While the four Heisman finalists all had some of the best seasons in recent memory, FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt offers a different opinion.
Klatt went to bat for two Big 12 athletes left out of the picture as Heisman finalists, Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
“I’m not saying that any of these players I’m about to bring up should go in place of a finalist,” Klatt prefaced. “All four finalists deserve to be finalists. They’ve played phenomenally. I think there should be one more. You could bring up Cam Skattebo at Arizona State. You could bring up Shedeur Sanders. I think Shedeur Sanders actually has a stronger argument than anybody to at least be a Heisman finalist. This is why it should be five.”
“You look at some of these seasons, and you think to yourself, ‘Shedeur Sanders, his season was incredible.’ Skattebo’s was great,” Klatt continued. “I think Shedeur’s was probably better. Shedeur Sanders was responsible for 82 percent of Colorado’s offense this year. That’s a staggering percentage. In fact, it’s the best in college football, and it’s the third highest in the last 25 years. 25 years? That is a staggering amount! Shedeur should be in New York. There’s no doubt about it. The Heisman should have five finalists. The fifth finalist should absolutely be Shedeur Sanders. I think he got snubbed from that role.”
The current list of Heisman Finalists features Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, and Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Sanders’ numbers parallel that of Gabriel and Ward, with more passing yards and touchdowns than Dillon Gabriel and slightly less than Cam Ward. Cam Skattebo was the best running back in college football, not named Ashton Jeanty in 2024, with more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and 22 scores.
Klatt finished his thoughts by saying, “He’s not in New York. I think that that’s a shame. Skattebo has a bit of an argument. Not quite as strong an argument to be in New York as Shedeur.”
The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Saturday, December 14th, at 7:00 p.m. central.
