Ashton Jeanty takes in Times Square ahead of Heisman Trophy ceremony

Heisman Trophy to be awarded Saturday

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

On a sunny and brisk Friday in New York City, Ashton Jeanty and his fellow Heisman Trophy finalists are enjoying the sites in Times Square. 

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Miami quarterback Cam Ward and the Boise State junior tailback are all in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. The ESPN telecast of the event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Mountain time Saturday. 

Heisman Trophy finalists Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter, Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward are enjoying the day in New York City. #Heisman pic.twitter.com/NKaZJNZAtd

— Bob Lundeberg (@The_Real_Bob) December 13, 2024

Thursday night, Jeanty picked up two national honors for his historic regular season. Jeanty won the Maxwell Award — college football’s player of the year — and the Doak Walker Award — best running back in college football. 

Jeanty leads the country in most rushing categories, including carries (344), yards (2,497) and touchdowns (29). Jeanty will enter the College Football Playoff ranked fourth on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list, trailing only Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (2,628 yards, 1988 season), Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (2,587, 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567, 2007). 

Jeanty needs 132 yards in the College Football Playoff to break Sanders’ record. Boise State (12-1), the No. 3 overall seed for the playoff, will meet the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 6 Penn State (11-2) and No. 11 SMU (11-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

No running back has lifted the Heisman Trophy since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015. Eight of the last 10 Maxwell Award winners have also received the Heisman.

Hunter also had a big night Thursday, winning the Bednarik Award, the Biletnikoff Award and the Walter Camp Award. The Bednarik Award goes to college football’s best defensive player while the Walter Camp Award is another player of the year honor. The Biletnikoff Award is for the nation’s top wide receiver. 

Hunter became the first player to win the Biletnikoff Award and Bednarik Award. 

A two-way standout, Hunter has 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions on defense. 

Hunter is a -2000 favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in the latest update from DraftKings. Jeanty is next at +800, followed by Gabriel (+25000) and Ward (+50000). 

If the odds are correct, Hunter will become the first two-way player to win the Heisman Trophy since Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997.

Hunter was a controversial pick for the Biletnikoff Award ahead of San Jose State’s Nick Nash, who led the country in receptions (104), yards (1,382) and touchdowns (16). Nash is the fourth player in FBS history to win the receiving triple crown.