Colorado star Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player from the 2024 season, but Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty nearly outdid him in the final voting tally, creating the tightest finish between the first- and second-place candidates since 2009. Jeanty, who could break Barry Sanders’ longstanding single-season rushing record when the Broncos take the field in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, now unquestionably stands among the most talented players to fall short of securing college football’s highest individual honor.
Hunter and Jeanty were far and away the top two vote-getters with the former securing 552 first-place selections and the latter hauling in 309. Jeanty finished a mere 214 voting points behind Hunter in a narrow tally at 2,231 to 2,017.
«I really felt like I should’ve walked away with the award, but kudos to Travis for winning,» Jeanty said after the Heisman ceremony, via KTVB’s Jay Tust. «It’s simple as that. Work harder. Go harder. There’s a lot more to come. This isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning. So I just gotta do that much more to get the things that I want.»
Jeanty is in the final stages of a monstrous junior campaign at Boise State. He led the nation in carries (344), rushing yards (2,497) and touchdowns (29) through 13 games and made an impact in the receiving game, as well. He needs just 132 yards in the playoff to break Sanders’ single-season rushing record, and only twice this year did he fall short of that number in a game. One of those came against Portland State when he sat out for much of the blowout win.
«Obviously it wasn’t the result I was hoping for, but I kind of just had to take a moment and debrief and just appreciate the fact that I was even here,» Jeanty said. «The fact that I was here is going to be so inspiring to many. It’s very hard to reach this status and be a finalist as it is from any school, but from a Group of Five school, it makes it that much more challenging. So I’m proud of being here today.»
Though it is only a small consolation, Jeanty won the Heisman fan vote and appeared on nearly every single ballot among media voters. He also hauled in the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back and the Maxwell Award as the best all-around player in the sport. He is the first player to win both awards since 2015 and the only player from the Group of Five to do so.
«That just shows how many people support me, that can recognize not only the great athlete that I am but the great person. So that’s awesome. … I’m really nothing without my fans and the people who support me, so I’m very thankful for all of them who voted for me.»