Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter poses for a photo during a press conference before the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy

Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter was named winner of the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.

Hunter joins running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994 as the only Colorado players to win the Heisman.

Hunter has 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and ranks second nationally with 14 touchdown catches. On defense, he has four interceptions with 15 passes defensed and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Hunter won the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in the country.

Hunter is in his second and final season at Colorado as he has stated that he will enter the 2025 NFL Draft. He began his college career at Jackson State and transferred to the Buffaloes when Deion Sanders departed to become Colorado coach.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel were the other finalists.

Jeanty has rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns, Ward has thrown for 4,123 yards and 36 touchdowns and Gabriel has completed 73.2 percent of his passes for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Former Southern California Trojans tailback Reggie Bush on the Fox Sports television set at the Pac-12 Championship game at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Trophy Trust to return 2005 Heisman to Reggie Bush

Due to an evolving landscape in college football, the Heisman Trust is set to return the 2005 Heisman Trophy to Reggie Bush, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

Bush won the 2005 Heisman Trophy in his final season at Southern California, where he amassed 3,169 rushing yards, gained 1,301 receiving yards and returned kickoffs and punts for a combined 2,081 yards. He totaled 42 touchdowns and also threw a 52-yard touchdown pass.

According to ESPN, the physical trophy is being returned to Bush by the trust and a replica will be returned to USC.

“Personally, I’m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I’m honored to return to the Heisman family,” Bush said in a statement to ESPN. “I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.”

In 2005, Bush was named first-team All-American and the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year.

But he was stripped of his Heisman and his stats in 2010 after a four-year investigation by the NCAA showed that Bush and his family took improper financial benefits, including cash and paid-for housing.

When name, image and likeness legislation was enacted in 2021, Bush asked the NCAA to reinstate his status. The Heisman Trust said at the time it would consider giving back his trophy if the NCAA agreed to reinstate him, but the organization declined.

In part due to a 2021 Supreme Court decision that questions the legality of the amateurism model, the Heisman Trust said it was forced to reconsider “reinstating” the 2005 award and welcoming Bush back to the annual award ceremony. Fellow Heisman winners, most recently former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and Notre Dame wide receiver Tim Brown, said they would skip future ceremonies unless Bush got his trophy back.

“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” said Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust, in a statement to ESPN. “We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the trophy for Reggie. We are so happy to welcome him back.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Former Texas A&M Aggies player Johnny Manziel watches from the sideline during the first half of the game between the Aggies and the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Manziel done with Heisman ceremony over Reggie Bush

Former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel will no longer participate in the annual trophy ceremony until Reggie Bush is welcomed back into the Heisman fraternity, Manziel announced Saturday.

“After careful thought and consideration I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until @ReggieBush gets his trophy back,” Manziel, the 2012 winner, posted to his X, formerly Twitter, account. “Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year. Reggie IS the Heisman trophy.

“Do the RIGHT thing @NCAA the ball is in your court.”

Bush won the 2005 Heisman Trophy to wrap up his stellar career at Southern California, where he ran for 3,169 yards, gained 1,301 receiving yards and returned kickoffs and punts for a combined 2,082 yards. He totaled 42 touchdowns and also threw a 52-yard touchdown pass.

In 2005, he was a first-team All-American and named the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year.

But he was stripped of his Heisman Trophy and his NCAA stats after a four-year investigation by the NCAA showed that Bush and his family took improper financial benefits, including cash and paid-for housing.

When name, image and likeness legislation was enacted in 2021, Bush asked the NCAA to reinstate his status. The Heisman Trust said it would consider giving back his trophy if the NCAA agreed to reinstate him, which the organization declined to do.

Manziel recently told Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast that he intends to fight for Bush.

“I’m gonna continue to do everything that I can in my power, whatever that may be. … But for what I can in my part, I will always stand on this table right here for Reggie Bush and do anything that I can in my power to make sure that it’s possible for him to even get his trophy back,” said Manziel, who won his Heisman while playing for Texas A&M.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA;  LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) rushes for a touchdown against Florida Gators safety Jordan Castell (14) during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Heisman Trophy finalists brace for historic handoff

Jayden Daniels played three seasons at Arizona State and nobody anywhere was viewing him as a potential Heisman Trophy finalist.

