Travis Hunter wins 2024 Heisman Trophy over Ashton Jeanty: 'God's plan'

Travis Hunter is officially in the elite club of college football history.

The Colorado two-way star became the second Heisman Trophy winner in program history on Saturday night, beating out Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, Miami QB Cam Ward and Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel.

Jeanty’s impressive 2024 season (2,497 rushing yards and 30 total TDs) would’ve won him the Heisman in most years, but a Travis Hunter only comes around once in a generation.

“I want to thank ‘Coach Prime’ and Shedeur (Sanders),” Hunter said after winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy. “You all changed my life forever. That one simple phone call, Shedeur, now look where I’m at. I’m trying not to get emotional because I know our last game is coming up soon.”

The Biletnikoff Award winner (presented annually to the best receiver in college football) is also the Bednarik Award winner (presented annually to the best defensive player in college football) for the first time in history.

It’s part of the reason why Hunter’s Heisman case was rock solid.

“Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do,” Travis Hunter said at the Heisman winner press conference. “Believe in yourself and keep your foot on the gas. A lot of people told me I couldn’t do it and a lot of people always stated that I wouldn’t be able to do it at the next level.

“I always say that I’m going to prove them wrong and I’m going to prove myself right. I hope the younger kids who look up to keep their foot on the gas and keep going.”

Shedeur Sanders recently said that Hunter took “a risk” going to Jackson State (and then Colorado), but the Heisman winner doesn’t see it that way.

“How did it (the risk) kind of pay off for me? Look where I’m at,” Travis Hunter said hours before he was named the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. “It paid off very well. I don’t think it was a risk. It was God’s plan.

“Everything that I wanted to do, I’m accomplishing now so I’m just happy that I did what I did back in those times and I’m in the right spot now.”

2024 Heisman Trophy results: Travis Hunter wins tight race

Travis Hunter – 2,231 total points (552 1st-place votes)

Ashton Jeanty – 2,017 total points (309 1st-place votes)

Dillon Gabriel – 516 total points (24 1st-place votes)

Cam Ward – 219 total points (6 1st-place votes)

Travis Hunter finished first in voting in five of the six Heisman regions. He finished second to Ashton Jeanty in the Far West region.

Travis Hunter was named on 93.3% of Heisman ballots, the 11th highest in the history of the award.

It was the smallest margin of victory (214 points) since the 2009 Heisman race when Mark Ingram beat out Toby Gerhart.

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