Joel Klatt lists top five Heisman contenders in 2024
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt took a look at the Heisman Trophy contenders for the 2024 season and it’s an interesting group of quarterbacks.
And that’s the thing, it’s all quarterbacks right now. Heck, one of them or more could opt for the NFL Draft this spring, so this is an early look.
Let’s dive into Klatt’s top five Heisman contenders going into the 2024 season.
1. Quinn Ewers, QB – Texas
2023 stats: 3,161 yards, 21 touchdowns, six interceptions, 70.7% completion percentage
Klatt: “Quinn Ewers, and I know you’re thinking to yourself, like are we sure Arch Manning’s not gonna be the quarterback? Well, you know what ,he might and if Arch Manning’s the quarterback, then he would be on this list. So I basically should say just the Texas quarterback, but if it’s Ewers, which I’m actually expecting him to come back, he will continue to develop and continue to put up quality numbers. This is a highly explosive offense. It will continue to be with Steve Sarkisian.”
Ewers looked the best he’s ever looked this year. The thing is, he just has to stay healthy. He’s been injury prone over the last two years and Manning will be breathing down his neck in 2024.
2. Jalen Milroe, QB – Alabama
2023 stats: 2,718 yards, 23 touchdowns, six interceptions, 65.5% completion percentage, 468 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns
Klatt: “He in so many ways has evolved and developed into a great player from the player that we saw against Texas early in the season to the one that beat Georgia. He makes good, clean decisions. He’s so athletic, he can throw the football really well down the field and that’s just going to get better. You know now Nick Saban and that offensive staff, Tommy Rees the offensive coordinator, they know what they are offensively with Jalen Milroe.”
The more the season wore on, the better Milroe got in the Alabama offense. With another year coming, Milroe could end up being the favorite before too long. Tough to stop a true dual-threat quarterback.
3. J.J. McCarthy, QB – Michigan
2023 stats: 2,630 yards, 19 touchdowns, four interceptions, 74.2% completion percentage
Klatt: “I don’t know if JJ McCarthy is going to declare for the NFL Draft. I think a lot of it has to do with and will depend on how they do in the postseason in the College Football Playoff. They have a chance if the right guys come back. You know he’s going to have Colston Loveland, his tight end, he’s likely going to have Donovan Edwards, there’s a chance Roman Wilson could come back if he doesn’t like his draft stock. They’ve got some really good young players. They’ve got an offensive line that’s going to be solid in front of them.”
McCarthy steadily improved each year in the program. The Michigan quarterback has a chance to really explode with one more collegiate year, but he could have enough NFL Draft stock to declare for 2024 and not return to school.
4. Dillon Gabriel, QB – Oregon
2023 stats: 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions, 69.3% completion percentage, 373 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns
Klatt: “Dillon Gabriel at Oregon is a perfect fit. They require their quarterback to be a, I don’t want to say game manager because there’s a bad connotation to that, but a game manager and a distributor I think is a better way to put it. A point guard, that’s what Bo Nix was so good at right. He’s such a smart player, and he could distribute the ball on time and accurately and he did that so well. That’s exactly what Will Stein the offensive coordinator requires out of his quarterback and that’s what he’s going to get from Dillon Gabriel.”
Gabriel always put up big numbers during his time at UCF and Oklahoma. Last year was arguably his best season considering the circumstances. With an, arguably, better team around him next, he’ll fully be in contention.
5. Shedeur Sanders, QB – Colorado
2023 stats: 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, three interceptions, 69.3% completion percentage
Klatt: “I think (he is) a dark horse. I know he’s not at the major brand, but Colorado has a Heisman Trophy winner in their past … he’s gonna get a lot of attention. Now some of it might not be great and maybe some voters are out there and won’t want to vote for Shedeur Sanders, but with what’s going on in the transfer portal and the help that they’re getting at the on the offensive line. You can’t tell me that this guy won’t be among the nation’s leading passers. If he gets protected a little bit.”
Sanders put up great numbers this past season, despite lack of protection and a running game. If next year has improvement across the board, he’ll be in the running and Colorado will surely be better than 4-8.
With Klatt detailing his early top five, it seems like 2024 might feature mostly, if not all, quarterback contenders for the Heisman once again. Who can step up?