But he transferred to LSU following the 2021 season and a sudden transformation took place. The highly athletic Daniels became a dual-threat force. The exclamation point was Daniels’ huge 2023 performance, which pushed him into the favorite’s role to win the Heisman.

The Heisman Trophy winner will be revealed for the 89th time Saturday night in New York and Daniels is one of three transfer quarterbacks who are among the four finalists.

Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix are the other two quarterbacks in the running. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the other finalist.

Penix began his career at Indiana before playing two seasons with the Huskies. Nix played for Auburn before moving on to Oregon for two seasons.

The transfer path worked well for 2022 winner Caleb Williams of Southern California — he departed Oklahoma — and is definitely in play again this season.

Daniels threw 10 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in his third and final season at Arizona State but indicated he is thankful for his route to the Heisman stage.

“Everything I’ve been through, it’s a surreal moment as it winds down and comes to an end,” Daniels said during Heisman media festivities on Friday. “Seeing how much I’ve grown in those years, everything I overcame in my life. … It’s what helped me get to this point.”

At LSU, Daniels is enjoying a monster 2023 season. He leads the nation in total offense (4,946) and accounted for 50 touchdowns. He has passed for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions and rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 scores.

His signature game was in a 52-35 win over Florida on Nov. 11 when he accounted for 606 yards (372 passing, 234 rushing) and became the first player in FBS history to pass for 350 and rush for 200 in the same game.

Daniels is looking to become the third Tigers’ player to win the Heisman, following running back Billy Cannon in 1959 and quarterback Joe Burrow in 2019.

Penix leads the nation with 4,218 passing yards to go with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He guided the Huskies to 13 straight wins and a spot in the College Football Playoff field.

“That Pac-12 championship is big-time and something I’ve been chasing since I got to University of Washington,” Penix said Friday. “For us to be able to achieve that is definitely something special.”

Penix was the leading candidate early in the season when he threw 16 scoring passes over the first four games. But he cooled off with 17 over the next nine.

Penix is aiming to become Washington’s first Heisman winner.

Nix has completed a stellar 77.2 percent of his passes, just off the NCAA record of 77.4 set by Alabama’s Mac Jones in 2020.

He also has 40 touchdown passes — tied with Daniels for the FBS lead — and 4,145 yards against just three interceptions. He has tacked on six rushing touchdowns.

“It’s been crazy. It’s been the trip of a lifetime,” Nix said Friday. “At the end of the day, I just want to enjoy every part of it. Regardless of what happens at the end, this has been a dream of mine for a long time.”

Marcus Mariota (2014) is Oregon’s lone Heisman winner.

Harrison would become the second receiver in four seasons to win the Heisman, following a drought of more than three decades for the position after Notre Dame’s Tim Brown won in 1987 until Alabama’s DeVonta Smith was the 2020 winner.

The son of legendary NFL receiver Marvin Harrison had eight 100-yard outings for Ohio State this season while catching 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Harrison said he may bypass the NFL draft and return to the Buckeyes next season. Ohio State has uncertainty at quarterback but Harrison isn’t concerned.

“It don’t matter who the quarterback is,” Harrison said Friday. “As one of the best receivers in the country, the best receiver, I look at myself as someone who can make it work with anybody.”

If Harrison wins the award, he’d be the first Ohio State winner since quarterback Troy Smith in 2006. Seven Buckeyes have won the honor.

–Field Level Media

Dec 1, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) warms up before a game against the Washington Huskies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Heisman finalists: Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., Bo Nix, Michael Penix

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. were announced Monday as the four finalists for the 2023 Heisman Trophy.

The winner will be revealed this Saturday at the annual ceremony in New York.

Daniels, in his second season guiding the LSU offense after three years at Arizona State, racked up 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 12 games while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had an eight-touchdown game (six passing, two rushing) against Georgia State on Nov. 18.

Harrison, the son of Indianapolis Colts legend Marvin Harrison, racked up 67 catches for 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games. He added one rushing touchdown.

Harrison is the first wide receiver from Ohio State to be a Heisman finalist and just the second wide receiver to be a finalist in the past seven years. The other was Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, who won the trophy in 2020.

