Phil Steele ranks Top 10 2024 Heisman Trophy favorites

College football is littered with stars in 2024, and before the season gets underway here in a couple of months, it’s time to take a look at some of the potential Heisman Trophy candidates

College football magazine mogul Phil Steele is always an authority on the sport, especially when it comes to his preseason predictions. As is typically the case, for the 2024 issue, Steele extensively broke down the Heisman Trophy race, nominating in order his top-10 candidates ahead of the season.

So below, you can see what Phil Steele’s full top-10 ranking of the Heisman hopefuls. Take a look:

1. Dillon Gabriel | Oregon

Gabriel first started a college game back in the 2019 season for UCF. Now, after three years with the Knights and two more with Oklahoma, Gabriel will settle in as Bo Nix’s replacement as a sixth-year senior with a wealth of experience underneath his belt.

Phil Steele touted Gabriel’s age and experience, since he’ll surpass 15,000 career passing yards at the very beginning of this season. Plus, he notes that “numbers won’t be a problem, especially in a high-powered Duck offense that boasts my top receiving crops.” With top-end pass catchers, experience, and a history of gaudy numbers, DG is the top dog for Steele.

2. Carson Beck | Georgia

Beck is a young and emerging candidate with all the talent in the world and room for improvement, per Steele. In his first full season as the Georgia starter, he led the back-to-back champions to an undefeated regular season and nearly got to the CFP again if not for a loaded crop of contenders in 2023.

The campaign for a Heisman is daunting in the new SEC, and challenges await, but Steele says that just means ample opportunity for his No. 2 contender: “Beck goes head to head with three top-10 Heisman contenders all on the road, so there will be chances to drum up support this fall.”

3. Jalen Milroe | Alabama

You just can’t say the uber-talented Milroe is better off without Nick Saban, but for him personally, there was no bitter new fit than Kalen DeBoer, who we all just watched groom Michael Penix into a Heisman contender and top-10 NFL Draft pick. Imagine what he can do with Jalen Milroe and his extraordinary athletic traits.

Steele loved Milroe’s finish to the 2024 season and notes that he’s the leading returning vote-getter from last year’s Heisman ceremony. He expects Milroe’s “development as an all-around gamebreaker will continue under Kalen DeBoer” as Milroe comes in as a clear contender for the top individual award in college football.

4. Quinn Ewers | Texas

Bouncing back from an injury after a promising start to 2022, Ewers was all that and more in 2023, looking the part of a future first-round draft pick while leading the way for Texas’ best case for a ‘We’re Back!’ season in more than a decade. The ‘Horns are back in the title mix again in 2024, and it starts with Quinn Ewers.

The adonis-modeled and mullet-wearing Longhorn has a potentially special season in front of him, per Steele: “He has the supporting cast, the coaching staff, the arm talent and the stage to fulfill all his goals in year three.” Steele just questions whether he’ll be able to put up the necessary stas given some injury history and a lack of booming pass yard/touchdown numbers.

5. Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss

In his third full season as starter after leading two successful Ole Miss seasons in 2022 and 2023, the Rebels and Dart waltz into 2024 with perhaps their most loaded roster yet and a wealth of expectations. Steele loves Dart and the team, but it’ll come down to those marquee matchups.

Steele notes that Dart is “coming off his best season” after “improving in every passing category,” which signals room for even more improvement. However, to make a serious push for the Heisman, Phil Steele says “he’ll have to be better against the top opponents on the schedule — LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia.”

6. Will Howard | Ohio State

Howard isn’t one for flair and massive numbers, and many casual fans may hardly know his name after several years spent down at a very strong Kansas State program. But with a move up to Ohio State and the surrounding talent they have to offer, Howard could excel.

Steele touts the OSU offense, claiming: “Howard has been given the keys to a loaded Buckeye offense that might have the best all-around skill position talent in the country.” Of course, the spotlight of playing QB for the likely No. 1 or No. 2 preseason team will certainly help.

7. Cam Ward | Miami

Ward’s placement now marks five out of the top seven contenders on this list who at one point transferred schools, while the other two were five-star prospects staying the course at Alabama and Georgia. For Ward, he goes from one corner of the continental United States to the other, from Pullman, WS to South Beach.

Passing yards always come in bunches at Washington State, but Phil Steele thinks this former Cougar could be a resurrective power under center at The U. “If Ward is the reason the Canes rise again in 2024, he’ll get a ton of support from Heisman voters.” And clearly, he’s showcased the talent to make a good team great, if that’s what they’ve got down there in Miami.

8. Riley Leonard | Notre Dame

Bingo, that’s another transfer! After fine year with Sam Hartman at quarterback, Notre Dame is running it back with another veteran ACC transfer to take snaps in 2024 in the form of former Duke Blue Devil Riley Leonard. However, he is coming off a major ankle injury.

Before his ’23 campaign was ended prematurely, Steele notes that “when health, he’s a dynamic open-field runner who was improving as a passer.” With more attention and high-profile matchups, Leonard could emerge as one of the stars of the season, per Steele.

9. Shedeur Sanders | Colorado

It’s not every season you’ll see two players off a 4-8 team get the nod as Heisman contenders, but Sanders as well as two-way star Travis Hunter have both picked up a little bit of Heisman steam ahead of their 2024 campaigns. Steele likes Sanders in his top-10 and listed Hunter among his other contenders.

When it comes to Shedeur Sanders, Steele was impressed with the production in 2023 despite some poor OL play. “He threw 27 touchdown passes and just three picks, despite playing behind a line that allowed the second-most sacks in the FBS.” The numbers should be there again, but his case comes down to Colorado actually improving as a team.

10. Ollie Gordon | Oklahoma State

“Just four non-QBs have won the Heisman in the last 23 years,” says Phil Steele. “If anyone breaks that trend this year, Gordon is most likely to do it.”

Gordon broke through for an FBS-leading 1,732 rushing yards along with 22 total touchdowns in a monstrous season to lead Oklahoma State’s return to the Big 12 Championship. If he somehow exceeds those figures and Oklahoma State wins the whole conference, then that stiff-arming figurine could be all his.