On3 Heisman Trophy Poll: Top 10 player rankings after Week 14

The consensus at the top of the Heisman Trophy polling continues, with Colorado‘s Travis Hunter a unanimous favorite to claim the award according to the On3 national experts.

On3’s national experts have been closely monitoring some of the biggest outings of the season and have looked for consistency from week to week. Today, they compile their poll of the top 10 candidates.

Each of the four national experts submitted a ballot with his top 10 players on it, and we’ve compiled the results to create a complete ranking using points — 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for second, etc. Let’s get into how the rankings unfolded below.

1. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado – 40 points

Every week you think you’ve seen Hunter do something he can’t top, then he goes and does it again. How about a day with 10 catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns on offense, as well as a tackle, an interception and two pass breakups on defense?

Hunter is doing things no one has done in the sport in a long, long time. The most versatile two-way player seems close to a lock to win the Heisman Trophy at this point, though he’ll be at home this week after Colorado couldn’t quite squeeze its way into the conference championship game.

2. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State – 36

It might simply be impossible for Jeanty to catch Hunter at this point, because if he hasn’t done it by now it’s hard to imagine what it would take. Jeanty had another monster day against Oregon State, rushing for 226 yards and a touchdown.

His per-carry average has come down throughout the second half of the season, but Jeanty is still averaging 7.3 yards per carry as the sole focal point of the offense. That’s downright absurd given he’s had 312 carries this year.

3. QB Cam Ward, Miami – 31

Miami fell for the second time in three games, unable to muster up some late-game magic. It was through little fault of Ward that the team wasn’t in it, though. Ward threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns.

In most years, Ward’s numbers — 4,123 yards passing and 36 touchdowns — would be enough to win the award. But with Hunter and Jeanty doing absurd things, Ward has found himself stuck in third in our Heisman Trophy polling in recent weeks.

4. QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon – 26

One of the Heisman Trophy candidates who is still playing football prior to the final voting, Gabriel hasn’t been flashy, he’s just been consistently good. He threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Washington, while rushing for another score.

On the season, Gabriel’s numbers are solid, though perhaps not spectacular. He has thrown for 3,275 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He has also run for seven touchdowns and 175 yards.

5. RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State – 24

If the award is designed to go to the best player, Skattebo has an argument based on how much he has elevated his squad. He’s been the heart and soul of an Arizona State team that now has a chance to go to the playoffs with a Big 12 title.

Skattebo has now had back-to-back games with three touchdown rushes, this time a 21-carry, 177-yard outing against rival Arizona. On the season he has 1,398 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. He also has two receiving touchdowns and 468 yards receiving.

6. TE Tyler Warren, Penn State – 20

If Hunter has an argument to win the Heisman Trophy based on his versatility, Warren can make a similar case, albeit to a lesser extent. He’s proven quite versatile as an offensive weapon, as evidenced by his 189 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

But he’s also excellent as a receiver. The talented tight end has logged 81 catches for 978 yards and six touchdowns, proving the most reliable pass-catcher this season for Penn State from the tight end position.

7. QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana – 12

The Indiana quarterback guided his squad to an 11-1 regular season. No matter who you’re playing, that’s impressive. And Rourke saved his best for last when it comes to the Heisman Trophy race.

He threw for 349 yards and a season-high six touchdown passes against Purdue, helping lead Indiana to a 66-0 blowout. On the season Rourke has 2,827 yards passing and 27 touchdowns, against just four interceptions.

T-8. QB Riley Leonard, Notre Dame – 6

Most were ready to count out Leonard and Notre Dame after Week 2, when the Irish lost to Northern Illinois and Leonard threw two touchdowns without an interception. Leonard has been a different quarterback since then.

The dual-threat quarterback has some of the best rushing numbers for a quarterback in the country, having logged 721 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He has also thrown for 2,092 yards and 16 touchdowns, against five interceptions.

T-8. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado – 6

Few have raised the profile of their team as much as Sanders, who has been awesome offensively all season long. The fact that he’s been that productive without a consistent run game and behind a still-occasionally-shaky offensive line is even more impressive.

Sanders threw for a season-high five touchdowns in a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State. He finished the regular season with 3,926 yards passing and 35 touchdowns, numbers that rival any other quarterback out there this season.

10. QB LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina – 5

Sellers has South Carolina on the cusp of playoff contention, needing some definite help but within striking distance if enough breaks the right way. And oh what could have been for the Gamecocks, who lost heart-breakingly close games against LSU and Alabama.

The quarterback has led the charge with his dual-threat ability. Sellers came through in the clutch against Clemson, delivering the game-winning 20-yard touchdown run. He has 655 yards rushing and seven touchdowns now, to go along with 2,274 yards passing and 17 touchdowns.

Also Receiving Heisman Trophy Votes

QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss – 3
RB Dylan Sampson, Tennessee – 2
QB Kevin Jennings, SMU – 2
WR Ricky White III, UNLV – 2
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State – 1

A handful of Heisman Trophy contenders are listed among the others receiving votes category, but it’s too late for most of them to make a real push. Only Jennings and White will play in conference title games, and it would take a Herculean effort to vault them up toward the front of the pack for college football’s most prestigious award.