Big 12 Conference adds another Heisman Trophy, has three in Top 10

Travis Hunter brings another Heisman Trophy to the Big 12 Conference

Travis Hunter captured the Heisman Trophy Saturday night. / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter picked up the 2024 Heisman Trophy award as expected Saturday night in New York City.

Hunter, a standout at both wide receiver and defensive back for the Buffaloes, earned 552 first-place votes for 2,231 points total, finishing ahead of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

Travis Hunter’s Heisman-winning speech: pic.twitter.com/JDrqrq6Kl0

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 15, 2024

Jeanty was the clear runner-up, receiving 309 first-place votes and 2,017 points total, as Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Miami’s Cam Ward and Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo rounded out the Top 5.

Ironically enough in this age of transferring, only Jeanty started his career at the same school he represented of those five. Of the Top 10, Jeanty, Army quarterback Bryson Daily and Penn State tight end Tyler Warren are the only players who have not transferred.

Daily was sixth followed by Warren, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord.

Hunter, who followed head coach Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders from Jackson State, is just the second defensive player to win the Heisman, joining Charles Woodson, who also played on offense that season. He originally committed to Florida State before spurning the Seminoles and joining Sanders at Jackson State.

Along with Hunter and Jeanty, Gabriel, Ward, Skattebo, Daily, Warren, Sanders and Rourke all received at least one first-place vote. McCord was the only one who didn’t, garnering a second and seven thirds. 

Other Big 12 players to win the award since 1997 include Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, who went back-to-back, Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M, Robert Griffin III from Baylor, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, Jason White from Oklahoma, Eric Crouch of Nebraska and Ricky Williams from Texas.

This marked the first time since 2017 that an SEC player was not a finalist and the first time since 2005 that the SEC did not have someone in the Top 10.