On3 Heisman Trophy Poll: Top 10 player rankings after Week 6

The 2024 Heisman Trophy race is well underway and we have some shakeups with some of the top candidates after a topsy-turvy weekend in the sport.

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

Each of the five 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. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State – 47 points

The Boise State running back takes the top spot this week in the Heisman Trophy polling, though it wasn’t quite a clean sweep with 50 points. He benefited from Travis Hunter being on a bye week, too.

Still, what Jeanty is doing is absurd. He ran for 186 yards and three touchdowns this week on just 13 carries. He’s already over 1,000 yards on the season and is averaging 10.9 yards per carry. Ridiculous.

2. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado – 46

Hunter dropped one point in this week’s polling, falling from the top spot while on a bye week. But his sheer ability is undeniable, and that’s what’s got him firmly in the Heisman Trophy race right now.

Playing both ways, Hunter has dazzled. In his last time out he did it in a humid Florida environment in a game against UCF that quickly turned into a blowout. He had nine catches for 89 yards and a touchdown and also picked off a pass.

3. QB Cam Ward, Miami – 41

For the second straight week, Ward led his team on a thrilling fourth-quarter journey for a win. He did throw an early pick-six in the contest against Cal, which contributed to the need to play from behind.

Still, he rebounded when he needed to and made play after play to get the Hurricanes back in it. And when the day ended, he had thrown for 437 yards with two touchdowns, while also rushing for a score. Not bad at all.

4. WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State – 24

The freshman standout for Ohio State continues to impress on a weekly basis and this week it was a nasty one-handed touchdown grab that drew the headlines. Smith finished the game against Iowa with four catchees for 89 yards and a touchdown.

The former five-star prospect has now recorded a touchdown in each of Ohio State’s five games this season. He’s got 23 catches for 453 yards and six touchdowns, while also logging two carries for 33 yards and a touchdown.

5. QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana – 20

Indiana is off to a 6-0 start and while the competition hasn’t been fierce by any means, that’s still very impressive. Rourke has been a huge part of that success as the team’s signal-caller.

In six games, Rourke is completing 73.8% of his passes and has thrown for 1,752 yards and 14 touchdowns, against just two interceptions. He’s also run for two scores, showing the occasional dual-threat ability.

T-6. QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama – 19

Milroe’s Heisman Trophy chances took a bit of a hit thanks to Alabama’s upset at the hands of Vanderbilt, a shocking result in college football. Milroe was good in the loss, going 18-of-24 passing for 310 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a score. He did throw an interception for the second straight week.

The dual-threat quarterback has run for a touchdown in every game this season. He’s also thrown for at least one touchdown in every game, clearly the heart and soul of the Crimson Tide offense.

T-6. WR Ryan Williams, Alabama – 19

Williams did his best to keep Alabama in a tight game against Vanderbilt, even getting creative and scoring off an end-around. He also had another of those ridiculous sideline catches where he bounced free of two defenders and scored.

His sheer ability is eye-popping. And the numbers back that up. Williams has scored a touchdown in every game this season. He’s got seven total touchdowns and has logged 19 catches for 544 yards.

8. QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse – 9

Syracuse won a thrilling overtime game against UNLV and McCord continued to put up the same kind of numbers he has all year long. He threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns, though he did throw one interception.

How consistent has he been? McCord has thrown for between 339 and 385 yards in each of his five starts this season. He has 1,814 yards passing, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions.

T-9. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 7

Pavia’s numbers won’t blow anyone away; through five games he’s yet to crack 1,000 yards passing. But he has been absolute nails for the Commodores and helped lead them to an upset of the No. 1 Crimson Tide. He also nearly scored an upset of a top-10 Missouri team, falling in overtime.

What makes Pavia so special is his sheer energy. He’s an explosive leader, capable of rallying his guys. He has yet to throw an interception this year and his dual-threat ability has added a new dimension to the Vanderbilt offense.

T-9. QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson – 7

The Clemson quarterback has really settled into his own after entering the year facing significant scrutiny regarding the starting job. Klubnik has now thrown for 14 touchdowns in the last four games, while rushing for four more.

Clemson has ripped off four straight wins and looks to be a bona fide threat to Miami in the ACC race. Klubnik has 1,219 yards passing, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions, while he’s also run for 168 yards and four scores.

Others Receiving Heisman Trophy Votes

QB Carson Beck, Georgia – 6
QB Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh – 6
CB Will Johnson, Michigan – 5
QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU – 5
WR Ricky White III, UNLV – 5
QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon – 3
QB Will Howard, Ohio State – 3
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona – 2
RB Darius Taylor, Minnesota – 1
QB Bryson Daily, Army – 1

There’s a wide swath of players in the receiving votes category, which is indicative of a large field after the Heisman Trophy favorites. Some will be dependent on their team’s success going forward — Holstein, Nussmeier and Daily stand out there — while some are posting big numbers for their position but may have trouble gaining more traction. In any case, this year’s race is shaping up to be a fascinating one, so tune in next week to see how things shift.