Heisman Trophy Watch: On3 expert analysis after Week 1

The first weekend of college football is officially in the books. From Colorado‘s win against North Dakota State on Thursday night to Boston College pulling off a stunner vs. Florida State, the Week 1 slate was full of incredible individual performances.

Nobody is going to win the Heisman Trophy after one game but the race can certainly take shape. A few players have emerged as candidates to be in New York City this December, hoping to take home college football’s most prestigious individual award.

On3’s national experts have provided ballots following Week 1, giving three names each. It’s early in the process but the Heisman Trophy journey is always a fun one to watch.

Andy Staples

1. Travis Hunter, Colorado
2. Cam Ward, Miami
3. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Hunter: No one has been able to do what Hunter has done — be a full-time starter on both sides of the ball — in decades, and few in the old days could play both positions as well as Hunter does. He might belong on this list as a receiver alone. But he’s also his team’s best cornerback

Ward: Ward proved why so many teams sought him in the transfer portal this offseason with 385 passing yards and three touchdowns in a win at Florida.

McMillan: A 304-yard receiving game is mind-boggling, but doing it on just 10 catches is positively stunning.

Ari Wasserman

1. Travis Hunter, Colorado
2. Cam Ward, Miami
3. Quinn Ewers, Texas

Hunter: While there is some trepidation that Colorado’s team won’t be good enough to keep him in the spotlight, there is no question Hunter is one of the best players in the sport. He plays for a high-profile team and makes dazzling plays that work quite well for Heisman moments.

Ward: What does America love more than a dynamic quarterback talent that brings a program back? Ward walked into The Swamp on Saturday and led the Hurricanes to a blowout win over Florida, playing an incredibly efficient game in the process. What if Ward brings “The U” back this year?

Ewers: The Heisman is about storylines as much as it is about performance. Ewers, once an incredibly-hyped recruit, has been a slow burn at Texas. But last year, he got the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff. If he continues to make strides — and some more of those sweet no-look touchdown passes — Texas is going to be in the national title hunt again and the hype train around him is going to take off.

Jesse Simonton

1. Cam Ward, Miami
2. Travis Hunter, Colorado
3. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Ward: Ward was a maestro at Florida, draining the Swamp of all its sound and fury with a nonchalant swagger and unbridled coolness. He had over 400 total yards, and never even looked like he broke a sweat.

Hunter: He really is him. Hunter tallied over 125 snaps in the Buffs’ win over North Dakota State, and all three of his receiving touchdowns were needed to get past the Bison. The body control, concentration and hands on his final score looked like a video game glitch.

Jeanty: How insane was Jeanty’s Week 1 stat line (267 rushing yards and six touchdowns)? He single-handedly out-gained 22 teams — including the likes of Florida, Texas A&M, West Virginia and Clemson — and his six touchdowns would be good for the 39th-best scoring offense in the country.

Charles Power

1. Cam Ward, Miami
2. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
3. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Ward: Cam Ward looked like the best player in college football on Saturday while leading Miami to a huge road win over Florida. His ability to coolly extend the play and find receivers downfield led to some electric moments.

Jeanty: Ashton Jeanty should no longer be one of the best kept secrets in college football after rushing for 267 yards and 6 touchdowns on just 20 carries in week one. Don’t be surprised if he’s the first running back drafted next April.

McMillan: Tetairoa McMillan torched man coverage en route to setting Arizona’s single-game receiving record – 304 yards and 4 touchdowns. His skill set and connection with quarterback Noah Fifita is very tough to stop.

JD PicKell

1. Cam Ward, Miami
2. Travis Hunter, Colorado
3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Ward: On the biggest stage of his life, Ward had zero flinch. His numbers were great (385 yards, 3 TDs, 74% completion percentage) but it was the fact that his heart rate never looked to go above resting that should excite Canes fans and concern the rest of CFB. Cristobal has a gamer at QB.

Hunter: Regardless of position, pound for pound, the best player in CFB. Did it all for Colorado vs NDSU with 3 receiving TDs (defying laws of science on the third grab). If he can continue to produce at the level he played at in Week 1, he will be in NYC in December.

Milroe: Very easy to see how the Kalen DeBoer offense is going to play to Milroe’s strengths. Looked in total command of the new system with 5 total TDs. If this is the jumping-off point, he’s going to have a special 2024 campaign.