By Ben Tredinnick
Photo: / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
This weekend, the Heisman Trophy will be given out, with its winner being seen as “the best” player in College Football this season. The four players shortlisted for the awards this year are:
-Travis Hunter (WR/CB, Colorado)
-Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State)
-Dillion Gabriel (QB, Oregon)
-Cam Ward (QB, Miami)
There is no doubt that these four players are some of the best players in College Football this year. But, they are not the only ones who amazed fans this season. There a numerous players who missed out on being in contention for the Heisman Trophy due to the shortlist only being four players long.
For example, one player who has had a very strong season but missed out on the Heisman Trophy shortlist was Cam Skattebo.
The running back from Arizona State was an instrumental part of his team’s surprise success this season. His 1,568 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns from 263 carries helped the Sun Devils to the Big 12 Conference Championship and a CFP spot, something that nobody considered them to be in the running for at the beginning of the season.
While his season was not as good as fellow running back Ashton Jeanty’s, the impact he had on his team is comparable to what Jeanty (and the rest of the shortlisted players) did this season.
The absence of strong players such as Skattebo and Shedeur Sanders from the shortlist could lead to an expansion of the shortlist in future years.
If the shortlist for the Heisman Trophy was expanded to feature five players, players like Skattebo would be included, and thus recognized on a national level for their achievements.
But, the Heisman Trophy has never had a fixed amount of players on the shortlist. Since 2021, it has been four, but previously as many as six players have been put on the shortlist.
Expanding the shortlist would not be something that goes against the tradition and prestige of the award, and would be something that would only help the award adapt to the new era of College Football, where certain individual players (and their NIL deals) can be seen as more important than the team .
Ben Tredinnick is a contributor for The MMM Journal. He can be found on X at @BMTredinnick and on Instagram at b.m.tredinnick
