Boise State running back by Ashton Jeanty The Heisman Trophy acceptance speech will end up in the same place as Kamala Harris’ presidential election victory speech.
Jeanty, a finalist for the award on Saturday night, fell short as a two-time Colorado star Travis Hunter at the vote. Jeanty had the best season of any Boise State franchise in program history and one of the best in college football history.
He thought his chances of winning the prize were so high that he wrote and rehearsed an acceptance speech and even told the world that he did so.
“I practiced my speech last night to make sure I’m ready when I get there,” Jeanty told reporters before the ceremony on Saturday.
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Heisman Trophy finalists, from left: Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward pose with the trophy on Dec. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
But Hunter’s dominance this season, both on offense as a wide receiver and on defense as a defensive back, was too much for Jeanty to overcome.
Hunter received 552 first-place votes, beating Jeanty’s 309. They were by far the top two winners of the vote, and this was the closest vote since 2009.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) breaks free from the arms of UNLV defensive lineman Tatuo Martinson (98) in the first half of the Mountain West championship game on December 6, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)
As a wide receiver, Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 total touchdowns. Hunter won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver. As a corner, Hunter had 31 tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions, anchoring Colorado’s defense.
Hunter also won the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player, becoming the first player ever to win both the Bednarik and Biletnikoff.
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Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty is interviewed by Fox Sports reporter Allison Williams after a game against the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on December 6, 2024. (Brian Losness/Imagn Images)
Jeanty was the first running back Heisman Trophy finalist since 2017 after an impressive season in which he led the nation with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns.
The running back helped Boise State to a third-place finish in the College Football Playoff, including a first-round bye. Boise State will play the winner of SMU and Penn State.
Hunter’s Colorado team did not make the playoffs, finishing at No. 23. Colorado will play BYU in the Alamo Bowl on December 28.
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