The 2024 Heisman Trophy was just awarded to Colorado's Travis Hunter after a remarkable season both at wide receiver and corner. And while it is always interesting to see who the Hesiman voters give the trophy to, it is definitely not as exciting when a Georgia football player isn't in the mix.
UGA has had players in the mix over the last few seasons, but none really stood much of a chance even if they did it make it to the ceremony. But could Georgia be in line for a player to contend for and even win the award next year?
Georgia has had a lot of great players come through the program, but the fact that only two players (Frank Sinkiwich and Herschel Walker) have won the award shows just how hard it is to accomplish. But there is one player who could be in line to break the 40-year drought for Georgia.
Running Back Trevor Etienne
Georgia running back Trevor Etienne is Georgia's best chance at winning the Hesiman next season. And not only is he their best chance at winning, he may actually have a realisitc chance at doing so.
Etienne was a star for Georgia this season while he was healthy. He totaled 111 carries for 571 yards and nine touchdowns while adding an additional 168 yards on 28 catches through the air. He also showed up in Georgia’s two biggest games of the season against Texas in a big way, which is a requirement to win the Heisman.
However, while these numbers are solid considering he only played in nine games, they still aren't that close to being good enough to win the Hesiman. But that all could change next season.
QB Carson Beck will more than likely enter the NFL Draft this offseason, meaning that Georgia's offense will go through a major overhaul. The Bulldogs have been a very pass heavy offense under Beck, so now that they have to start someone new they are likely to change their offense to feature the run game more than the pass game. So that means Etienne will receive a lot more carries next season, which will help him get the stats he needs to win the Hesiman.
For this to even have a chance of happening though, Etienne does have to return to Georgia. There is a chance he could opt to go pro, but the more likely scenario is that he returns for one final season at Georgia. So as long as that happens, Etienne will be the featured back next season in an offense that likely will be more run heavy.
So even though it may seem unlikely, there is a greater than zero chance that Etienne could bring the Heisman Trophy to Athens next season.