With only one round of fixtures remaining in the 2024-25 college football season, the Heisman race is concluding. The list of top contenders has now come down to only two favorites- the Colorado Buffaloes dual-threat star, Travis Hunter, and Boise State’s sensational- record-breaking RB, Ashton Jeanty.
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The odds favor Hunter to lift the prestigious award after week 13, while the stats make Jeanty the best choice. LeVeon Bell believes the Boise State star should be the one getting the award.
The former running back took to X(formerly Twitter) to pick Jeanty as the most deserving candidate:
“If ashton jeanty doesn’t win heisman, I won’t watch another college football game .. he’s the most electrifying player in all of college football.”
He pointed out that Jeanty may not have grabbed the same fame as Hunter, but he did capture people’s imagination. According to him, the Heisman has never been a popularity contest.
if ashton jeanty doesn’t win heisman, I won’t watch another college football game .. he’s the most electrifying player in all of college football … may not be the most “POPULAR,” but is heisman a popularity contest? this kids stats are unreal, and he’s the BEST at his position https://t.co/PyuFvBnutb
— Le’Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) November 26, 2024
Bell compared Jeanty’s situation to that of Derrick Henry who lifted the Heisman in 2015 while playing for Alabama. However, Bell’s take received some mixed reactions, particularly his comparison of Boise Stae star to the Alabama Alum.
Many pointed out Henry’s strength of schedule, stating that he did it against the SEC teams while Ashton plays against weaker opposition.
Lol Derrick Henry was playing SEC competition not San Jose St. Etc.
— Eric Harris (@WhiteT409) November 26, 2024
Another chimed in and wrote,
Derrick did it ain’t over 20 NFL players … Jeanty doing it against bank tellers , VP & Gms
— Demarcus Wilson (@IamDemarcusW) November 26, 2024
Meanwhile, others were supportive of LeVeon Bell’s stance, stating that the Boise State star is the worthy winner.
agree Juice. I haven’t seen anything like him since Barry, and he should win it overwhelmingly so.
— 4orhorsemen (@4orhorsemen) November 26, 2024
He deserves to win but I don’t think he’s going to
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) November 26, 2024
So how do Jeanty’s stats compare to Derrick Henry’s stats in his Heisman year?
Ashton Jeanty vs Derrick Henry stat comparison
Jeanty this season has rushed for 2062 yards in just 11 games, while Henry rushed for 1986 yards in 13 games in his Heisman year. The Boise State star has carried the ball 275 times, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
The Ravens star had an astonishing 339 carries and averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
Jeanty is currently running 187.5 yards per game while Henry averaged 152.8 yards. The latter found the end zone 27 times while the former has 23 TDs.
Despite putting up astonishing numbers, the Boise State star has +650 odds compared to Travis Hunter’s -800. He might not get the recognition he deserves because there aren’t many players in college football who have contributed on both sides of the ball like Hunter.
