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On this date last year, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. looked to be the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy after beating Oregon. In 2022, Hendon Hooker led the way midseason after Tennessee’s upset of Alabama. A year ago, Kenneth Walker III and Matt Corral received raises.
None of these players took home the hardware. The Heisman race is a marathon, not a sprint, and a tough one to predict early in the season.
Here’s how ESPN.com writers voted their top Heisman candidates midseason. In this round of voting, 11 different players received votes.
To arrive at the final rankings, 14 voters were asked to vote for their top five. First-place votes earned five points, with four points assigned to second-place votes, three points for third-place votes, two points for fourth-place votes, and one point for fifth-place votes.
Total Points: 66 (First Place Votes: 11)
In college football, few individual records seem more enduring than Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record. The Oklahoma State superstar rewrote the record books and secured the Heisman in 1988 with 2,850 rushing yards and 44 touchdowns.
Six games in, Genty is well on his way to breaking it. Boise State’s unstoppable star has now gained 1,248 rushing yards and scored 18 touchdowns while averaging 9.9 yards per carry. Sanders had 1,156 rushing yards and 19 TDs on 7.5 yards per carry in his first six games in 1988.
Genty is the game’s most explosive playmaker with eight touchdown runs of 50 or more yards. Defenses spent all week conspiring to stuff the box and slow him down, but Genty leads all of FBS in broken tackles. He did all this despite sitting out the second half of two blowout wins for the No. 15 Broncos as they chased another Mountain West title and a College Football Playoff bid.
A running back from a non-power conference hasn’t been invited to New York as a Heisman finalist since TCU’s LaDanian Tomlinson in 2000. No doubt Genty will be there in December.
Heisman moments: No one has figured out a better way to shut down Jinty, and that includes now-and-then. 2 ranked Oregon Ducks. Genty rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns in Eugene on Sept. 7 and legitimately put Oregon on upset alert in a 37-34 thriller. Genty broke off a 70-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to tie the game, then punched in his third score with 10 minutes remaining to put the Broncos up 34-27. The Ducks rallied late and scored a game-winning field goal as time expired, but Genty earned much more credibility that night.
Key Statistics: Genty has gained 841 rushing yards after first contact this season, according to Trumedia. That’s 355 more yards than any other rusher in the FBS. Caleb Johnson of Iowa finished second with 586. How extreme is this number through six games? In 2023, only eight FBS running backs finished the season with 850 or more rushing yards after contact. Genty is one of them, ranked fourth nationally at 934.
ESPN BET Heisman Odds: +175
Total Points: 52 (First Place Votes: 3)
No one else in college football can do what Hunter does. Colorado’s two-way star and future first-round pick got off to a dominant start in Buffalo’s first season in the Big 12, leading the conference with 49 catches for 587 yards and six touchdowns. He opened the season with four straight 100-yard performances at receiver, but his play at cornerback was just as impressive. Hunter has yet to allow a touchdown pass and has recorded three pass breakups and two interceptions.
Hunter suffered a shoulder injury Saturday night against Kansas State and missed the second half of Buffalo’s 31-28 loss. After the game, coach Deion Sanders did not provide an update on the severity of the injury or a timetable for Hunter’s return. Let’s hope this is a minor setback for the most dynamic player in the game.
Heisman moments: Hunter struck a Heisman pose after diving for an interception against UCF, one of several highlight plays he made in a 48-21 blowout road win on Sept. 28. Hunter also had nine catches for 89 yards and a touchdown against the Knights.
Key Statistics: Before the injury, Hunter was on the field for 92% of Colorado’s games on offense and defense this season. According to Trumedia, he totaled 322 snaps on offense and 341 on defense. No other FBS player has played more than 500 snaps this season.
ESPN BET Heisman Odds: +1100
Total Points: 43
Through six games, Ward has truly exceeded the wildest expectations of Miami fans. The Washington State transfer led a team to 7-6 in 2023 and made them the undefeated front-runners to win the ACC.
The 6-foot-2, 223-pound senior has always possessed elite arm talent but took his game to another level this fall with 2,219 passing yards (second-most in FBS), 23 total touchdowns and five interceptions. 1 scoring offense in the country.
