Looking back at the high school recruiting stats of the Top 5 Heisman Trophy candidates ft. Ashton Jeanty 

By Viraj Mali

Modified Oct 26, 2024 17:52 GMT

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The college football season is already eight weeks deep, and players have established themselves on the national stage. Players such as Clemson quarterback Caleb Klubnik and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty have had tremendous seasons so far. They are already on the list of favorites for the Heisman Trophy this year.

The five leading candidates are Jeanty, Klubnik, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Miami quarterback Cameron Ward and Colorado athlete Travis Hunter, as per Fox Sports.

Let's take a look at the high school careers of each of these Heisman favorites, as per Fox, this season.

Looking back at the high school recruiting stats of the Top 5 Heisman Trophy candidates

#5 Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter, the Colorado Buffaloes' wide receiver/cornerback, is one of the best college athletes in the country. As per Fox Sports, Hunter has the fifth-best odds of winning the Heisman Trophy.

Hunter played for Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia. In his four seasons with the Eagles, the 6-foot-1 athlete accumulated 3,963 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns while also showing out on defense.

Hunter tallied 116 total tackles and 19 interceptions in 41 games at Collins Hill. His best statistical season came as a junior when he racked up eight interceptions and caught 137 passes for 1,746 yards and 24 touchdowns.

The Buffaloes' star man was ranked No. 2 in the nation and was the best overall prospect from his home state in the Class of 2022, as per On3.

#4 Cade Klubnik

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has +1600 odds of winning the Heisman Trophy by the end of this season, as per Fox Sports. He has led the Tigers to a record of 6-1 through eight weeks of the season.

The 6-2 quarterback played with the Westlake High School Chaparrals in Austin, Texas. Klubnik racked up 7,390 passing yards and 86 touchdowns while throwing just 7 picks in his three seasons with the Chaparrals.

Klubnik finished his high school career with a quarterback rating of 140.6 and won the Texas Player of the Year award in his final season. The Texas native was ranked No. 18 in the country and was the best quarterback in his class, as per On3.

#3 Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel, the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks starting quarterback, has been very impressive and led his team to an unbeaten record so far. Gabriel has been the most accurate college football QB this season, completing 77.0% of his pass attempts through the first seven games.

Gabriel, a four-star recruit at Mililani (Hawaii) High School, amassed 9,948 passing yards and 105 touchdowns with the Trojans. The 6-foot senior threw for 3,754 yards and 38 touchdowns en route to winning the Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year award.

Gabriel was ranked No. 679 nationally and was the 44th-best quarterback in his class, as per On3. He was also the seventh-best overall athlete from the state of Hawaii.

Gabriel has the third-best odds of winning the Heisman Trophy through eight weeks of the season, as per Fox Sports.

#2 Cameron Ward

Cameron Ward, the No. 6-ranked Miami Hurricanes' signal-caller, has led his team to a record of 7-0. Despite his amazing season this year, Ward did not have a great statistical record in high school.

At Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas, Ward, a 6-2 athlete, racked up just 2,261 passing yards and 17 touchdowns while throwing for 10 interceptions.

However, Ward's 2024 season with the Hurricanes has been outstanding. He has racked up an NCAA-leading 2,538 passing yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. He has registered a quarterback rating of 92.3 so far this season.

#1 Aston Jeanty

Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State Broncos' star running back, is the leading rusher this season. The 5-9 athlete has accumulated 1,248 yards on 126 carries and has scored 17 touchdowns already.

He is on pace to break Barry Sanders' NCAA record for most rushing yards and touchdowns set in 1988. Jeanty is the leading candidate to win the Heisman Trophy.

Jeanty was equally dominant in high school, playing for the Lone Star Rangers in Frisco, Texas. The diminutive rusher rushed for a total of 2,218 yards and scored 39 touchdowns during his two seasons in high school.

Jeanty was ranked No. 876 nationally and was the 63rd-best player at his position in the Class of 2022, as per On3. He was also the 127th-best overall prospect from the state of Texas.