PFF grades: Travis Hunter among worst modern Heisman Trophy winners; Ashton Jeanty would’ve ranked No. 1

Jeanty graded above LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s DeVonta Smith

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, left, smiles alongside Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty during a press conference before the 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony. / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Colorado’s Travis Hunter narrowly won the Heisman Trophy over Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty.

If Pro Football Focus presented the Heisman, the award would’ve gone to Jeanty.

With a defensive grade of 90.3, Hunter holds the 10th-best ranking among Heisman winners in the PFF era, which began in 2013. Hunter has an 85.3 rating on offense.

Jeanty, meanwhile, is graded at 95.8, which would’ve made him the highest-rated Heisman winner in PFF history. Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow currently holds that honor with a 95.0 grade for his record-setting 2019 season. Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith earned a 94.9 grade in 2020. 

Highest Graded Heisman Seasons in the PFF Era🏆 pic.twitter.com/RcoTeY49Fk

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 15, 2024

Hunter plays receiver and cornerback for the 23rd-ranked Buffaloes (9-3), who will face No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28. Hunter said he plans to play in the bowl game. 

Hunter has 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions on defense this season. The junior became the first two-way player to win the Heisman Trophy since Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997.

Jeanty has dominated all season for Boise State, tallying 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. He leads the country in all three categories.

The 5-foot-9, 215-pound back ranks fourth on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list, trailing only Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (2,628 yards, 1988 season), Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (2,587, 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567, 2007). He needs 132 rushing yards in the College Football Playoff to break Sanders’ record. 

Boise State (12-1), the CFP’s No. 3 overall seed, will play the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 6 Penn State (11-2) and No. 11 SMU (11-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. 

Jeanty’s 2024 honors include the Maxwell Award (college football player of the year), Doak Walker Award (best running back in college football), Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and the only unanimous AP All-America selection. 

Jeanty is PFF’s highest-graded running back in the College Football Playoff by a considerable margin over Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love (91.5) and Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo (91.4). 

Boise State offensive tackle Kage Casey is tied with Indiana’s Trey Wedig for the highest-graded CFP offensive lineman at 87.3. Casey is a 6-foot-6, 316-pound sophomore from Oregon’s Clackamas High School. 

Cam Camper also received recognition for the Broncos as PFF’s No. 8 pass-catcher in the CFP at 76.3. Camper, a senior, has 55 catches for 837 yards and four touchdowns this season. 

Boise State’s Maddux Madsen holds a grade of 76.1, ranking 10th among CFP quarterbacks. Madsen is 224 of 361 passing for 2,714 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions as a sophomore. He has also run for 224 yards and five TDs. 

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