Nix transferred to Oregon in 2022 after three seasons at Auburn. In 13 games he threw for 4,145 yards, 40 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He added 228 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, one year after running for 14 touchdowns.

Penix threw for 4,218 yards, 33 touchdowns and nine picks in leading Washington to a 13-0 record and the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Huskies beat Nix and Oregon twice head-to-head, including in the Pac-12 championship game last Friday.

Penix is the only finalist whose team reached the CFP. He played parts of four seasons at Indiana before his move to Seattle.

Among the players who missed the cut were Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams, last year’s Heisman winner, and Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, who had 20 passing touchdowns and seven rushing scores before going down for the season with a leg injury Nov. 18.

–Field Level Media

Mary Lujack, right, holds a microphone for her father, Johnny Lujack, winner of the 1947 Heisman Memorial Trophy at The Founder's Club on Tuesday. Lujack spoke to members on the veranda of the clubhouse after accompanying his daughter and some of her friends on the golf course.

Sar Lujack Heisman 001

Legendary 1947 Heisman winner Johnny Lujack dies at 98

Notre Dame legend Johnny Lujack, the quarterback who won the 1947 Heisman Trophy, died Tuesday. He was 98.

Notre Dame said Lujack died in Naples, Fla.

Lujack, a College Football Hall of Famer, led Notre Dame to national championships in 1943, 1946 and 1947. He also was a two-time unanimous All-American.

Lujack played in 1942 and 1943 for Notre Dame before serving in the Navy in World War II for two-plus years. He returned to South Bend for the 1946 and 1947 seasons and the Fighting Irish went unbeaten in both campaigns.

Lujack also starred on defense and made a game-saving tackle against Army in 1946 to keep the game tied 0-0, ultimately preserving the team’s unbeaten record.

In 1947, he completed 56 percent of his passes during his Heisman campaign for 777 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions as Notre Dame went 9-0.

He was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 1960.

Lujack was the fourth overall pick in the 1948 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Lujack played four seasons for the Bears and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. He played quarterback, cornerback and placekicker.

As a rookie, Lujack intercepted eight passes for the Bears, tying the NFL record at the time. The following season, he threw a career-best 23 touchdown passes. In 1950, he rushed for a career-best 11 scores.

Overall, he threw 41 touchdowns passes against 54 interceptions, rushed for 21 touchdowns, intercepted 12 passes and scored 268 points (142 as a kicker) with the Bears.

Lujack was the oldest living Heisman winner.

–Field Level Media

Dec 10, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams speaks to the media during a press conference in the Astor Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York, NY, before the 2022 Heisman Trophy award ceremony. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

USC QB Caleb Williams wins 2022 Heisman Trophy

Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams was named the 2022 winner of the Heisman Trophy in New York Saturday night.

The 88th winner in the award’s history earning 544 first-place votes, Williams threw for 4,075 yards with 37 touchdowns for the 11-2 Trojans. He also rushed for 372 yards and 10 touchdowns, throwing just four interceptions as the Trojans went 8-1 in the Pac-12.

Williams and USC will face Tulane in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.

“This is really awesome to be up here,” Williams said. “To now be a part of this historic fraternity is truly an honor and something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

The four finalists, all named Monday, were all quarterbacks: Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, TCU’s Max Duggan, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Williams.

Williams entered the evening as the runaway favorite for the award, despite being the only finalist to miss the College Football Playoff.

“Guess you can’t win them all,” Williams quipped.

Still, all four finalists led their respective teams to a current top-10 ranking, with Williams emerging as a frontrunner due to his propensity for electric plays.

In his acceptance speech, Williams made a point to thank each of his individual offensive linemen, who were all in attendance at the ceremony.

“It is important to surround yourself with a good team, and good people you can trust,” he said, as he also thanked family and former coaches and teammates.

Williams had 2,031 total points in winning the award. Finishing second in the voting was Duggan, who nabbed 1,420 points.

Duggan, who began the year as a backup, helped lead No. 3 TCU to a perfect regular-season record and a berth in the CFP, throwing for 3,321 yards with 30 touchdowns against four interceptions. He also memorably led the Horned Frogs back against Kansas State fighting through exhaustion in an eventual overtime loss in the Big 12 championship game.

