Mililani alum Dillon Gabriel named Heisman Trophy finalist
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Mililani alum Dillon Gabriel is heading to New York. The Oregon quarterback was named one of four finalists for the 2024 Heisman Trophy Monday.
In addition to Gabriel, the Heisman Trophy Trust named Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward as finalists for college football’s most prestigious award.
Gabriel helped the Oregon Ducks to an undefeated season, a Big Ten championship, and the number-one seed in the upcoming expanded College Football Playoff.
He follows in the footsteps of other Hawaii-born finalists, like Manti Teo and Tua Tagovailoa, but hopes to be a winner, like fellow Duck Marcus Mariota.
The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner will be announced Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The ceremony will be televised at 3 p.m. HST on ESPN.
More about the finalists, courtesy of Heisman
Gabriel, a senior from Mililani, Hawaii, is both the 2024 Big Ten Offensive Player and Quarterback of the Year, as well as an All-Big Ten first-team pick. The first-year Duck led No. 1 Oregon to a 13-0 season, a Big Ten Championship win over Penn State and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. He is second nationally in completion percentage (73.2) and is seventh in passer rating (166.57). He competed 297-of-406 passes for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 192 yards and seven scores. His 35 total touchdowns are tied for seventh nationally, while his passing yards are eighth. Gabriel, in his sixth year of college football, became the NCAA’s all-time leader in total touchdowns with 187. Gabriel set the all-time FBS record for career quarterback starts with his 62nd on Saturday, breaking the mark held by 2023 Heisman finalist and fellow Oregon Duck Bo Nix.
Hunter, a junior from Suwanee, Ga., is the 2024 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned All-Big 12 first-team honors as both a defensive back and a wide receiver. Defensively, he had 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions, a conference-best 15 passes defended (tied for fifth nationally), and forced a game-winning fumble. Hunter, named Honorable Mention for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, led the conference with 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns while finishing with 1,152 receiving yards, second in the Big 12. Nationally, he is second in receiving touchdowns, fifth in receptions per game (7.7) and sixth in receiving yards per game (96.0). Hunter leads the country with 21 receiving plays for 20 yards or more. He twice had three touchdown receptions in a game, had 10 or more catches in a game three times and had 100 or more receiving yards in a game seven times.
Jeanty, a junior from Jacksonville, Fla., is a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and All-Mountain West First Team selection (2023-24). He has rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns, both national bests, as well as school and conference records. His rushing total is the second-biggest regular-season total in FBS history, behind only 1988 Heisman winner Barry Sanders. Jeanty has rushed for 125 or more yards in 13 straight games, the longest FBS streak since at least 1996. He was named the Mountain West Championship game MVP after leading the Broncos to a 21-7 win. He ran for 209 yards and a score in the title game, the eighth time in his career he’s rushed for more than 200 yards in a game, including six times this season. He has 17 100-yard halves this year. Jeanty, the program record-holder with 4,655 yards, has also set Boise State single-season records for all-purpose yards (2,613) and rushing touchdowns (29).
Ward, a senior from West Columbia, Texas, is both the 2024 ACC Player and Offensive Player of the Year, earning All-ACC first-team quarterback honors. He leads the nation with a school-record 36 passing touchdowns while his 4,123 passing yards, 4,319 total yards, 343.6 passing yards per game and total touchdowns (41) are all second-most. His passer rating is fourth (171.07). His passing yards are also a Miami single-season record, breaking Bernie Kosar’s 40-year school record. Ward, Miami’s first ACC Player of the Year, is the first Hurricane QB to post seven straight 300-yard games and he has totaled 10 games with 300-plus yards and three or more TD passes. A fifth-year senior, Ward is tied with Case Keenum for the most career passing touchdowns (155) at the NCAA Division I level. The Miami offense Ward directs is first nationally in scoring (44.2).
Gabriel is Oregon’s fifth finalist and first since Nix (2023). He would be the Ducks’ second winner and first since Marcus Mariota (2014). Hunter is Colorado’s fourth Heisman finalist and its first since the Buffaloes’ lone Heisman winner, Rashaan Salaam (1994). Jeanty is Boise State’s second Heisman finalist and first since Kellen Moore (2010). He would be the Broncos’ first winner. Ward is Miami’s 10th finalist and first since Willis McGahee (2002). He would be the Hurricanes’ third winner and first since Gino Torretta (1992).
Hunter, Jeanty and Ward are all also finalists for the Walter Camp Award while Gabriel, Hunter and Jeanty are finalists for the Maxwell Award. Hunter is also a finalist for the Bednarik, Biletnikoff and Hornung Awards. Jeanty is also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Ward and Gabriel are also finalists for the Davey O’Brien and Manning Awards.
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