Heisman Trophy Watch: On3 expert analysis after Week 6

We’re officially six weeks into the college football season and the Heisman Trophy race is taking much more clear shape, though there are still several contenders.

As we continue through the season, our experts at On3 will continue to evaluate and discuss which players deserve mention for college football’s most prestigious award. There are still dozens right now, even this far into the season.

Let’s take a look at the top selections from our On3 national experts, with their top three in the Heisman Trophy running listed below.

Andy Staples

1. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
2. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
3. QB Cam Ward, Miami

Travis Hunter: Hunter didn’t play this week, but he’ll get his biggest challenge yet next week against Kansas State.

Ashton Jeanty: Jeanty entered the Utah State game averaging 10.3 yards a carry and his average went up to 10.9 yards a carry after he went for 186 yards on 13 with three touchdowns.

Cam Ward: Ward had to work some magic — and overcome a pick-six he threw — to beat Cal. He wound up throwing for 437 yards and two touchdowns in the comeback victory.

Ari Wasserman

1. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
2. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
3. QB Cam Ward, Miami

Travis Hunter: Hunter is the most complete player in college football and you could make the case he means more to Colorado than anyone else does for their team. He’s simply the best choice until someone proves otherwise.

Ashton Jeanty: Every single time Jeanty touches the ball something good happens. He just racked up 186 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries. He’s a machine.

Cam Ward: Miami was down 35-10 midway through the third quarter and Ward led his team all the way back for the thrilling victory. He threw for 437 yards and kept his head after throwing a pick-six earlier in the game. He’s a gamer and a definite Heisman Trophy contender.

Jesse Simonton

1. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
2. QB Cam Ward, Miami
3. QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

Ashton Jeanty: Boise State’s Mighty Mouse tailback is on pace to break Barry Sanders’ all-time, single-season record for rushing yards. He’s already eclipsed 1,000 in five games.

Cam Ward: He threw a horrible pick-six, but Ward’s playmaking ability and rocket arm was the reason Miami was able to erase a 35-10 deficit on the road.

Kurtis Rourke: The Hoosiers are 6-0, have the No. 3 scoring offense in the country and their former G5 quarterback has 16 touchdowns, is completing 74% of his throws at 11.0 yards per attempt. Give the man some respect!

Charles Power

1. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
2. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
3. QB Cam Ward, Miami

Ashton Jeanty: His season is tracking similar to Barry Sanders’ 1988 Heisman Trophy campaign. He’s already eclipsed 1,000 yards in just 95 carries despite not playing into the second half in two games.

Travis Hunter: He holds steady coming off of a bye week, with a significant Big 12 tilt against Kansas State coming up.

Cam Ward: Ward led Miami to a second come-from-behind victory in as many weeks, throwing for 437 yards on the road at Cal. Ward’s steady hand late in games has been the difference in the Hurricanes’ 6-0 start.

JD PicKell

1. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
2. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
3. QB Cam Ward, Miami

Travis Hunter: I do not care that he was on a bye. He’s the best player in college football right now until he has a noticeably down week or someone, consistently, out performs him.

Ashton Jeanty: Yes, it’s against G5 competition, and no Jeanty moving up to No. 2 is not because of Boise State Twitter in my mentions. Jeanty averaged 14 yards per carry against Utah State. It will take a lot for him to win the Heisman Trophy but he’s setting a nice pace and Saturday’s chaos for some other contenders helped.

Cam Ward: It was not a great first half (again) for Cam Ward but he went absolutely nuts in the second half and finished with over 400 yards passing as Miami got an impactful comeback win on the road.