Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. The two-way Colorado superstar achieved feats no one ever saw before in college football this season.
But this year’s runner-up feels he could have taken the trophy himself.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty had a season to remember in 2024. The Broncos star ran for over 2,000 rushing yards, and hardly any team could stop him.
While Jeanty congratulated Hunter on his victory Saturday night, the Boise State star confidently believes he could have “walked away” with the Heisman.
“I really felt like I should’ve walked away with the award, but kudos to Travis for winning,” Jeanty said via ESPN.com. “But yeah, it’s simple as that. Work harder, go harder.”
That’s about as honest an assessment you can get of the situation. Jeanty was confident in himself for his efforts this year, and he has every right to be. Hunter played dynamically, but so did he. Plus, Jeanty’s Broncos are going to the College Football Playoff. You can argue that his success led to Boise State’s Mountain West Conference victory and CFP berth.
Voters appeared to agree that the margins were thin. Hunter won the Heisman Trophy over Jeanty by fewer than 300 votes. Both players were superior to everyone else, so it’s no surprise they received a great deal of the vote. And by that end, it’s no surprise it was that close.
If the wind blew a bit differently, the Heisman may be heading to Boise, not Boulder. That’s just the way it goes.
[ESPN.com]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022