Colorado receiver/cornerback and Heisman contender Travis Hunter has achieved a flawless performance in The Athletic’s Heisman Trophy straw poll.

Hunter “clinched the Heisman

All 27 writers and editors who cast their votes this week selected Hunter for first place, awarding him the maximum 81 points. Votes previously cast for Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward shifted to Hunter, who closed out his season with a dominant performance: three touchdown receptions, an interception, and two pass breakups in a 52-0 win over Oklahoma State.https://wordpress.com/

Coach Deion Sanders declared that Hunter “clinched the Heisman,” and while that statement may not be officially confirmed yet, it’s hard to imagine a more convincing finish. That said, Hunter’s Heisman pose could still use some refinement to better capture the trophy’s iconic shape. More substantively, it might have been helpful for the Buffaloes to have secured enough support to make it to the Big 12 title game, but that didn’t happen.

Meanwhile, Jeanty will get the final say on Friday when No. 11 Boise State (11-1) faces No. 22 UNLV (10-2) in the Mountain West title game, televised nationally on Fox. To have a shot at making up ground in the race, he’ll need a performance on par with something extraordinary—perhaps 341 yards to reach a total of 2,629 for the season, which would break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record? That might make a strong case.

At the least, Jeanty knows he’s going to New York and should be a lock to come in second by a safe margin. There’s no obvious third place this year, which will make the voting and the number of candidates invited to New York interesting.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward fell from 15 points to six in the poll after Saturday’s loss at Syracuse, dropping him to fifth place behind Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (eight points) and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (seven points).

Jeanty’s straw poll results dropped after a 226-yard, one-touchdown game against Oregon State, so he has set the bar high for himself. His 50 points in the straw poll came from 25 second-place votes and two third-place votes, but he still faces an uphill battle to sway the voters.

The Athletic uses the same voting system as the Heisman: three points for first place, two points for second, and one point for third. At this stage, Jeanty is almost certain to finish in second place, and it seems clear that he’ll be heading to New York. The real intrigue lies in the lack of a clear third-place contender, which will add some suspense to the voting and the final number of candidates invited to New York.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward saw his poll standing drop from 15 points to six after a loss to Syracuse, slipping to fifth place behind Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (eight points) and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (seven points). Ward’s defeat also means he won’t have the opportunity to showcase his skills in the ACC championship game, while Warren and Gabriel will face off in the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis, following Ohio State’s unexpected loss to Michigan, which allowed Penn State to sneak into the mix.

Arizona State’s rising star, running back Cam Skattebo, earned five points and is another player who could bolster his Heisman case when the Sun Devils take on Iowa State for the Big 12 title. Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, with two points, is the third running back in the poll. There are also a few quarterbacks on the list, including South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, who received a third-place vote.

While Sellers is unlikely to make it to New York this year, his inclusion in the poll hints at the potential for a strong 2025 campaign, where he should be a prominent contender.hopefuls for the award.