Midseason Heisman Watch: JETT HATCH

Ashton Jeanty is the favorite at the midway point; Thin potential on the backend

JETT HATCH, Sports Columnist

October 16, 2024

Ashton Jeanty: Boise State is third in rushing in the country. They are 5.8 yards shy of Navy, a run-heavy team, but Navy runs using all positions on the field. That tells you how impressive Jeanty’s showing on the field has been. This is coming off a 217 rushing-yard performance. Jeanty has 1,248 rushing yards on 126 carries (9.9 yards per carry) and 17 rushing touchdowns. Eight of those touchdowns were from 50 yards or more. To compare, through six games, Barry Sanders had 1,156 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns in his historic 1988 season. Jeanty would be the first Group of Five running back to be a Heisman finalist since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2000 and the first Group of Five player at any position to be a finalist since Jordan Lynch in 2013.

Dillon Gabriel: Oregon was looking for a veteran quarterback in the transfer portal and they got one. Out of qualified quarterbacks, Gabriel’s 76.1% completion percentage is second in the country, only behind Florida’s Graham Mertz’s 76.6%. He has thrown for 1,790 yards and 13 touchdowns with three interceptions. If Oregon continues to win, Dillon Gabriel could be the best player on the best team.

Travis Hunter: Hunter is eighth in the country in receiving yards with 587 and sixth in the country in receptions with 49. That also includes six touchdowns, which is tied for 13th in the country. Hunter’s bigger worry is staying healthy for a whole season. Playing both sides of the ball has taken a toll on his body. Last year, he played on both sides of the ball in the first three games before getting injured and limiting his time. This year, he has gotten through six games before getting injured. We will see if he plays on Saturday.

Cam Ward: Ward is second in the country with 2,219 passing yards and is third in the country in QBR with 91.8. His 20 passing touchdowns are tied for first in the country, but that comes with a cost. Ward has an issue keeping the ball secure. His 4-to-1 TD-to INT ratio is not ideal and that does not include his fumbles. On top of that, Miami does not play a top-25 team all season. That does not give Cam Ward the chance for a Heisman moment. The biggest moment Ward has had is scoring 21 unanswered points against a team that is .500.

Kurtis Rourke: OH CANADA! OH CANADA! Rourke has one of the best stories in college football. He grew up in Oakville, Ontario and received only one offer out of high school to Ohio University. He accepted the offer. He became a three-year starter from 2021-2023 and was named the MAC MVP in 2022 and made the All-MAC team in 2022 and 2023. Once Curt Cignetti was named the head coach at Indiana University, he was looking for a quarterback who fit the system Cignetti wanted to run, but also someone that matched his energy and personality.

Rourke has done just that. He is second in QBR with 91.9 and third in completion percentage with 73.8%out of qualified quarterbacks. His 7-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio is better than Gabriel and Ward’s ratio. On top of that, he averages 11 yards per attempt, so he is taking shots downfield. Indiana averages 47.5 ppg, which is second in the country and 515.7 ypg, which is fourth in the country. If Indiana continues to win and make the playoffs, Kurtis Rourke will be in New York in December.

Watchlist: Jalen Milroe and the quarterbacks at the military academies; Blake Horvath and Bryson Daily.

This isn’t your common Army and Navy offense. Navy averages 11.8 passes per game. Horvath has 771 passing yards on 39 completions and seven touchdowns to one interception. His QBR is the best in the country with 92.8. Horvath also has 565 rushing yards on 66 carries (8.6 yards per carry) and ten rushing touchdowns. Army is not throwing it as much as Navy, only 6.2 passes per game. Daily has the fourth best QBR with an 88.5 and 482 passing yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. On the ground, he has 14 rushing touchdowns on 738 yards and 107 carries. That is 6.9 yards per carry.

This would be the first time three Heisman finalists would attend a university west of the Mississippi River since 2010 if this order stands. The three finalists from the West in 2010 were LaMichael James at Oregon, Andrew Luck at Stanford, and Kellen Moore at Boise State.