Dan Mullen reveals Heisman Trophy ballot through September

As the calendar flips to October, some big-time performances in September shook up the Heisman Trophy race. Former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen released his Heisman ballot through September, highlighting the players who stood out the most.

Mullen pointed out the disclaimer that comes with the Heisman. It doesn’t go to the best player on the top team in the country, but the most important player in college football. However, he put Jalen Milroe – who led Alabama to a No. 1 ranking – in a tie for third place to recognize his hot start, alongside Cam Ward.

In second place, Mullen had the first player to receive a Heisman campaign this year in Ashton Jeanty. The Boise State star continues to emerge as one of the top players in the country and finds himself right in the thick of the race for college football’s most prestigious honor.

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— Dan Mullen (@CoachDanMullen) October 5, 2024

But at No. 1 in his September ballot, Mullen turned to the most electrifying player in college football. Two-way sensation Travis Hunter remains one of the biggest names in the Heisman race and takes the top spot in Mullen’s rankings entering October.

There’s still plenty of time for players to emerge and potentially punch their tickets to New York. Nonetheless, here’s a full breakdown of Mullen’s Heisman Trophy ballot through September.

T-3. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama; Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Both Jalen Milroe and Cam Ward came in at No. 3 in Dan Mullen’s Heisman ballot through September. Milroe is cementing himself as a top dual-threat quarterback with more than 300 yards of offense per game on his own, and his performance against Georgia helped lead Alabama to a monster victory at home.

Ward, meanwhile, has fit into Miami’s offense like a glove to start the year. He ranks third in the nation with 356.4 passing yards on average and is very much in the mix for the Heisman Trophy through the first month.

However, neither player came in as Mullen’s favorite to win the award. He opted to rank them both third on his September Heisman ballot because he saw better performances on teams that don’t have records as strong as Alabama or Miami.

“My September Heisman ballot starts with Jalen Milroe and Cam Ward in a tie for third,” Mullen said. “A lot of people have them at the top. They’ve both put up great months, had to put on shows in big games. But you know what? It’s the most outstanding player in all of college football. It’s not just the MVP of the top team.”

2. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Boise State didn’t waste any time starting Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman campaign, and he has lived up to the billing. He leads the nation with both 211.3 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, which is opening eyes around the country and puts him at No. 2 in Dan Mullen’s Heisman ballot after September.

“You’ve got to go to Ashton Jeanty, who gets that second-place vote because if you can watch him and you stay up super late … he averages over 10 yards a carry, has 13 touchdowns, averaging 211 yards per game,” Mullen said. “He is special and fun to watch.”

1. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

Travis Hunter continues to cement himself as a bona fide two-way threat at Colorado. He not only has 561 receiving yards and five touchdowns on offense this year, but he has 16 tackles and two interceptions on defense. That’s leading him to become a Heisman favorite, and he tops Mullen’s post-September ballot.

“The most outstanding player in college football, Travis Hunter,” Mullen said. “When you turn on the Buffs, he’s the best defensive player on the field, he’s the best offensive player on the field. He plays almost every snap of the game. And for that, as the most outstanding player in college football, he gets my Heisman September ballot.”

Of course, the race for the Heisman Trophy is going to keep changing as the season goes along. But some early performances are making things interesting so far.