• Travis Hunter redefined what we thought was doable: The Colorado two-way star was a PFF All-American at vast receiver and cornerback this season.
• Ashton Jeanty is shattering data: The Boise State operating again has set quite a few speeding data to this point and nonetheless has no less than one playoff sport to go.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full entry to all of our in-season fantasy instruments, together with weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and extra. Sign up now!
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The 2024 school soccer season can be remembered for a lot of issues. It kicked off a brand new period of convention realignment. The SEC/Big Ten/Big 12/ACC added no less than three colleges every whereas the Pac-12 is basically dormant. It’s additionally the primary 12 months of the 12-team College Football Playoff, tripling the earlier format’s measurement.
It’ll additionally go down for having one of many best Heisman Trophy races of all time between Colorado vast receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Boise State operating again Ashton Jeanty, one which has began digital wars on social media. Before the winner is topped on Saturday night time, let’s take a step again and respect the historic seasons every of them had.
Travis Hunter: The best two-way participant ever
We’ve by no means seen a Travis Hunter earlier than and should by no means once more. He’s a full-time starter at each vast receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes and never solely that, he’s a celebrity at each. He leads the Power Four with 14 receiving touchdowns this season whereas his 1,152 receiving yards are third in that group. The junior’s 86.2 offensive grade is fifth amongst all wideouts within the nation.
On protection, Hunter’s 90.9 protection grade is third amongst all corners within the nation. His 42.0 passer score allowed is ninth amongst Power Four corners whereas his 4 interceptions are tied for fourth in that very same group.
It’s regular for elite athletes like Hunter to play and star on either side of the soccer in highschool. However, as soon as they enter school, 99.9% stick to 1 facet of the ball over the opposite. There are just too many good gamers to warrant somebody enjoying either side. And if somebody performed on either side of the ball, they wouldn’t be anticipated to be excellent at each. The bodily toll of 1,487 snaps would exhaust most gamers, particularly when most starters are enjoying about one-third of that. It’s additionally extremely onerous to should grasp two completely different playbooks and execute your task at a excessive stage.
And but, Hunter was a PFF All-American at each vast receiver and cornerback. He’s so good at each that he’s the highest prospect on PFF’s 2025 draft huge board for the easy undeniable fact that he may have the ability to proceed enjoying each methods on the highest stage of soccer within the NFL.
Ashton Jeanty: Record-shattering season for a operating again
Jeanty is having one of many best seasons we’ve ever seen from a collegiate operating again, whether or not it’s by the standard stats or PFF’s superior metrics. His 2,497 speeding yards are 131 from Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS file whereas his 29 speeding touchdowns are tied for sixth all-time. Jeanty’s additionally already set quite a few PFF College data.
Ashton Jeanty’s historic 2024 season within the PFF College period (Since 2014)
Jeanty’s 1,882 yards after contact are 222 greater than every other FBS operating again’s whole speeding yards this season. He’s carried the Broncos to the College Football Playoff and a first-round bye, one thing no person thought a Group of Five college would get hold of within the 12-team period. Keep in thoughts that he nonetheless has no less than one playoff sport so as to add to his ridiculous marketing campaign and doubtlessly break Sanders’ data.
Hunter and Jeanty are having such historic seasons that even attempting to poke holes in a single’s marketing campaign result in ridiculous factors being thrown out from the opposing facet. For instance, saying “snaps aren’t a stat” for Hunter as if he’s not a top-five vast receiver and cornerback within the nation. Or arguing Jeanty’s solely placing up these absurd numbers as a result of he performs within the Mountain West, as if he didn’t rush for 192 yards and three touchdowns on the No. 1 staff within the nation in Oregon.
Instead of tearing down one all-time nice to make the case for the opposite, we must always all be appreciating the greatness we’re witnessing from these two gamers. There actually isn’t any fallacious reply between the 2. In truth, one could make the argument that Hunter/Jeanty would’ve received the trophy in lots of earlier years.
The undeniable fact that the 2024 Heisman Trophy race will go down as an all-timer with no quarterback being concerned simply illustrates how absurd Hunter and Jeanty have been this season. The winner of the stiff-arm trophy on Saturday night time can be immortalized endlessly, whereas the loser will rightfully be questioning what else he might’ve achieved.
Regardless, each gamers cemented themselves as all-time greats and their 2024 seasons can be talked about for years to return.