Stroud, who finished third with 539 points, entered the season as the favorite for the award. He helped the No. 4 Buckeyes make the Playoff by throwing for 3,340 yards with 37 touchdowns against just six picks.

Finishing fourth was Bennett (349 points), who leads the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (13-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference). He’ll look to grab a second straight national title after throwing for 3,425 yards and 20 TDs.

Ohio State (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) will face Georgia in the Peach Bowl Dec. 31 to determine who secures a spot in the CFP title game.

TCU (12-1, 9-0 Big 12) will face No. 2 Michigan on Dec. 31 in the other CFP semifinal.

The rest of the top ten vote-getters included Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Michigan running back Blake Corum, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Texas running back Bijan Robinson and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

–Field Level Media

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) throws against the Utah Utes during the second half in the PAC-12 Football Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

C.J. Stroud, Caleb Williams among four QBs named Heisman finalists

Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, TCU’s Max Duggan, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Southern California’s Caleb Williams were named finalists for the Heisman Trophy on Monday.

The winner will be announced Saturday in New York.

All four quarterbacks led their respective teams to a top-10 ranking this season, and Bennett, Duggan and Stroud will be playing in the College Football Playoff.

Williams, the only finalist to miss the CFP, is the favorite to take home the award after throwing for 4,075 yards with 37 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 372 yards and 10 TDs as the No. 10 Trojans went 11-2 (8-1 Pac-12). USC will face Tulane in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.

The top-ranked Bulldogs (13-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) will look to claim back-to-back national championships behind Bennett, who threw for 3,425 yards, 20 TDs and six interceptions.

After entering the season as the favorite to win the Heisman, Stroud finished with 3,340 passing yards with 37 touchdowns against six interceptions. The No. 4 Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) will face Georgia in the Peach Bowl Dec. 31 to determine who secures a spot in the CFP title game.

Duggan helped No. 3 TCU exceed expectations, as the Horned Frogs went 12-1 with a perfect 9-0 record in Big 12 play before losing in the Big 12 championship game. Duggan threw for 3,321 yards, 30 TDs and four interceptions. He also found the end zone six times on the ground.

The Frogs face No. 2 Michigan on Dec. 31 in the other CFP semifinal.

Notable players who weren’t invited to New York included Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who was gunning for his second straight Heisman, and Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, who led the Volunteers to a brief stay at No. 1 in the CFP rankings but saw his dynamic season cut short in November when he tore his ACL.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) during Tennessee's game against Kentucky at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

Kns Vols Kentucky Bp

Heisman Hook: Tennessee QB overtakes CJ Stroud as favorite

Hendon Hooker has pushed past Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud as the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy.

With Tennessee at 8-0 and No. 2 in the Top 25 poll on the eve of the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings, Hooker can further his stake for the top individual award in college football by taking down No. 1 Georgia on Saturday.

Hooker has 2,338 yards, 21 TD passes and one interception, with an upset of Alabama already on his resume this season.

This is the first week sportsbooks put Hooker, who opened the season at +20000, atop the Heisman futures heap. He is even money to win the Heisman at Caesars Sportsbook. He’s the leader at FanDuel, where his odds on Monday morning were +100 with Stroud +200 and two others well back but tied at +1400 — USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Michigan running back Blake Corum.

When the month of October began, Stroud remained a firm No. 1 at most sportsbooks, +150 at BetMGM, +150 at FanDuel and +130 at Caesars.

Tennessee opened as 9-point underdogs to Georgia.

–Field Level Media

Dec 11, 2021; New York, NY, USA; Heisman candidate quarterback Bryce Young of Alabama speaks to the media during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama QB Bryce Young wins Heisman Trophy

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young won the 2021 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in New York.

Young had a fabulous season, guiding Alabama to the No. 1 seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff.

Young threw for 4,322 yards and 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions. His last showing certainly resonated with voters as he threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-24 win over then-No. 1 Georgia in the SEC title game.

Young received 2,311 points, easily outdistancing Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (954 points), Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett (631 points) and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

–Field Level Media