gabriel has consistently posted impressive numbers, and this season was no different. 

Gabriel threw for 3,558 yards (8th), scored 35 total touchdowns (8th), and recorded a 166.5 passer efficiency (7th) for the Ducks.

He has the potential to end the season on top of the college football world with a National Championship, so winning the Heisman may not be his top priority. 

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Lock in for the CFB Playoffs & Bowl Season

We have wall-to-wall college football for the next few weeks, with 40 bowl games and the first 12-team CFB Playoffs, starting on December 20. Don’t miss your chance to cash in on these games by riding your take.

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