Ward dominated Florida in his debut, posting dramatic comeback wins over Virginia Tech and Cal and creating real CFP expectations for the Hurricanes as they climbed to No. 6 in the AP Poll. After two seasons at the FCS level at Incarnate Ward and two at Washington State, Ward came close to entering the NFL Draft but had a late change of heart. He wanted to return to school for one final season, win big and prove he was a first-round talent. So far, so good.
Heisman moments: If you were late enough to watch it, you witnessed Ward’s greatness during Miami’s resilient 39-38 comeback win at Cal on Oct. 5. Ward faced a 25-point deficit midway through the third quarter but continued to play. He threw for 437 yards and efficiently led four consecutive touchdown drives, connecting with tight end Elijah Arroyo for the game-winning score with 26 seconds left.
Key Statistics: Ward averaged 12.2 yards per attempt on third downs this season, best among all FBS starting quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. The Hurricanes are No. 1 nationally in third-down conversions (60.3%) for their veteran QB. Ward played 64 snaps on third down and accounted for 559 total yards and seven touchdowns.
ESPN BET Heisman Odds: +600
Total Points: 32
Bo wanted a veteran quarterback with big game experience to help the Knicks succeed in their next big step as a program in 3 years under Dan Lanning. They were right to bet on Gabriel, a 49-game starter at Oklahoma and UCF, who is predictably going to be a great fit as a leader and playmaker.
Gabriel came to Eugene knowing that his final college season would be defined by how he performed in high-pressure situations on a squad with national championship aspirations. He passed his toughest test in incredible fashion Saturday night, posting 373 total yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers in a 32-31 upset of No. 2 Ohio State’s Ducks, the program’s second win over an AP top. 2 opponents.
In six games, Gabriel accounted for 1,893 total yards with 17 touchdowns and three interceptions and completed a career-high 76% of his passes. A 12-0 run through Oregon’s regular-season schedule now seems entirely possible, which would certainly keep Gabriel in the Heisman race the rest of the way.
Heisman moments: Gabriel’s performance against Ohio State was the best of his career. He repeatedly beat one of the nation’s top defenses with remarkable accuracy on downfield shots, going 6-of-7 for 220 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers on throws of more than 15 yards against the Buckeyes.
Key Statistics: Gabriel needs only 2,563 more passing yards and 18 more passing touchdowns to surpass Houston’s Case Keenum as the NCAA all-time leading passer.
ESPN BET Heisman Odds: +375
Total Points: 4
Finding a new starting quarterback was on coach Kurt Cignetti’s to-do list after taking the Indiana job. He found a proven winner to build on in Rourke, a 33-game starter at Ohio who threw for more than 7,500 yards and earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.
The sixth-year senior Hoosier has been outstanding during his stunning 6-0 start and ranked No. 16 in the AP poll, passing for 1,752 yards with 16 total touchdowns and two interceptions per attempt. Rourke posted a 91.9 QBR — the best among Power 4 starters — while masterfully directing a rebuilt offense that scored 47.5 points per game. His experience and skill bring a lot of confidence to a team that went 3-9 a year ago.
Heisman moments: Indiana hasn’t trailed in a game yet this season, so Rourke hasn’t faced too many pressure moments. With Nebraska next and games against Michigan and Ohio State on their November schedule, those opportunities are coming soon. When Northwestern turned into a 3-point play against the Hoosiers early in the fourth quarter, Rourke capped the Wildcats’ upset bid with a touchdown drive, finishing with 380 passing yards and three TDs in a 41-24 win.
Key Statistics: Indiana has outscored its six opponents by a combined 196 points this season. Only Texas (221 points) and Ole Miss (216) have been better by that standard. In their nine losses last season, the Hoosiers were outscored by a combined 135 points.
ESPN BET Heisman Odds: +6000
Also accepting votes: Army QB Bryson Dailey (3 points), Alabama WR Ryan Williams (3), Navy QB Blake Horvath (2), Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (2), Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (2), Pitt RB Desmond Reed (1)
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