Heading into the 2024 college football season, the race for the Heisman Trophy will be as wide-open as it’s ever been. With no returning winners and the top five vote-getters from last year all going to the NFL, there is no clear front-runner.
The award has become increasingly more of a quarterback award with seven of the eight last winners being signal callers. Winning the award has turned out to be a great sign as the last three winners have gone on to realize a ton of success in the NFL draft with Bryce Young being drafted No. 1 overall in 2023, Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in 2024, and Jayden Daniels No. 2 overall in 2024.
After guiding the Texas Longhorns to a Big 12 title and Playoff appearance in 2023, the expectations will be sky-high for QB Quinn Ewers. On3’s Jesse Simonton ranks Ewers No. 2 in his Top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2024 behind only Georgia’s Carson Beck. Simonton says of the Longhorns QB1:
“Ewers has yet to truly live up to his No. 1 overall prospect billing but perhaps that comes to fruition this fall. The Longhorns’ third-year starter has been at his best in big games (see: Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State last season) and Ewers will have plenty of chances to play in the spotlight against a schedule that includes Michigan, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
He threw for 3,500 yards last season, and although he’s working with a whole new cast of wideouts, Texas has another loaded receiver room this fall. If Ewers plays with more consistency and continues to lead a Texas team back into a national title contender, then he’ll be a Top 5 candidate — not just in the SEC but for the whole field.”
If Ewers is able to bring home the award this fall, he would become the third Longhorn to ever do it with Ricky Williams being the last winner in 1998.
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