Heisman Trophy Watch: On3 expert analysis after Week 9

Week 9 of the college football season is in the books. With that, the Heisman Trophy race is continuing to take shape as the front runners are jockeying for position at the top.

Throughout the season, experts at On3 have and will continue to provide analysis and discuss the race for the Heisman Trophy. There is still plenty of time for players to make their moves and compete for the Heisman. So, for the time being, it’s a relatively open field for the Heisman Trophy.

Here’s a look at what players the experts from On3 have at the top of the rankings for the Heisman Trophy race, with their top three listed as well as analysis from them below.

Andy Staples

1. Travis Hunter, Colorado
2. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
3. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

Hunter: Hunter had injury issues his previous two games but played the entire game against Cincinnati and dominated. He played 132 snaps, caught two touchdown passes as a receiver and broke up four passes as a corner. No one else can do this. No one.

Jeanty: It’s a testament to how amazing Jeanty has been to this point that a 128-yard, one-touchdown rushing performance can be considered a down game. The truth is Jeanty is running into loaded boxes and absorbing punishment like no other back and still gaining yards.

Gabriel: Gabriel made a good defense look silly on Saturday, throwing for 291 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-9 win against Illinois.

Ari Wasserman

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

Hunter: We haven’t seen another player do as much as Hunter in terms of workload. He literally never comes out of the game. But what’s even more impressive is how well he plays on both sides of the ball. Though an injury may hurt him in his quest to accumulate numbers, he scored two times in Colorado’s 34-23 win over Cincinnati. The Buffaloes are now bowl eligible for the first time since 2016.

Jeanty: There is a real case to be made that Jeanty is one of the five best running backs of the College Football Playoff era. Though he had a “down” game — finishing with only 128 yards and a touchdown — he touched the ball eight times on a 14-play, game-clinching drive in a critical win over UNLV on Friday night. Oh, three of those plays were kneel-downs. Jeanty is just special.

Ward: Miami advanced to 8-0 and Ward threw for 208 yards. He also caught a touchdown pass. He’s a triple threat. Ward is the engine that moves one of college football’s best offenses and you get the feeling if it weren’t for him, the Hurricanes would have a few losses. If he’s the difference, that’s Heisman worthy.

Jesse Simonton

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

Jeanty: A 128 yards and a touchdown is a quality night for almost every other tailback in America, but for Jeanty, who is chasing Barry Sanders’ all-time record, it was easily his worst game of the year. So what? He still powered Boise State to a big win over UNLV, punching in the go-ahead score on 4th-and-goal and then helping the Broncos run out the clock to end the game.

Hunter: That’s the Travis Hunter we’ve all come to revere and revel at. Colorado’s two-way star was finally healthy after playing sparingly the last two games, and all Hunter did was have over 150 yards receiving with two touchdowns and three pass breakups as a corner.

Ward: Ward had a down game against FSU, failing to throw for over 300 yards or a single touchdown for the first time all season. He did catch a score, and the body of work (28 total TDs) remains strong. If his play continues to falter, though, he’ll drop from the rankings because Dillon Gabriel is nipping at his heels.

J.D. PicKell

1. Travis Hunter, Colorado
2. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
3. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Hunter: I’d be okay with just giving Travis Hunter the Heisman today. If the award is truly given to the best football player in America, there is becoming less room for debate. If he can stay healthy, it’s his.

Gabriel: Gabriel just continues to deliver (291 yds, 3 TDs – 1 INT vs Illinois). If the award goes to the best player on the best team, Gabriel is going to have a very legit shot to win it.

Jeanty: Even with a “pedestrian” day at the office, Jeanty still went for over 100 yards against UNLV. He’s going to need some breaks to win the Heisman but still very much in the mix.

Charles Power

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

Jeanty: 106 of Ashton Jeanty’s 128 yards came after contact in Boise State’s big road win over UNLV on Friday night. The nation’s leading rusher has Boise State on track to earn a playoff bid.

Hunter: Travis Hunter has made the Heisman race more interesting now that he’s back to full health after being limited for two weeks. Hunter went for over 150 yards and two touchdowns while also playing well at corner. Colorado has a shot of finishing with 9 or 10 wins, with Hunter playing a massive role in that success.

Ward: Cam Ward has willed Miami to an 8-0 record and is at the helm of the nation’s No. 1 offense. He had his least productive game of the season to date against Florida State and has several more opportunities to rise back up the pecking order.