Heisman Trophy contenders: Miami's Cam Ward headlines the Top 5 candidates from the ACC/Notre Dame 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.

I debuted the series with the SEC, and then took a look at the top candidates from the Big Ten. 

Today, it’s the ACC/Notre Dame’s day in the spotlight. 

The league isn’t exactly flush with a deep pool of Heisman Trophy contenders, but Miami’s Cam Ward stands out as a legitimate preseason candidate.

Neither Florida State (DJ Uiagalelei) nor Clemson (Cade Klubnik) look to have a contender for the award, but a couple mid-tier ACC programs could conceivably produce an out-of-left-field candidate if they manage to lead their team to historic seasons.  

The Top 5 Heisman Trophy contenders from the ACC/Notre Dame in 2024:

1. QB Cam Ward, Miami

The Hurricanes’ quarterback is among the most valuable transfers this past cycle and is far and away the ACC’s top candidate to win the Heisman Trophy this fall. 

Ward is a touchdown-maker (61 total in two seasons at Wazzu) and a big-time trash-talker who now plays for a program desperate to become nationally relevant again. If he proves to be the missing piece for Mario Cristobal’s team, and helps lead the ‘Canes to perhaps their first ACC Championship or a berth in the College Football Playoff, Ward may have the best narrative arc of any contender in 2024.

2. QB Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

Leonard could be a sneaky darkhorse candidate in 2024, as the former Duke transfer will now be in the spotlight playing quarterback for one of the most popular brands in the sport. 

He definitely must see a huge uptick in production after totaling just seven touchdowns in an injury-riddled 2023 season, but Leonard will be surrounded by much better talent (especially at offensive line and receiver). Leonard did have 33 total touchdowns in 2022 when he led the Blue Devils to one of their best seasons in school history. If he leads the Irish back to the CFP, then he’ll be on the shortlist of candidates with a spot in New York City.

3. QB Grayson McCall, NC State

The next three quarterbacks all have similar candidacy paths to New York City: Deliver overwhelming stats on a team that exceeds expectations and gets to the ACC Championship. 

Unlike the QBs at Florida State or Clemson, if NC State makes its first-ever trip to the title game, then Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall will be seen as the difference maker in getting the program over the hump. McCall played in just seven games in 2023, but in the previous three seasons, he averaged 10.0 yards per attempt with 93 total touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

4. QB Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech

The Hokies’ offense woke up once Brent Pry turned to Drones, and now they return the most production offensively of any team in the country in 2024. Drones is a true dual-threat talent, throwing 17 touchdowns to just three picks while nearly rushing for 1,000 yards. 

With a full season of starts, he could have over 4,000 total yards. In most years, Drones likely wouldn’t have any shot to contend for the Heisman, but in a wide-open race, what happens if he puts up huge numbers and leads the Hokies to a surprising 10-2-type season?

5. QB Preston Stone, SMU

Barring a total stunner, Preston Stone will not win the Heisman Trophy this season. His preseason odds sit around 150/1, but I’d take that longshot bet over the likes of DJ U or Klubnik, who won’t put up similar stats and won’t be responsible for their team’s ultimate success. 

Stone led the Mustangs to the AAC Championship in 2023, throwing for 3,200 yards with 32 total touchdowns. He’d need to be even better this fall to stand any chance of meriting consideration for NYC, but if SMU stuns some teams in Year 1 of the ACC, I guess it’s possible.

ONE WILD CARD CANDIDATE

I’ve previously noted how difficult it is for tailbacks to contend for the Heisman Trophy in today’s college football (reminder: the last RB-winner was Derrick Henry nine years ago), but what if North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton rushes for like 2,000 yards and leads UNC (just a preseason win-total of 7.5) back to Charlotte?

Last season, Hampton finished fifth nationally with 1,504 yards with 15 touchdowns. He averaged less than 20 attempts per game though, and his usage could spike with UNC’s question marks at quarterback. It’s been five years since a tailback cracked the 2,000-yard mark — when in 2019 four tailbacks accomplished such a feat including Chuba Hubbard, JK Dobbins and Jonathan Taylor.