This past Saturday in New York, the most prestigious individual award in all of college football, the Heisman Trophy, was given to the player with an unbelievable season on both sides of the ball, Travis Hunter. This decision did come without some controversy, however, as many Hingham High School students believe that the illustrious award should have been handed out to a different player with an historic season of his own, Ashton Jeanty.
There were a total of four nominees for the award, all with great performances throughout the year. Dillon Gabriel, the quarterback for the University of Oregon, had a very respectable season, leading his team to the number one seed in College Football. Cameron Ward, quarterback for the University of Miami, had a great statistical season, with 36 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards through the air. He will most likely be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft due to his immense amount of talent and raw ability.
Although these two signal-callers both had very respectable seasons, in reality it came down to a two horse race between Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter.
Ashton Jeanty had a season for the ages, putting up all-time numbers for the running back position. With an astonishing 2,497 yards on the ground along with an outstanding 29 touchdowns, his numbers certainly give him a strong case for the honor. Not to mention he carried, literally and figuratively, his team Boise State to a first round bye in the newly revamped College Football Playoff. His name is certainly up there with the likes of other all time running backs with one of the most dominant seasons in history, only 132 yards short of the all-time rushing record held by the great Barry Sanders. He ended up receiving 309 first place votes, but would not be able to beat out Travis Hunter in the tightest margin for the Heisman vote since 2009.
(Tomm Van Emst)
Many Hingham High school students had strong opinions feeling that Ashton Jeanty deserved the award over his competitor, Travis Hunter for other reasons as well. Michael Shea, a freshman and an avid college football fan, states, “Ashton Jeanty was robbed of the Heisman Trophy. He had the greatest running back season of all-time. He put up numbers better than past Heismans.” Michael’s last point is indeed correct, as statistically he had a better season than recent Heisman winning running back, Derrick Henry, who ran for 2,219 yards, less than Jeanty’s mark of 2,497. Justin Kosorowski, a freshman, believes that, “The Heisman Race is based on popularity now, Ashton Jeanty was one of a kind and he didn’t even win it.”
Although many may chalk up Jeanty’s loss to Hunter’s popularity and fame, his play on the field was no less than incredible. To start, he is considered a two-way player, meaning that he plays cornerback, a defensive position, along with wide receiver, an offensive position. This feat is rarely accomplished in any sport, let alone football. And he was not only a great player on each side of the ball, but considered by many to be the best at his respective positions. Along with winning the Heisman, an award for the best player in all of college football, he won the Bednarik Award for being the best defensive player in the nation, along with the Biletnikoff Award, the award for the best wide receiver in the country. His elite production on both sides of the ball is astonishing, and he is more than deserving for the distinguished award, receiving 552 first place votes, crowning him the Heisman Trophy, and the best player in college football.
