College Football 2024 Heisman Trophy Watchlist After Week 10

Justin's NCAA college football top Heisman Trophy contenders after Week 10 of the 2024 season. Top candidates include Travis Hunter and Cameron Ward.

Week 10 of the college football season is in the rearview mirror and the 2024 Heisman race continues to be one of the most fun races in recent memory as it isn't just a quarterback battle.

No trophy in college sports means as much as the Heisman Trophy, which recognizes the best player in college football. That's why each week, I'll be taking stock of the top 10 contenders for the trophy.

Below are the top 10 Heisman contenders after Week 10 of the college football season. These are the 10 players who I view as having the best shot to win the trophy based on their performances this season.

10. Garrett Nussmeier - QB, LSU

LSU was off this past week, so Garrett Nussmeier stays right where he was last time out. But he's definitely trending down after that loss to Texas A&M as he was picked off three times and completed only 50% of his passes.

Still, Nussmeier was leading the SEC in touchdown passes before the off-week, which counts for something. He's also been picked off nine times, though.

Season Stats: 62.5% completion rate, 2,627 yards, 20 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, three rushing touchdowns

9. Cade Klubnik - QB, Clemson

Clemson was in the driver's seat in the ACC before a 33-21 loss to Louisville this week disrupted that. Cade Klubnik was 33-for-56 for 228 yards with one touchdown in the loss, which snapped a six-game win streak for the Tigers. Klubnik had been playing some really good football, but he's struggled in both Clemson losses.

Cade Klubnik definitely has some NFL-level throws even in his worst games pic.twitter.com/KnsdP2wSid

— Hail Mary Sports (@hailmarysportss) November 4, 2024

Season Stats: 65.1% completion rate, 2,064 yards, 21 touchdowns, three interceptions, four rushing touchdowns

8. Jalen Milroe - QB, Alabama

Alabama was off this past week. Here's what I wrote about my indifference toward his Heisman case last week:

"Alabama's Jalen Milroe didn't throw a pick this weekend, ending a four-game stretch of throwing at least one interception. He also hasn't thrown more than one touchdown since Sept. 28 against Georgia."

It's just tough to really know how to judge Milroe at this point because Alabama doesn't look like the Alabama we're used to seeing. Milroe is doing a lot of great stuff with his legs, but it's translated to two losses in the past four games.

Season Stats: 67.5% completion rate, 1,937 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, 12 rushing touchdowns

7. Shedeur Sanders - QB, Colorado

We have another player who was off this past weekend. Shedeur Sanders has impressed for Colorado, but his Heisman case is unfairly dinged by the fact that he isn't the most important player on his own team.

Still, Sanders leads the Big 12 in completion percentage and touchdown passes. The Buffaloes have been a big surprise this year and Sanders deserves much of the credit, even if Travis Hunter gets more of that credit.

Season Stats: 73.3% completion rate, 2,591 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, two rushing touchdowns

6. Jaxson Dart - QB, Ole Miss

It's impossible to deny that Jaxson Dart had one of the best games from a quarterback all season this week, throwing for 515 yards and six touchdowns in a 63-31 win over Arkansas, but I don't want to move him up too far after that.

Because while Dart's had a good year, 15 of his 21 touchdown passes came in games against Furman, Georgia Southern, and Arkansas. In the other six games, he has just one game with multiple touchdown passes. I need to see him have a game like this against Georgia this Saturday to be fully back on board.

Season Stats: 71.7% completion percentage, 3,210 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, four rushing touchdowns

5. Kurtis Rourke - QB, Indiana

Not having Kurtis Rourke on this list before now was a big miss, but I was letting the betting odds influence things a bit too much. It's time to talk about Rourke and Indiana.

Opponent-adjusted QB EPA/dropback through week 10

Dead-heat at the top between Will Howard, Kurtis Rourke, and Jaxson Dart. pic.twitter.com/hzJnMvj9yw

— Bill Radjewski | CollegeFootballData.com (@CFB_Data) November 4, 2024

After throwing for 263 yards and four touchdowns against Michigan State, the Hoosiers are 8-0 and Rourke has been a big part of that, throwing a Big Ten-best 19 touchdown passes this season.

Sure, Indiana hasn't played a very tough schedule, but he has a shot to get the final spot in New York if he can win the next three, especially a big road visit to Ohio State on Nov. 23.

Season Stats: 73.3% completion rate, 2,204 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, two rushing touchdowns

4. Ashton Jeanty - RB, Boise State

Ashton Jeanty had 31 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns against San Diego State, which is really good! But to win the Heisman as a small school running back, you have to be otherworldly good, which Jeanty was for most of the season.

The last two weeks, he's been under five years per carry, which is notable because it seemed like he was reeling off 10 yards any time he touched the ball for a while there.

Jeanty is still having one of the best seasons of all time for a running back, but I'm just not sure it's enough to get him past the right hurdles.

Season Stats: 60 receptions, 757 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns, 21 tackles, two interceptions

3. Dillon Gabriel - QB, Oregon

Oregon remains undefeated after beating Michigan this week. Dillon Gabriel was 22-for-34 for 294 yards and a touchdown in the victory and also added a score on the ground.

It's been a strong year for Gabriel, though you might ding him a bit for not playing the Bo Nix role quite as well as Bo Nix played it last year. But that's nitpicking—or Nix-picking, I suppose.

Season Stats: 74.8% completion rate, 2,665 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, six rushing touchdowns

2. Travis Hunter - WR/CB, Colorado

Colorado was off last week, but Travis Hunter jumps to No. 2 because...well, because in a year where one quarterback seems to be running away from the pack, a guy like Hunter who plays both sides of the ball at a high level makes perfect sense to be the No. 2 guy in the race.

Season Stats: 60 catches for 757 yards and eight touchdowns, 21 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions

1. Cameron Ward - QB, Miami

There's no surprise here. Cam Ward is the frontrunner for the Heisman at this point as he's led Miami to a 9-0 start. He was 25-for-41 for 400 yards and five touchdowns against Duke this week and was picked off once.

#Miami QB Cam Ward through 9 games:

• 204 points responsible for — No. 1
• 158 first downs — No. 1
• 91.7 QB rating — No. 1
• 33 total TDs — No. 1
• 29 pass TDs — No. 1
• 23 big-time throws — No. 1
• 3,146 pass yards — No. 2

Except for *1 | #HE1SMAN pic.twitter.com/TUNFTohXM8

— Geo Milian (@GeoMilian) November 4, 2024

Ward leads FBS in touchdown passes with 29. He leads the ACC in yards with 3,146. He's been the best quarterback in college football this year and if he avoids a meltdown over the remainder of the season, he's taking home the Heisman.

Season Stats: 67.1% completion rate, 3,146 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, six interceptions, three rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown

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