Heisman Trophy contenders: Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe headline the SEC's Top 5 candidates in 2024

After a one-year hiatus, college football’s most prestigious award returned to the SEC last season, as LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was crowned the Heisman Trophy winner after his record-setting season. 

The SEC has taken home the Heisman Trophy in four of the last five seasons, with a former Oklahoma quarterback (Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield) the other players to win the award since Lamar Jackson in 2016. 

Over the next week, we’ll look at the Top 5 candidates from each Power 5 conference (and Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard). 

This year’s Heisman Trophy race figures to be as wide-open as ever. 

There is no returning winner (unlike the last two seasons) and no obvious frontrunner, either.

There’s a school of thought that the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field could provide more opportunities for players (still mostly QBs) on teams not necessarily in the mix to contend for the Heisman Trophy. With fewer and fewer undefeated teams, there could be a wider net on the pool of candidates. 

Caleb Williams became the first Heisman Trophy winner since Lamar Jackson not to lead his team to the College Football Playoff, and then it happened again with Daniels just last season.

That being said, these projections aim to identify potential candidates who have a somewhat-realistic case to contend for the award. Rarely, if ever, will a defensive player merit mention — not because stars like Caleb Downs or James Pearce aren’t worthy but Heisman Trophy voters have shown a complete refusal to even seriously consider defensive talent in recent seasons.

It was just two years ago that Will Anderson didn’t even net an invite to New York City after posing a season with over 33 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. 

So with that, I’ll kickstart the series in the SEC, which does have several of the nation’s top candidates in terms of preseason odds, per FanDuel. 

With that, the SEC’s Top 5 Heisman Trophy candidates in 2024:

1. QB Carson Beck, Georgia

Although there is no undisputed frontrunner in 2024, Beck does enter the season widely considered the top quarterback in the country — which gives the Bulldogs’ signal-caller a head-start in the competition. 

In his first season as a starter, Beck threw for nearly 4,000 yards with 28 touchdowns, six picks and an adjusted completion percentage of 80.1. 

He’ll be surrounded by even more talent in this fall (both OL and playmakers) and is the QB1 for the No. 1 team in the country, which will give Beck the type of resume to seriously contend for a spot in NYC. 

2. QB Quinn Ewers, Texas

Ewers has yet to truly live up to his No. 1 overall prospect billing but perhaps that comes to fruition this fall. The Longhorns’ third-year starter has been at his best in big games (see: Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State last season) and Ewers will have plenty of chances to play in the spotlight against a schedule that includes Michigan, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. 

He threw for 3,500 yards last season, and although he’s working with a whole new cast of wideouts, Texas has another loaded receiver room this fall. 

If Ewers plays with more consistency and continues to lead a Texas team back into a national title contender, then he’s going to to be a Top 5 candidate — not just in the SEC but for the whole field. 

3. QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Despite getting mysteriously benched early last season, Milroe rebounded to finish sixth in Heisman voting after uncorking the miracle touchdown against Auburn and then leading Alabama to the upset over Georgia in the SEC Championship. 

The dual-threat talent had 35 total touchdowns in 2023 and could be even more prolific (especially as a truly unleashed runner) in Kalen DeBoer’s offense. 

Considering some have already started to throw cold water on Alabama’s upside in a post-Nick Saban world, if Milroe has a big season and leads the Tide back to Atlanta then he’ll have a super strong case.

4. QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

In a potential wide-open race, Dart is among the best “darkhorse” options as the starting quarterback for a Top 10 team looking to have its best season in school history — a year removed from its best season in school history. 

Dart led the Rebels to their first 11-win year in 2023, accounting for 31 total touchdowns to just five picks. He’ll have even more weapons to work with this season, as Ole Miss has gone all-in on marquee portal additions like former All-SEC wideout Juice Wells, FAU receiver Devin Price and Va. Tech tight end Dae’Quan Wright. 

If Dart can lead the Rebels to the College Football Playoff, then he should easily have the stats operating Lane Kiffin’s offense to merit serious consideration for the award. 

5. QB Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee

Iamaleava has started just a single game in his career, yet the Vols’ phenom has Top-10 Heisman Trophy odds because of his unique talent, situation and sky-high expectations. 

The former 5-star recruit will operate one of the most QB-friendly schemes, and in Josh Heupel’s system, Iamaleava should put up monster numbers — as both a passer and runner. 

Tennessee is considered a fringe CFP contender this fall, but if Iamaleava shines in showcase games against Oklahoma, Alabama or Georgia, then he could be the exact type of candidate (name cache + stats + raw upside) who wins the award on a 9-3 or 10-2 team (think Tim Tebow or Jayden Daniels). 

WILD CARD CANDIDATES 

The aforementioned quartet are the most likely contenders from the SEC, but they’re not the only players with a chance to hear their name called come December. 

While it is unlikely that LSU would produce back-to-back winners, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier at least bears mention. The Tigers must replace 1st-round receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., but they have maybe the best OL in the country and Nussmeier has put up gaudy numbers in spot duty. Now it’s his team. 

Elsewhere, Missouri is a Top 10 team whose best player is wideout Luther Burden III. It takes a special, special season for a receiver to win the award, but what if Burden, one of the most electric playmakers in the country, has a Devonta Smith 2.0 type year?