Ashton Jeanty is topping almost every Heisman race prediction with his stellar performance this season. After crossing the 1,000-yard mark in just 90 carries, the Boise State RB leads the country with 1,248 rushing yards, 9.9 yards per carry, 17 rushing TDs, and 18 total TDs. But still, according to an ESPN analyst, there are other players who have a greater chance than the running back. 

Yahoo Sports shared a post on Instagram on October 19 which highlighted Kirk Herbstreit breaking down the Heisman race. He described it as a “tight race” and emphasized that “who gets hot in late November” usually determines the winner. The ESPN analyst gave well-earned recognition to both RB Ashton Jeanty and WR/CB Travis Hunter. He called Jeanty “hard to ignore” for his recent standout performances and praised Hunter as the “iron man.” However, Herbstreit noted that quarterbacks seem to have the upper hand in the race for the prestigious award. He said, “Always look for the quarterback on the team that’s playing in the big games. So Quinn Ewers at Texas, Dillon Gabriel after that win against Ohio State, I feel like those are the big names that right now have stood out.”

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel is on the verge of surpassing Bo Nix’s record (61) for career starts in NCAA history with 55. He currently ranks No. 2 in NCAA history for total TDs (169) and total yards (17,818). He also ranks No. 3 in passing TDs and passing yards at 138 and 16,665, respectively. Gabriel’s performance against No. 2 Ohio State with 341 yards and three TDs earned the favor of many as the Ducks triumphed 32-31 and stole the No. 2 spot, putting him as a favorite for the Heisman race. 

Quinn Ewers, meanwhile, continues to remain a top contender despite missing three games due to an oblique strain. In four games, he completed 78 of 108 passes for 890 yards and nine TDs. He’s yet to face the ultimate challenge from another highly-touted QB Carson Beck when the Longhorns meet the Bulldogs on Saturday. But as far as QB power goes, let’s not forget Colorado’s QB Shedeur Sanders. 

Is Shedeur Sanders a Heisman contender?

Yes. The Colorado Buffaloes are currently 4-2 into the season after their last fall from Kansas State in Week 7. The fall impacted both Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders’ Heisman odds. As per FanDuel, the Buffs QB ranks 12th in the Heisman race with +5500 odds. 

Despite the team’s room for improvement, Shedeur Sanders managed to shine through the pressure to complete 72.6% of his passes for 2,018 yards and 17 TDs to just four interceptions. How about that accurate 43-yard Hail Mary pass that turned into a headline? But according to Josh Pate, Shedeur Sanders suffers from what he calls the “Inverse Deion Tax” because he’s the son of the famous persona Deion Sanders. Do you think it’s fair for Shedeur?