2024 has been the year of the running back. Across the footballing sphere, the dying position has been resuscitated back into vogue. From the top down- Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and CFB’s consensus best RB Ashton Jeanty. Befittingly, Jeanty is on the lookout to achieve something Henry last did. The successor to King Henry, all of 9 years in the making.

The last time an RB won the Heisman was Derrick Henry in 2015. Ashton Jeanty has, statistically, surpassed that campaign. Yet, the Boise State star is not the frontrunner in this race. If Ashton is bringing back an old-school position, his adversary, Travis Hunter, will introduce a whole new one. The unprecedented nature of his 2-way escapades has made him the favorite. However, recent events could open the door for the dynamic to shift. We may just have our first specimen of this.

Fox Sports’ X handle posted a question asking fans who their pick is for the Heisman. In a striking outcome, a plethora of replies in Jeanty’s favour have flooded in. Moreover, the post asked people to “Like for Ashton Jeanty” or “Repost for Travis Hunter”. The resultant ratio is more lopsided than a see-saw with one kid sitting on it! Jeanty won the public vote with 34,000 likes to a mere 1,000 reposts. Now, something as cursory and superficial as this doesn’t perfectly denote the notion of the Heisman race. However, one could argue that Travis’s most potent weapon is his popularity. That could be flailing, perhaps.

Colorado missing the playoffs is not a good omen for Travis Hunter in his campaign. The voting process for the Heisman Trophy is concluded after the National Championship. This inadvertently means that players on teams that make deep runs in the CFP have the benefit of more opportunities to prove their case. With the expanded 12-team postseason, this will only become more pronounced. Ashton Jeanty has been the biggest factor in Boise State’s disposition as a CFP team. The fans recognize that.

However, what works against the team, and by extension Ashton, is their sub-standard competition in the eyes of the powers that be. Competing in the Mountain West, outside of the Power 5 conferences, inhibits the program. Jeanty is battling not just Travis Hunter but also some prejudice.

Ashton Jeanty’s biggest disadvantage in the race is one he doesn’t control

Whoever is crowned the best player in college football among Ashton and Travis will have defied tradition. A non-QB winning the Heisman is quite rare, let alone one from a non-blueblood program. Merely 4 players playing other positions have broken the proverbial glass ceiling this millennium. As aforementioned, the most recent recipient as a running back was Derrick Henry. But even the future HOFer didn’t put up Ashton Jeanty’s numbers.

Henry accumulated 2,219 rush yards and 28 TDs in 2015. Jeanty has 2,288 and 28, respectively, in those categories. Plus, Jeanty still likely has a couple more games to pull away further. Despite this, he isn’t the favourite for the accolade.

This leans into the underlying prejudice that’s an obstacle he cannot control. Derrick Henry did it for the Alabama Crimson Tide, arguably the biggest program in the country. Ashton Jeanty is doing it in the Mountain West. Alas, at least the fans seem to recognize just how great a season he’s had. Travis Hunter, too, is a deserving winner in his own right. The podium they’ll share in New York at the Heisman ceremony will be lucky to have them on.